Post-War Transformation and Stalin’s USSR
Why the “Golden Age” and “Bipolar” Descriptions?
The late 1960s saw a more crowded world with a population increase of a third, unprecedented in such a short time. This growth was most significant in third-world countries. Post-war food scarcity led to the “Green Revolution,” with American foundations using hybridization to boost seed yields. Increased food production resulted in a reduced agricultural population and urbanization, evident in the US and Europe, but less so in the third world. The secondary sector saw impressive changes, though concentrated in specific regions and urban areas. Pre-war, raw materials dominated trade; post-war (1948-1971 and 1953-1973), manufactured goods took precedence. This trend was followed by Japan and Europe. Urbanization led to significant demographic shifts and ethnic tensions in major powers, starting in the UK and spreading to continental Europe. Ideas and movements spread rapidly in this interconnected world, including feminist and environmental movements originating in the US. The late sixties world was more crowded, nourished, educated, and urbanized. This stability wasn’t a static status quo but a dynamic period. The bipolar world faced challenges, such as decolonization. However, this balance between political stability and transformation couldn’t last indefinitely. Eventually, the international framework needed more flexibility.
Stalin’s USSR: Origin and Development
Origins (1927)
During the New Economic Policy (NEP), a fragile balance existed between urban and rural areas regarding agricultural and industrial product prices. Rural areas withheld wheat, causing food shortages in cities and worker protests. Bukharin advocated balanced development and division of labor, requiring a politically organized party with competent leaders. Stalin, conversely, sought a monolithic party, making inconsistent policy decisions with imperialistic implications.
Development
The GPU accused engineers of sabotaging the Sachty mine. The new agricultural plan faced challenges due to technological backwardness, despite peasants accepting kolkhoz to avoid land seizure. The first five-year plan exceeded forecasts by 1933. The second five-year plan improved agricultural results and ended rationing. Internal party conflicts arose, with suspicions of underground parties leading to the condemnation of intellectuals and leaders. Stalin purged opponents; two-thirds of the Central Committee elected at the Seventeenth Party Congress were killed. The president was replaced by Bulganin. In 1956, Khrushchev’s speech at the XX Congress signaled new, favorable external policies for Russia, promoting decentralization. Despite internal difficulties, Stalinism remained in power, with any conflicting government swiftly removed.