Changing Regimes from Stalinism to Gorbachev

Stalin’s Reign (1929-1953)

Joseph Stalin rose to power after the death of Lenin, established a totalitarian rule, and drove the Soviet Union’s industrialisation.
- His policies included collectivisation of agriculture and the Five-Year Plans to bolster industrial output.
Stalin’s regime was marked by extreme censorship, mass surveillance, widespread use of terror tactics, and harsh purges known as the Great Purge (1936-38).
- These repressions led to the execution and imprisonment of millions, alongside a climate of fear and paranoia.
Stalin’s rule also saw the USSR become a dominant global power, notably highlighted in its pivotal role in the Allies’ victory in World War II.

After Stalin’s death, Nikita Khrushchev emerged as the leader, and his period of leadership is often referred to as the ‘Khrushchev Thaw.’
- It introduced greater freedom of speech, some de-Stalinisation and the release of millions of political prisoners.
The period also saw significant policies in agriculture (Virgin Lands Campaign) and in housing, leading to improvements in living standards.
However, Khrushchev’s rule was marked with international tensions including the Cuban Missile Crisis, and domestic issues like the Novocherkassk massacre (1962), which eventually led to his downfall.

Leonid Brezhnev was the next leader, and his reign was defined by political stability domestically, stagnant economy, and a rigid social order.
- Known worldwide for the implementation of the Brezhnev Doctrine, reinforcing Soviet control over the Eastern Bloc.
Aligning more with Stalin’s authoritarian rule, Brezhnev reversed some of Khrushchev’s liberal reforms and clamped down on dissident activities.

Both Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko led for brief periods, continuing Brezhnev’s policies, with few significant changes.
Their reign was marked by increasing economic stagnation and a renewed period of Cold-War level tensions with the West.

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev took over reigns. He implemented extensive reforms in response to the economic, social and political stagnation.
- Glasnost gave greater individual freedoms, including freedom of speech, allowing criticism of the government.
- Perestroika enforced economic restructuring, allowing some market-like reforms.
His policies eventually played a significant role in the dissolution of the USSR.
- While welcomed in the West, his policies led to a backlash at home due to economic hardships and rising ethnic tensions.