Question by Matteo: Was Russia better off under the USSR or is it better off today?
I have studied Russian history through GCSE and have started it at A Level – it is fascinating. I ask this question in absolute hindsight – I am aware that terrible things happened under the USSR. However, in hindsight, were things better under the USSR (this is primarily in reference to Stalin’s reign) than today? This applies politically, economically and socially.
In addition, do you think it fair to state that the USSR was a communist entity as the ‘communism’ established was so different from what Marx and Engels wrote. Even before the USSR, Lenin knew that Russia was skipping a step to communism, in accordance with Marx’s theory about the stages leading up to pure communism.
Answers and Views for detailed, informative answers. Please back up your answers with historical evidence if you can.
Aside from all the negative aspects of the USSR, when I look at Russia today (no offence), I can’t help thinking about Mafia, alcohol and government corruption just about everywhere. However, when I think back to the early days of the USSR, I think of obedience, military conscription, a modernizing country, expanding industry, high employment, control… (Please bare in mind I have only made reference to a few positive things about the USSR – there were may horrors, I know, but I would like to find out what your opinion is)
Thanks!
Answers and Views:
Answer by sundae_girl
all that gangster stuff existed in the USSR too, you were just more likely to get caught and freakin shot.
the horrors that occurred during the USSR are really all there is. otherwise it was just the country looking to blow up the rest of the planet with nukes.
and these fine people brought you Chernobyl.
a stuffed democracy is better than a psychotic iron fist rule
Answer by Bilbo
When I went it was still Soviet Union – everyone was restless for change and hankered after the freedoms of the west. Since going back to the former states eg Uzbekistan, people have no dount they are better off now even if some of the massive subsidies they used to enjoy have now gone.
Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?
Daniel says
Well I’ll start with facts, and then give my opinions.
In 1914, The Russian literacy was less than 10%. By 1965, it was 95%
In 1914, most Russians didn’t live past 50, by 1965, Soviet life expectancy was higher than the United States.
In 1914, The Russian Empire had a backwards military, and a very weak industry. By 1965, the Soviet Union had an economy 60% that of the US, and the highest military spending in the world.
In 1914, The Russian empire was socially backwards, a feudal and discriminating society. By 1965, there was far less racism towards jews and muslims inside the Union.
In 1914, The Russian Empire had no technological achievements, by the time Stalin died, they had nukes and sent the Sputnik to space.
So the USSR did great things for Russia. Most of these achievements occured during Stalin’s rule. He industrialized the USSR in a couple years from 1928-39, learnt from his mistakes in early years of WW2 and ended up improving the military so that they were the main reason for Germany’s defeat. After that he increased focus on education and technology, with the system producing great results for the mindset of the people, and the technological advancement of the nation.
However, the nation Stalin created was not a great place to live. Trotsky called it a degenerated workers state. People had no had freedom of expression, and because of that there were no artistic achievements. They were repressed and sent to gulags, and famines occured during industrialization. 10 million people died in Ukraine due to the collectivization of farms. Under Stalin the Soviet Union was basically a ultra-massive corporation.
Kruschev was probably the best leader for the people of the Union. He decreased government control so people were not as repressed. They had free education, healthcare, transportation and a place to live. Anyone I know who lived in the Eastern bloc or Russia in the 60’s and 70’s said it was a pretty good place. Employment was 100%, but not very efficient, often people went to work and didn’t have much work to do. Crime was very, very low. The large military and the secret police were the reasons for this. The USSR consistently beat the USA in the Winter and Summer olympics. They were desperate to show the world that communism was great.
Eventually though, the USSR was sucked into a massive arms race with the US and it’s allies. This took a massive toll on the economy. I believe the military spending was 15-20% of the economy. Also, the economy stagnated and consumer goods dropped massively in production. People still made a lot of money, they just had nothing to spend it on.
While the USSR was never the country you’d want to live in, it was a country you could be proud of.
I can’t see any positives with the Russian Federation. The economy is weak, people can buy more things now thanks to all the companies that have entered the system but many people actually make less money now, since the goverments and companies pocket everything. Racism has resurfaced and crime is everywhere, health and education are terrible. 70% of old people, and 50% of all Russians miss the USSR.
I wouldn’t say it was a great example of communist the way Marx described it. The workers had no real power in the Union. Lenin was an elitist who thought that a vanguard party needed to support the stupid peasants, which is not what Marx believed. Sweden during the 60’s was probably closer to Marx’s idea than the USSR was.