Key Events in 20th Century History: USSR, Weimar, War

The Russian Civil War and the Formation of the USSR

Western states were afraid that a socialist revolution would spread to other countries. The White Army was formed, often advocating for liberal constitutions. The Bolshevik government organized the Red Army. Other factors, such as divisions within the White Army, contributed to the final victory.

Organization of the New Soviet State

The centralization of power in the hands of the Bolsheviks meant that democracy disappeared. In 1918, the Communist Party refused to participate in the mechanism of parliamentary representation. The dictatorship of the proletariat was applied in the new state. The Russian state was organized as a federal republic. In 1924, a new constitution was approved that accentuated the pyramidal structure of power.

The Stalinist Era: Trotsky vs. Stalin

Trotsky enjoyed prestige. He conceived the party as an organization where different currents of opinion should exist regarding the construction of socialism. Stalin would not admit deviations from official guidelines in the party. Trotsky was cornered because he aspired to democratize the party.

Soviet Economic Policy: Planning and Five-Year Plans

From 1927, Stalin promoted the idea of economic planning (Gosplan). The First Five-Year Plan was designed to achieve the country's economic self-sufficiency through rapid industrialization. This began the collectivization of agriculture that ended traditional family property. In the Second Five-Year Plan, light industry and consumer goods were favored. The Third Five-Year Plan was interrupted by the Second World War, as the USSR shifted its focus entirely to the war effort. Successive plans continued industrial development, taking precedence and neglecting the modernization of agriculture.

The Weimar Republic in Germany

The democratic republic was proclaimed in Germany on the initiative of the Social Democratic Party. The government was forced to deal with uprisings, such as the Spartacist uprising, and the opposition of conservative parties. The middle class, severely affected by the postwar recession, saw the founding of the German Workers' Party (DAP).

Lasting Consequences of Imperialism

Imperialism resulted in several lasting consequences:

• Artificial boundaries were created that divided or unified ethnic groups.
• The social structure changed significantly.
• The adoption of Western educational models and languages.
• The introduction of medicine served to reduce mortality, but birth rates remained high.
• Colonies became suppliers of raw materials and consumers of industrial products.
• The introduction of a monetary economy dislocated traditional systems of commodity exchange.

Characteristics of Modern Warfare

Characteristics of modern warfare include:

• The effective mobilization of human resources (civil and military).
• The introduction of a war economy, where governments regulate private enterprise.
• Economic warfare, aimed at crippling the productive activity of the adversary.
• Psychological warfare, focusing on communicating false propaganda.
• New media and weapons of struggle.
• Technical advances applied extensively to the armaments industry.