This essay aims at explaining the impacts of the processes globalisation on the fall of the
Soviet Union and the problems this created for the new Russia in transition.
First of all it is necessary to look at some parts of the history of the Soviet Union and the
nature of Communism before moving on to defining globalisation and its effects on Russia
and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Why is it so important to deal with
history first? It is because the former Soviet Union economically and ideologically had shut
itself off to most parts of the globe for decades and hence the effects of globalisation must be
reflected under the light of these specific circumstances.
In short, the Bolshevik uprising in 1917 was successful and brought the Bolshevik Party into
power which was renamed Communist Party in 1918. In the years from 1918 to 1921 a civil
war followed in which the Bolshevik regime was almost overthrown but managed to stay in
power, taking control over the economy and turning it into a war economy. After 1918 the
Soviet Union experienced three years of war communism. Under the wing of Socialism the
economy was organised in a military sense and forced the whole nation to put their labour
into keeping up a traditional army and securing military power.1 In 1921 Lenin introduced
The New Economic Policy as he realised that war communism was a failure and that it had
led to peasant revolts endangering the Soviet State. The idea now was to maintain industry
under state control and to allow a market for agriculture, trade and commerce.2 This system
made it possible for peasants and rural capitalists to gain relative wealth whereas the urban
population experienced increasing unemployment. By the late 1920s this emerging rural
capitalism was regarded as a threat to the system and lead to a very fragile relationship
between the Communist government and the rural population. In order to avoid the collapse
of Communist Soviet Union, Stalin implemented mass collectivisation of agriculture and
rapid industrialisation.3 [...]
1 David Christian, Imperial and Soviet Russia: Power, Privilege and the Challenge of Modernity, Macmillan
Press, Houndsmills, 1997, pp.207 – 231.
2 David Lockwood, The Destruction of the Soviet Union, Macmillan Press, Houndsmills, 2000, p.66.
3 David Christian, Imperial and Soviet Russia: Power, Privilege and the Challenge of Modernity, Macmillan
Press, Houndsmills, 1997, pp. 262 & 265.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. From the Bolshevik uprising to Stalinism (1917-1950)
3. The era of stagnation
4. Impacts of globalisation and the Gorbachev era
5. Shock therapy and the IMF
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This essay examines the influence of globalization processes on the collapse of the Soviet Union and analyzes the subsequent socio-economic challenges faced by Russia during its transition period.
- Historical evolution of the Soviet economy and communist governance.
- The role of autarky and state-controlled industry in the era of stagnation.
- Economic reforms under Mikhail Gorbachev, including glasnost and perestroika.
- The implementation of shock therapy and its impact on the post-Soviet transition.
- Critical perspectives on the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) influence on Russia.
Excerpt from the Book
The era of stagnation
After Stalin died in 1953 the successive leaders found the country’s economy in a relative mess to the rest of the world. Khrushchev started reforms to achieve de-Stalinisation and began decentralisation and economic planning. When Khrushchev got voted out of the Politburo in 1964, Brezhnev became general secretary and what followed were about 20 years of stagnation. Instead of introducing major reforms his regime relied on the Communist system and hoped that it would achieve a performance good enough to keep the Soviet Union stable.
This strategy did not succeed as a declining birthrate and an increasing difficulty in accessing natural resources required a change from extensive to intensive industrial growth and improved technology was required to increase production levels. An important means of improving the situation was importing technology from countries outside the Soviet Union and the Communist block.
This is where the importance of globalisation comes in. So far, the Soviet Union had operated as an autarkic state completely focussing on its military and industrial growth, total state control and self-sufficiency. The economy had been kept within the Soviet borders and had to rely on its own resources with heavy industry as the main means for industrialisation. Meanwhile a good part of the rest of the world had been thriving through increased investment and commerce, and globalisation had taken technology further, using a pool of resources from many different countries.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the study, specifically focusing on the intersection between Soviet history, the nature of communism, and the global economic forces that impacted the transition of the new Russia.
2. From the Bolshevik uprising to Stalinism (1917-1950): Traces the origins of the Soviet state, the implementation of a war economy, and the transition toward mass collectivization and industrialization under Stalin.
3. The era of stagnation: Discusses the economic failures of the post-Stalin leadership and the inability of the Soviet system to modernize, necessitating a reliance on imports and foreign technology.
4. Impacts of globalisation and the Gorbachev era: Analyzes Gorbachev’s attempts at structural reform and the inherent difficulty of merging communist command structures with the emerging global market.
5. Shock therapy and the IMF: Examines the post-1991 rapid transition to a market economy under IMF guidance and the resulting social and economic instability in Russia.
6. Conclusion: Evaluates the complex outcomes of Russia's integration into the global market and argues that no simple remedy existed for the deep-seated structural problems inherited from the Soviet era.
7. Bibliography: Lists the academic books, scholarly articles, and digital sources utilized to support the analysis of the Soviet and post-Soviet economic landscape.
Keywords
Globalisation, Soviet Union, Russia, Communism, Transition Economy, Shock Therapy, IMF, Economic Reform, Stalinism, Perestroika, Glasnost, Market Economy, Industrialisation, War Economy, Cold War.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this assignment?
The assignment explores how globalization affected the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the subsequent economic struggles encountered by the Russian state during its transition to a market economy.
What are the primary themes analyzed?
Key themes include historical economic isolation, the failure of state-controlled industry, the impact of international trade, the influence of the IMF's "shock therapy" policy, and the social costs of radical systemic change.
What is the author's primary research goal?
The goal is to explain why Russia faced such significant transition problems and how the lack of integration into the global economy before 1991 shaped the outcomes of later reform attempts.
Which scientific method is used?
The author uses a historical case study approach, analyzing Soviet economic policy timelines and comparing them with contemporary global economic developments and external intervention strategies.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The body chapters detail the progression from early Bolshevik war communism through the stagnation under Brezhnev, the reform attempts by Gorbachev, and the final shift toward capitalism in the 1990s.
How would you characterize the work using keywords?
The work is defined by its focus on geopolitical transition, the collapse of command economies, globalization, and the critical assessment of neo-liberal market interventions in the post-Soviet space.
Why was the Soviet Union's isolation a factor in its economic failure?
Because the Soviet Union remained autarkic for decades, its internal industry became technologically antiquated and failed to keep pace with the quality standards and innovations driven by the global market.
Did the "shock therapy" approach achieve its goals?
According to the author, the strategy did not work as planned; it failed to build a stable middle class and instead led to increased poverty, income inequality, and a decline in the welfare state.
- Citar trabajo
- Anke Bartl (Autor), 2003, Globalisation and the Soviet Union, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/17702
