The history of our country knows many ups and downs. They occurred at a very different time under a variety of circumstances. Of great importance in Russian history is the period of the Soviet Union. What opinions do not exist regarding the USSR. They love him, scold him, praise him, do not understand him, feel indulgence or disgust towards him, miss him. It is impossible to unambiguously determine the position of the USSR in world history - whether it was good or bad, in simple terms. People living in the Soviet Union remember a lot of positive things, but also remember the moments that brought them negative emotions and difficulties. What did the USSR remember in the international arena? One of these things was the power and party system of the Soviet Union.
And what about the parties?
When we talk about the Soviet Union, the Communist Party immediately comes to mind, and nothing more, collectivism and community. But in fact, throughout the existence of such a state as the Soviet Union, there were a lot of Soviet parties - 21. It’s just that not all of them were active, some served only to create an image of a multi-party system, they were a kind of curtain. It makes no sense to consider all the political parties of the Soviet Union, so let us dwell on the key ones. The central place, of course, is occupied by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, about which we will talk later on how it was organized and what its significance is.
Formation of a one-party system
A distinctive and characteristic feature of the political system of the Soviet Union was one-party system. The formation was started along with the refusal of cooperation of most political parties, after which there were disagreements in uniting the Bolsheviks and left Social Revolutionaries and the further suppression of the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries. The main methods of struggle were arrests and exiles and expulsion abroad. By the 1920s, there are no political organizations left that could still have any impact. Until the 30s, there were still attempts at opposition phenomena and the creation of political parties of the USSR, but they were explained as side events of the internal party struggle for power. In the 20-30s, party committees of all levels implicitly carried out the given general line, without really thinking about the consequences. The main condition for the formation of a one-party system was reliance on repressive and punitive organs and measures. As a result, the state began to belong to one and only party, which concentrated in its hands all three branches of government - legislative, executive and judicial. The experience of our country has shown that a monopoly on power in a long period of time has a negative impact on society and the state. In such a situation, scope is created for arbitrariness, the corruption of the bearers of power and the destruction of civil society.
Beginning of the End?
The year 1917 was marked by the scope of activity in our country of the main and very first parties. The USSR, of course, together with its formation destroyed the multi-party system, but the existing political groups in many respects influenced the beginning of the history of the Soviet Union. The political struggle between the parties in 1917 was intense. The February revolution brought the defeat of right-wing parties and groups. And the confrontation between socialism and liberalism, that is, the Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, Bolsheviks and Cadets, came to the forefront. There was also a confrontation between moderate socialism and radicalism, that is, between the Mensheviks, the right and central Social Revolutionaries and Bolsheviks, the Left Socialist Revolutionaries and Anarchists.
Communist Party of the USSR
The CPSU has become a monumental phenomenon of the twentieth century. As the ruling party of the USSR, it functioned in a one-party system and had a monopoly on the exercise of political power, thanks to which an autocratic political regime was established in the country. The party operated from the beginning of the 1920s until March 1990. The power was consolidated by the Constitution in the Constitution of the USSR Communist Party: article 126 in the 1936 Constitution proclaimed the CPSU as the leading core inherent in state and public organizations of workers. The 1977 Constitution, in turn, already proclaimed it as the guiding and guiding force for Soviet society as a whole, its significance. The year 1990 was marked by the abolition of the monopoly of the right to political power, but the Constitution of the Soviet Union, even in the new edition, especially highlighted the CPSU in relation to other parties of the USSR.
The same as the CPSU?
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union has experienced several name changes in its history. The listed political parties of the USSR, in the sense and essence of their own, are one and the same party. The history of the CPSU begins with the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, which operated in 1898-1917. Then it undergoes transformation into the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (Bolsheviks), which operates in 1917-1918. The Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) replaces the RSDLP (b) and acts from 1918 to 1925. From 1925 to 1952, the RCP (B.) Became the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). And ultimately, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union is formed, it is also the CPSU, it has also become a household party.
Party in the formation of the USSR
The importance of the formation of the USSR for the ruling party has become significant. For all peoples, it has become a historical and cultural association, and for the party an opportunity to strengthen its position. In addition, there was a strengthening of the country in the geopolitical world. Initially, the Bolsheviks adhered to the ideas of unitarism, which negatively affected the development of multinationalism. But in the late 30s, in the end, there was still a transition to a unitary model in the version of Joseph Stalin.
Will there be socialism?
The Socialist Party of the USSR is a political party formed in 1990, which defended the ideas of democratic socialism. It was formed at the constituent congress held in Moscow on June 23-24. Party leaders were Kagarlitsky, Komarov, Kondratov, Abramovich (not Roman), Baranov, Lepekhin and Kolpakidi. In its program, like other parties of the USSR, the socialist party proclaimed the goal to protect the interests of wage earners, but as that part of society that is the most alienated from the means of production, power and products of labor. The USSR joint venture strove to create a society of self-governing socialism. But this party did not achieve much success, and in fact, in January-February 1992 its activity ceased, but the official dissolution of the party has not yet taken place.
Congresses of the CPSU
Officially, there are 28 congresses of the parties of the USSR. By definition of the Charter of the Communist Party, the Congress of the CPSU is the supreme body of party leadership, consisting of meetings of its delegates convened on a regular basis. As already mentioned, a total of 28 congresses have passed. They begin to count from the first congress of the RSDLP in 1898 in Minsk. The first seven congresses are characterized not only in different cities, but also in countries. The first, it is the constituent congress, was held in Minsk. The second congress was attended by Brussels and London. A third also took place in London. Participants visited Stockholm on the fourth, and the fifth again took place in London. The sixth and seventh congresses were held in Petrograd. From the eighth congress to the end, they were all held in Moscow. The October Revolution led to the decision to hold congresses annually, but after 1925 they began to take place less frequently. The biggest break in the history of the party was the gap between the 18th and 19th congresses - it amounted to 13 years. In 1961-1986, congresses are held every five years. Historians explain the fluctuations in how often the party was convened by the fluctuations in its position. When Stalin came to power, there was a sharp decrease in frequency, and, for example, when Khrushchev became the ruler, congresses began to take place more often. The last congress of the Communist Party of the USSR was held in 1990.
Big period of history. Before the USSR
The role of the party in the USSR and before its formation was enormous and ambiguous. The CPSU went through many events of the Soviet Union. Recall the main ones.
- The October Revolution of 1917 is one of the largest political events of the twentieth century and has greatly influenced the course of world history. The revolution led to the Civil War in Russia, the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the coming to power of a new government dominated by the Bolsheviks.
- War communism of 1918-1921 - this was the name of Russia's domestic policy in the conditions of the Civil War. It was characterized by centralized economic management , industrialization of the industry, surplus appraisal, a ban on private trade, curtailment of commodity-money relations, equalization in the distribution of material goods, and orientation toward the militarization of labor. The basis for war communism was the ideology of communism, which envisioned the transformation of the country into a single factory working for the common good.
Big period of history. USSR
The following events took place in the life of the party of the USSR already with its formation.
- The new economic policy of 1921-1928 is the policy of Soviet Russia in the field of economics, which replaced military communism, which led to economic decline. The objectives of the NEP was to introduce private enterprise and revive market relations to restore the national economy. The NEP was largely forced and had an improvisational character. But, despite this, it became one of the most successful economic projects for the entire Soviet period. The CPSU faced major problems, such as financial stabilization, lower inflation, and achieving a balance of the state budget. NEP made it possible to quickly restore the national economy, destroyed during the First World War and the Civil War.
- Lenin's appeal of 1924. The full name of this historical event is "Lenin's call to the party" - the period that began after the death of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin on January 24, 1924. At this time, there was a massive arrival of people in the Bolshevik party. Most of the workers and the poorest peasants (the poor and middle peasants) were recruited to the party.
- The internal party struggle of 1926-1933 is a historical process during which the redistribution of power in the CPSU (b) took place after V. I. Lenin left politics. The tops of the Communist Party fought a fierce struggle for who would become its successor. As a result, I.V. Stalin pulled a blanket over himself, pushing aside rivals such as Trotsky and Zinoviev.
- Stalinism of 1933-1954 got its name after the main spokesman of the ideology and practice of Joseph Stalin. These years became a period of such a political system when the party’s power in the USSR became not only monopoly, but even was given to one and only person. The dominance of authoritarianism, the strengthening of state punitive functions, strict ideological control of all aspects of public life - all this characterized Stalinism. Some scholars call it totalitarianism - one of its extreme forms.
- Khrushchev thaw of 1953-1964. This period received its unofficial name by the name of First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev. Continued for 10 years after the death of Stalin. Key features: condemnation of the personality cult of Stalin and the repressions of the 30s, the release of political prisoners, the elimination of the Gulag, the weakening of totalitarianism, the appearance of the first hints of freedom of speech, the relative liberalization of politics and public life. Open cooperation with the Western world began, free creative activity appeared.
- The period of stagnation of 1964-1985, he is the era of stagnation. This is the name of the period covering two decades of "developed socialism." Stagnation begins when Brezhnev came to power.
- The perestroika of 1985-1991 is a huge and large-scale change of ideological, economic and political nature. The goal of the reforms is to comprehensively democratize the system that has developed in the USSR. Plans for the development of measures began back in the 80s on behalf of Yu. V. Andropov. In 1987, perestroika was announced as a new state ideology, radical changes began in the life of the country.
Secretary leaders
General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee - abolished public office. She was the highest in the Communist Party. After the death of V.I. Lenin, the post becomes the highest in the USSR. The first general secretary was Stalin. Other secretaries of the party of the USSR were N. S. Khrushchev, L. I. Brezhnev, Yu. V. Andropov, K. U. Chernenko, M. S. Gorbachev. In 1953, instead of the position of the general secretary, the position of the first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee was introduced, which in 1966 was again renamed the general secretary. Its official consolidation takes place in the charter of the Communist Party. Unlike other positions in the party leadership, the position of general secretary was the only non-collegial one.
In 1992, a lawsuit was instituted - the CPSU Case. In the process of considering this case, attention was paid to such a question as the constitutionality of decrees of President B. N. Yeltsin on stopping the activities of the Communist Party, seizing property and conducting dissolution. The petition for the institution of the case was filed by 37 people's deputies of Russia.
After the collapse of the USSR, some organizational structures of the CPSU did not recognize the ban and continued to operate illegally. One of the largest successor organizations is the Union of Communist Parties. In 1993, the first congress of this party was held in Moscow. In 2001, it fell into two parts, the head of one of which was G. A. Zyuganov.