Soviet time chronologically covers the period from the coming to power of the Bolsheviks in 1917 until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In these decades, a socialist system was established in the state and at the same time an attempt was made to establish communism. In the international arena, the USSR led the socialist camp of countries that also embarked on the construction of communism.
The first years of Soviet power
The coming to power of the Bolsheviks and the subsequent radical break-up of the social, economic, political and cultural spheres of society completely changed the face of the former Russian Empire. The so-called dictatorship of the proletariat led to the total domination of one party, the decisions of which were not disputed.
The country was nationalized production and banned large private property. However, in Soviet times in 1920, a new economic policy (NEP) was pursued, which contributed to some revival of trade and production. The Soviet-era photo of the 1920s is an excellent source for the history of the period in question, since it demonstrates the profound changes that took place in society after the end of the existence of the Russian Empire. However, this period did not last long: already at the end of the decade, the party headed for the centralization of the economic sphere.
At the beginning of its existence, the state paid great attention to ideology. Party educational programs aimed at forming a new person in Soviet times. The period before the 1930s, however, can be considered transitional, since then some freedom still remained in society: for example, discussions on issues of science, art, literature were allowed.
The era of Stalinism
Since the 1930s, a totalitarian system has finally been established in the country. The cult of personality, the absolute dominance of the communist party, collectivization and industrialization, socialist ideology - these are the main phenomena of the era. In the political sphere, the one-man rule of Stalin was established, whose authority was unquestioned, and the decisions were not subject to discussion or even more doubt.
The economy has also undergone fundamental changes, which became significant in Soviet times. The years of industrialization and collectivization led to the creation of large-scale industrial production in the USSR, the rapid development of which largely determined victory in the Great Patriotic War and elevated the country to the rank of leading world powers. Photos of the Soviet era of the 1930s demonstrate success in creating a heavy industry in the country. But at the same time, agriculture, the village, the village were weakened and needed serious reform.
Soviet Union in 1950-1960
After the death of Stalin in 1953, the need for change in all spheres of society became apparent. Soviet time in the specified decade entered into historical science under the name "thaw." At the XX Party Congress in February 1956, the personality cult of Stalin was debunked , and this became a signal for serious reforms.
Extensive rehabilitation was carried out for victims of repression during the difficult years. The authorities began to weaken in the management of the economy. So, in 1957 industrial ministries were liquidated and territorial departments for production control were created instead. Councils of the national economy and state committees on industrial management began to work actively. However, the reforms gave a short-term effect and subsequently only increased the administrative confusion.
In agriculture, the government took a number of measures to increase its productivity (writing off debts from collective farms, financing them, and developing virgin lands). At the same time, the liquidation of the MTS, the unjustified sowing of corn, and the enlargement of collective farms negatively affected the development of the village. The Soviet era of 1950 - the first half of 1960 was a period of improvement in the life of Soviet society, but at the same time it revealed a number of new problems.
USSR in 1970-1980
Board L.I. Brezhnev was marked by new reforms in the agricultural and industrial sectors of the economy. The authorities again returned to the industry principle of enterprise management, however, made some changes to the production process. Enterprises were transferred to self-financing, the assessment of their economic activity was now carried out not on gross, but on sold products. This measure was to increase the interest of direct producers in increasing and improving production.
Also, funds from private profits created economic incentive funds. In addition, elements of wholesale were introduced. However, this reform did not affect the foundations of the economy of the USSR and therefore gave only a temporary effect. The country continued to exist due to the extensive development path and lagged behind the developed countries of Western Europe and the USA in scientific and technical terms.
The state in 1980-1990
During the years of perestroika, a serious attempt was made to reform the economy of the Soviet Union. In 1985, the authorities headed for accelerated economic development. The main emphasis was not on scientific and technological improvement of production. The goal of the reform was to achieve a world-class economy. The priority is the development of domestic engineering, which poured the main investment. However, an attempt to reform the economy by administrative command measures failed.
A number of political reforms were carried out, in particular, the government eliminated the dictates of the party and introduced a two-tier system of legislative power in the country. The Supreme Council became a permanently functioning parliament, the post of president of the USSR was approved, and democratic freedoms were proclaimed. Then the government introduced the principle of openness, that is, openness and accessibility of information. However, the attempt to reform the established administrative command system ended in failure and led to a comprehensive crisis in society, which caused the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Soviet period in domestic and world history
The period from 1917-1991 is a whole era not only for Russia, but for the whole world. Our country has undergone deep internal and external shocks, and despite this has become one of the leading powers in Soviet times. The history of these decades influenced the political structure not only of Europe, where a socialist camp was formed under the leadership of the USSR, but also of events in the world as a whole. Therefore, it is not surprising that the phenomenon of the Soviet era is so interested in both domestic and foreign researchers.