...How did Deng’s policies lead to a phenomenal growth of the Chinese economy? China began the 20th century with a serious effort to modernize its economy and ended the century with a successful economic modernization. Since the early 1980s, China ranks among the world’s fastest growing economies. Using standards of measurement of the gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing power parity, the IMF ranks China’s economy a close third, after only the United States and Russia (Soled, 1993). In 1978, Deng Xiaoping took over the control of the communist party and abandoned the Maoist economic model. Deng Xiaoping is widely regarded as one of the most undisputed leader of all times. He initiated the transformation of the planned economy towards more market-oriented economy and decided to open China up to free market economic reforms and Western style capitalism (Chow, 2001). These reforms were a reversal of the Maoist policy of economic self-reliance. Successful economic development in other parts of Asia including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea, known as the four Tigers, demonstrated to the Chinese government officials and the Chinese people that a market economy works better than a planned economy (Soled, 1993). Deng realized that China needed Western technology and investment, and opened the door to foreign businesses who wanted to set up in China (Chow, 2001). China decided to accelerate the modernization process by stepping up the volume of foreign trade...
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...The Soviet economy after Stalin: how could Khrushchev de-Stalinise the Stalinist system? Author(s): Jonathan Davis Source: 20th Century History Review. 4.1 (Sept. 2008): p21. Document Type: Article Full Text: When Nikita Khrushchev came to power after Josef Stalin's death in 1953, the new Soviet leader hoped to restructure the USSR along less harsh Stalinist, lines. Khrushchev famously sought to de-Stalinise the USSR and part of his reforms saw him demand changes to an economy that had a less than successful agricultural sector and industries that prioritised heavy machinery over everything else. While some aspects of the Stalinist economy were regarded as successful and therefore continued (for example, heavy industry remained a priority), it was now recognised that other areas were in much need of improvement. Heavy industry had always been favoured over light industry and this led to a severe lack of consumer goods. The brutal methods used by the Stalinist government to collectivise the agricultural sector left millions of peasants bitter and resentful; the agricultural question remained one of the most difficult problems for leaders and policy makers. Moreover, the supposedly planned economy was, in places, more improvised than planned, causing numerous difficulties. Rectifying the problems in the Stalinist economy was crucial for Khrushchev, for the Soviet people and for the Soviet Union. The USSR had to maintain its position as a superpower during the Cold...
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...How successful was Khrushchev’s policy of destalinization Destalinization was a political reform launched by Soviet Communist Party First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev at the 20th Party Congress, otherwise known as the secret speech. The main components of the reforms were changing or removing prominent institutions that had helped Stalin remain in power; the Stalinist political system, political party members that had supported him (beginning with the arrest and subsequent execution of political rival Lavrentiy Beria) and the removal of the Gulag labour camp system. Khrushchev was desperate to present himself as a reformer, completely breaking away from the reliance of ‘fear into submission’ tactics of the Stalinist era, by presenting himself as a ‘man of the people’. He wished to lessen the gap between the soviet leadership and the people, whilst undermining his predecessors’ dictatorship rule. It has been argued that his attempt to end the use of terror both in political and public life and the reintegration of those who had fallen victim to said terror, was one of the successes of the destalinization policy. This included the released of five million prisoners from labour camps. A total of eight million prisoners had been released by the end of 1956. Shortly after, in 1961, Khrushchev initiated a campaign to rename cities that previously honoured Stalin; Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd. Stalin’s persona was publicly attacked; most importantly in destroying his image...
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...2015 A-Level paper. Received high level 4 How successful were the economic policies of the USSR from 1953-82? The economic policies of the USSR from 1953-82 were quite unsuccessful. The agricultural policies were unsuccessful, but the industrial policies were successful. This essay will measure success by the impact on the economy, for example whether the industrial change met or succeeded their targets. In 1953, Stalin died and Khrushchev succeeded him as leader of the Soviet Union. Between then and his fall from power, he had to legitimise his leadership, as well as introduce his policy of de-Stalinisation. In addition, Khrushchev wanted to reform failing policies, while still keeping to his successful policies. Brezhnev then succeeded Khrushchev as leader of the Soviet Union and then died in 1982. He wanted to move away from Khrushchev and consolidate his position as leader of the Soviet Union. To measure the success of these policies, this essay will focus on Khrushchev's Seven-Year plan, sovnarkozy and the Virgin Lands Scheme. In addition, this essay will also study Brezhnev's reforms of agriculture, his ninth Five-Year Plan and the Kosygin reforms. It can be argued that the economic policies of the USSR from 1953-82 were not successful under Khrushchev because of the failure of the Virgin Lands Scheme and the agricultural policies under Brezhnev. Under the Virgin Lands Scheme, 6 million hectares of new land was farmed, mostly by the Komsomol, expecting an output...
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...Introduction Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev were two monumental post-Stalin, pre-Gorbachev leaders of the Soviet Union during periods of reform. The two leaders both sought to adjust the economic and domestic policies of the Soviet Union. They shared a common goal: to lead without the constant mass fear and terror imposed by Stalin’s brutal regime. However, they also wanted to achieve such a goal without directly undermining the foundation and the integrity of the Soviet Union or the Communist Party. This concept can be labeled as de-Stalinization without de-Sovietization. However, Khrushchev and Brezhnev inherited a rigid Soviet system that was intertwined with Stalin’s personal legacy and the inner circle officials that survived the...
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...Arguably peasants working conditions did change however to a limited extent from 1855 to 1964. This was due to government reforms during tsarist Russia that had significant effects on peasants such as Stolypin and Alexander’s reforms as this was first steps taken to improve peasantry. However their freedom, transportation and the right to own land was very limited, redemption payments were almost impossible and they were still bound to the Mir. Similar to the communist era under Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev from 1917 peasant working conditions did change as Lenin introduced the new economic policy that improved peasant working conditions financially, but war communism did not benefit the peasants at all, agriculture was very low and caused a huge feminine what effected work life. When Stalin came to power 1924 there was huge transformation in peasant working conditions due to the industrialisation of Russia where machinery and agriculture increased however peasants were practically treated as slave labour during the five-year plans. Khrushchev also changed peasant-working lives as peasants became freer after Stalin’s death, for example they were paid more for grain and the removal of the MTS in 1958 allowed farmers to buy their own machinery. Overall change was very limited in peasant working conditions until 1950’s as the majority of the population were no longer peasants, machinery and new methods of faming became advanced and those who were peasants, they started to get paid...
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...The University of Houston Russia Energy and the Second Global Economy Mohammad Usman Aijaz INTB3354H – MW 2:30-4:00 Olivia Miljanic November 3rd, 2013 The Soviet Union, now Russia, heavily influenced the second global economy. From the reconstruction of Germany to the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s actions affected the world second only to the United States. While the second global economy is loosely defined as the era between the years of 1971 and 1998, the seeds of this time period were planted shortly after the end of World War II in the European theatre. Following the fall of Nazi Germany, the United States devised the Marshall Plan to rebuild the economies of war-devastated countries. As a world power, the United States believed it was their duty to prevent another world war. The Soviet Union agreed with the sentiment, but not with the approach the western nations took. To prevent the rise of authoritarian governments, the United States promoted democracies, constitutional rule, and capitalism. The Soviet Union, an authoritarian government, advanced their communist ideas to counter the Truman Doctrine. The result of the opposing ideologies was a strained relationship between the two influencers of the modern world, and the initiation of the Cold War. The Soviet Union was focused on spreading their political ideology for one reason: Protection (Service 2). While most of the world considers the establishment of communist regimes as Soviet expansion, the Soviet...
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...government and via these representatives ¡§govern themselves¡¨. During the period between 1961 to 1963, Nikita S. Khrushchev represented Communism and ruled Russia, while John F. Kennedy embodied democracy and lead America. The two leaders differed in their foreign policies as is evident by the Berlin Wall incident and the Cuban missile crisis, but both were somewhat radical in their domestic policies. Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was first secretary of the Soviet Communist party from 1953 to 1964 and effective leader of the USSR from 1956 (premier from 1958) to 1964. He was born on April 17th, 1894, in the village of Kalinovka, Kursk province. As a young boy, Khrushchev worked long hours in the coal mines. Khrushchev seemed to be a revolutionist from a young age as he organized several strikes and in 1918 he joined the Bolshevik party and fought in the Civil War. Afterward, he was sent by the party to a technical institute to learn more about Marxism. Khrushchev rose steadily up the party ladder, always combining his talents as an administrator with his technical training. After assignments in the Ukraine, he became head of the Moscow regional party committee, and in 1934 he became a member of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist party. In these positions he directed the construction of the Moscow subway. Although increasingly influential, Khrushchev was never an intimate associate of Joseph Stalin; he concentrated on technical rather...
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...due to personal rivalries? (Why the split happened) * Ideological differences * Both sides disagreed over how best to pursue the notion of a communist revolution. * The Soviets had Cominform and China had her own version of communism based on a rural society. * When Khrushchev came to power he reassessed the Soviet interpretation of communism, taking it back to a purer Leninist view point, this intensified ideological differences further. * Khrushchev’s belief that Capitalism was doomed to fail and so expansionism and aggression were unnecessary (peaceful coexistence) was juxtaposed with Mao’s adherence creating a communist revolution and military involvement to protest communist comrades e.g. Korean War. * Mao also wanted to continue with Stalin’s Five Year Plans and devised his own version The Great Leap Forward campaign launched in 1958 to increase industrial and agricultural progress. The campaign involved building dams, reservoirs, roads and establishing communes and setting up small-scale steel and iron furnaces in country areas.- This policy was a disaster resulting in at least 17 million deaths and prompted, due to frustration, Soviet withdrawal of economic aid in 1960. Individuals * Stalin, being the leader of the first major Communist superpower could rightly claim the title of senior partner in the Treaty of Friendship. Mao admired Stalin, tried to emulate his policies, relied on him for funds, experts and aiding the establishment...
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...answer each question; * Sending a plan to a friend for constructive criticism. Before you get going – please note the advice that the Chief Examiner has given to his exam markers for the last year: ------------------------------------------------- “Candidates are expected to demonstrate understanding of the issues in each of their selected questions over a period of at least a hundred years (unless an individual question specifies a slightly shorter period.) Candidates are reminded of the synoptic nature of the Unit. Answers are required to demonstrate understanding of the processes of historical continuity, development and change across the full breadth of the period studied”. ExamSeason | Government | Repression & Reform | Opposition | Agriculture | Industry | Condition of the Workers | Leadership | Turning Points (in government) | Strange Beasts | Specimen | *A | * | * | *A | *A | *A | | | | Jan 10 | * | | | * | | | *A | | *A | June 10 | | | * | | | * | | * | | Jan 11 | * |...
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...Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 An overview This overview The Nature of Russian Government Ideology Structures and Institutions Opposition The nature of opposition and how it changed Repression as a way of controlling opposition Reform as a way of controlling opposition Social and Economic Change In the countryside In the towns and cities War and Revolution and the development of Government Government - Ideology Strong continuity in autocratic Tsarist rule 1832 Fundamental Laws (Nicholas I) “The emperor of all Russians is an autocratic and unlimited monarch: God himself ordains that all must bow to his supreme power, not only out of fear but also out of conscience” 1906 Fundamental Laws (Nicholas II) “The All-Russian Emperor possess the supreme autocratic power. Not only fear and conscience but God himself commands obedience to his authority” Government - Ideology Subtle changes in the extent to which different Tsars were autocratic. 1861 Emancipation Edit (Alexander II) Though Alexander II used his autocratic powers to enact the edict, this was only after a long period of discussion and consultation with his nobles, which started in 1856. 1881 “The Reaction” of Alexander III to his father’s assassination. Under the influence of Pobodonostev, who believed that most Russians were incapable of understanding the complexity of the world, and therefore could not be given freedom, or the vote...
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...leadership composed of Malenkov, Khrushchev, Molotov, Bulganin and Beria. This occurred shortly after Eisenhower won the US presidential election in 1952. As a result, there was a change in leadership on both sides, which naturally had a large effect on the progress and course of the Cold War. The period that followed the death of Stalin and the election of Eisenhower was one of general improvement of superpower relations and therefore the period is named the ‘Thaw’. Some believe that this was due to Khrushchev’s policy of peaceful coexistence, which he brought about due to various factors such as mutual nuclear destruction and the fact that each superpower’s sphere of influence had effectively been officially consolidated giving relations a new degree of stability. Others say that it was Eisenhower’s New Look policy that brought about this development, while some simply believe that it was the general change in leadership on both sides that caused the newfound stability in superpower relations. Khrushchev’s policy of peaceful coexistence can be seen to result in several developments that gave hope to the West that accommodation and agreement could be reached between the two superpowers and thus allowed for more relaxed meetings and discussions. One example is the Austrian State Treaty of 1955, which resulted in Austrian neutrality rather than the permanent division of Austria into zones like Germany. This was a concession made by Khrushchev in which he showed a more mature...
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...Unit 1: The Seeds of Conflict, 1917-1944 The differences between capitalism and communism Capitalism advocated private enterprise, land owned by individuals with minimum government interference. Liberal democracy was a political system where each person has freedom to vote, to elect, of speech and of worship. Communism advocated state-owned property, an economy where all industries and agriculture were owned by the government on behalf of the people. A one-party state was a political system with one political party to represent the people. In the USSR, all political parties other than the Communist Party were banned and elections were contested between individuals of this party. The tensions that existed between the USSR and the USA in the 1920s and 30s Communism was viewed as an unstable force that threatened social and political order and Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, was to represent this. Allied countries Britain, France, USA and Japan had sent help to Bolshevik enemies during the Civil War therefore there were some hostile feelings towards them even after the war. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918) was a result of Russia withdrawing from the war, leading to a feeling of betrayal amongst the allies who were left to fight Germany alone. Communist groups in Spain and France grew in strength in the 1930s in response to the hardships of the Great Depression which placed strains on the USA. Britain’s appeasement policy towards Germany under Hitler’s...
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...History of Education Education Act of 1944. The Education Act of 1944 involved a thorough recasting of the educational system. The Board of Education was replaced by a minister who was to direct and control the local education authorities, thereby assuring a more even standard of educational opportunity throughout England and Wales. Every local education authority was required to submit for the minister's approval a development plan for primary and secondary education and a plan for further education in its area. Two central advisory councils were constituted, one for England, another for Wales. These had the power, in addition to dealing with problems set by the minister, to tender advice on their own initiative. The total number of education authorities in England and Wales was reduced from 315 to 146. The educational systems of Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate and distinct from that of England and Wales, although there are close links between them. The essential features of the Education Act of 1944 of England and Wales were reproduced in the Education Act of 1945 in Scotland and in the Education Act of 1947 in Northern Ireland. There were such adaptations in each country as were required by local traditions and environment. The complexity of the education system in the United Kingdom arises in part from the pioneer work done in the past by voluntary bodies and a desire to retain the voluntary element in the state system. The act of 1944 continued...
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...Running head: LATIN AMERICA AND AMERICAN INFLUENCE 2 Introduction What principal nations of Latin America entered in the twentieth century that was varying of stages? Thesis: Latin America entered the twentieth century of political and economic development that proved turbulent. Following the political and economic development, WWII and the Cold War made it not able to function throughout the Western Hemisphere. Latin Americas’ major nation started to become part of a wide and bigger complex of the global system. Of Course, Latin American had its’ concerns that were subordinated and superpower for their rivalries. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the U.S. was supporting military dictatorships in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. These countries feared...
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