Can we get an update on Russia? I want to see what happens to Russia's nascent democracy after the Bolsheviks were defeated.
- Status
With respect, I have to agree with Asami on this one. While it is true that this would be met with opposition at the time, due to how such things were viewed, it makes sense from a pragmatic/political point of view, and a good number of people would see it that way as well.
Asami
Banned
Some American industrialists and exceptionalists are practically creaming themselves at the idea of the ability to strong-arm into Japan's zaibatsu-dominated economy. Suckers.
While there was certainly racism here, it isn't lost on people that she's marrying into actual royalty. While the everyman is a bit different, we're talking about wealthy people. Different standards, sorta.
Considering the Mongols are encroaching on China (which Japan has a vested interest in), that's probably going to happen soon.
20. The Evolution of Russia
Asami
Banned
ロシアの進化
20. The Evolution of Russia
Few men could claim to have a larger position in the change of the times as Joseph Stalin. In his lifetime, he had helped start a revolution, smother a revolution, and reform a nation into an awakening industrial state. Where early on in his days, he was a committed supporter of Vladimir Lenin and his nascent Bolsheviks, by the time he reached 40, he was far more opportunistic than he had been as a youth.
After Lenin's assassination in 1917, and the outbreak of revolution at home, the Bolshevik movement was usurped by Leon Trotsky, the radical communist revolutionary whom was the direct rival of Stalin. Stalin was a major advocate of 'socialism in one country', and putting industrialization and the betterment of Russia (or any nation within her borders) above that of ideological conflict. Trotsky disagreed--and argued that the ultimate goal of communism was to extend her aegis as far as it could go so that every citizen of the world could be emancipated from capitalist oppression.
Trotsky and his take-over of the Bolshevik movement, with his closest associate Grigory Zinoviev taking up the second-hand man position, had given Stalin an issue. While Stalin initially had many allies, including that of Nikolai Bukharin, a right-leaning Bolshevik; Stalin's decision after Lenin's assassination and the 'rise of Trotsky' to separate from the Bolsheviks and take his movement in another direction alienated him from many key figures in the movement--including Bukharin, whom had briefly taken leadership of the party before Trotsky's usurpation in late 1917.
Despite this, Stalin received the vehement backing of others within the nation. The revolutionary mayor of Petrograd, Mikhail Kalinin, became a major backer of Stalin during the Russian Civil War, taking up a position as a 'double agent' within the Russian Soviet Republic. Lazar Kaganovich was not in the Russian Empire, but formed a major support-beam for Stalin outside, running the minuta of the Revolutionary Party of Ukraine; with his charge/apprentice, Nikita Khrushchev, serving on the 'Council of State' in the Hetmanate of Ukraine, supporting the Stalinist line where necessary.
Stalin's newly defined position entrenched himself, and with his appointment to the Council of Ministers, he had a defining role in Russia in the early 20th century. Georgy Lvov had taken the leadership role in the Council, and Stalin was woefully outmatched by the more moderate or conservative members of the factions--namely Anton Denikin, Alexander Kerensky, Viktor Chernov, and Grand Prince Mikhail. However, Lvov's death in 1925 had left the position of President of the Council of Ministers open.
With knowledge of the certain political nuances of the state, Stalin approached Kerensky and Chernov with a proposal that would certainly change the foundation of the Russian Empire. Stalin, Chernov and Kerensky agreed to pool together their leftist party resources to form a new 'Socialist Revolutionary Party', backed to the hilt by the combined forces of non-Trotskyites and non-'Right SR's.
With this secure, Stalin convinced the Tsarina to place into position extensions of enfranchisement, and call for a national election in 1925, the first of it's kind in the new Empire, with the 1st Duma under Her Majesty's rule having been appointed by executive fiat. The 1926 Russian election saw the mobilization of the remaining political sphere into action to stave off the leftist victory.
Joseph Stalin, naturally, took the position of the SR candidate for the President of the Council of Ministers, which would be reformed as an actual government cabinet following the 1926 election. He pledged to create a 'five year plan' to extend industrialization in the country, and to improve quality of life -- it was a simple hedged promise.
The Constitutional Democrats (or Kadets) nominated Pavel Milyukov, whom still harbored some bitter resentment for being denied a seat in the Council of Ministers under the emergency government of Lvov, and heavily advocated against Stalin, mainly attacking him for his 'treasonous communist past', and his 'treason against the Crown' prior to turning face on the Bolsheviks in 1917.
The Octobrists were revived and maintained course, with Anton Denikin becoming their 'champion'. While not a politician by trade, the stalwart general had a large amount of prestige, and felt a 'natural fit' for the 'big-tent' centre-right Octobrists.
A handful of smaller parties put forth their own competition, but none reached the 'prestige' of the three major parties in the 1926 election, the first in over a decade. The Duma would carry 450 seats, and 226 would be necessary to secure a majority.
1926 Russian general election
226 seats required for majority
Socialist Revolutionary - 228 seats (50.6%)
Constitutional Democrats - 137 seats (30.4%)
Octobrists - 85 seats (18.9%)
The 1926 election confirmed Joseph Stalin, the socialist revolutionary and quite the authoritarian, the Head of Government for the Russian Empire. Tsarina Tatiana invited him to the palace in Moscow to ask him to form a government, and he accepted graciously.
The enigmatic Man of Steel had taken power in Russia, and sought to create a 'new order' for the country to prosper under. While the next election would not take place until 1932, Stalin spent little time 'beating around the bush'.
In late 1926, he extrapolated his 'First Five-Year Plan' to industrialize the Russian Empire. The main goal of this 'Five-Year Plan' was to 'improve the enterprise of the agricultural worker, and increase efficiency of his work'. Stalin targeted many of the pre-Nicholine aristocrats for their excesses, while restraining himself and not attacking the monarchy. While not nearly as methodical or brutal as was expected, Stalin moved to strengthen the 'average Russian' and their attempts to cultivate food and goods for sale in and out of Russia.
Price controls were also imposed during a period of inflation, with the intent of 'preventing an artificial famine'; and the state increased the power of the domestic security forces to prevent Trotskyite insurgency from causing issues. The Okhrana had been dissolved in 1917 with the Revolution, and was revived in 1927 by the Duma as the Commissariat of Internal Affairs (KVD) and was given strength in order to do their job effectively.
Under the first Stalinist 'Five Year Plan', Russia's economy rapidly improved and recovered from the Civil War, and marked the start of rapid industrialization. By 1931, the Duma reported that the First Five Year Plan had been 'completed and exceeded expectations', and many believed it was a general guarantee that Stalin had a blank cheque for another five year plan.
With the elections coming up, many seem pleased with the rule of the 'Democratic Strongman in Moscow', Joseph Stalin.
After Lenin's assassination in 1917, and the outbreak of revolution at home, the Bolshevik movement was usurped by Leon Trotsky, the radical communist revolutionary whom was the direct rival of Stalin. Stalin was a major advocate of 'socialism in one country', and putting industrialization and the betterment of Russia (or any nation within her borders) above that of ideological conflict. Trotsky disagreed--and argued that the ultimate goal of communism was to extend her aegis as far as it could go so that every citizen of the world could be emancipated from capitalist oppression.
Trotsky and his take-over of the Bolshevik movement, with his closest associate Grigory Zinoviev taking up the second-hand man position, had given Stalin an issue. While Stalin initially had many allies, including that of Nikolai Bukharin, a right-leaning Bolshevik; Stalin's decision after Lenin's assassination and the 'rise of Trotsky' to separate from the Bolsheviks and take his movement in another direction alienated him from many key figures in the movement--including Bukharin, whom had briefly taken leadership of the party before Trotsky's usurpation in late 1917.
Despite this, Stalin received the vehement backing of others within the nation. The revolutionary mayor of Petrograd, Mikhail Kalinin, became a major backer of Stalin during the Russian Civil War, taking up a position as a 'double agent' within the Russian Soviet Republic. Lazar Kaganovich was not in the Russian Empire, but formed a major support-beam for Stalin outside, running the minuta of the Revolutionary Party of Ukraine; with his charge/apprentice, Nikita Khrushchev, serving on the 'Council of State' in the Hetmanate of Ukraine, supporting the Stalinist line where necessary.
Stalin's newly defined position entrenched himself, and with his appointment to the Council of Ministers, he had a defining role in Russia in the early 20th century. Georgy Lvov had taken the leadership role in the Council, and Stalin was woefully outmatched by the more moderate or conservative members of the factions--namely Anton Denikin, Alexander Kerensky, Viktor Chernov, and Grand Prince Mikhail. However, Lvov's death in 1925 had left the position of President of the Council of Ministers open.
With knowledge of the certain political nuances of the state, Stalin approached Kerensky and Chernov with a proposal that would certainly change the foundation of the Russian Empire. Stalin, Chernov and Kerensky agreed to pool together their leftist party resources to form a new 'Socialist Revolutionary Party', backed to the hilt by the combined forces of non-Trotskyites and non-'Right SR's.
With this secure, Stalin convinced the Tsarina to place into position extensions of enfranchisement, and call for a national election in 1925, the first of it's kind in the new Empire, with the 1st Duma under Her Majesty's rule having been appointed by executive fiat. The 1926 Russian election saw the mobilization of the remaining political sphere into action to stave off the leftist victory.
Joseph Stalin, naturally, took the position of the SR candidate for the President of the Council of Ministers, which would be reformed as an actual government cabinet following the 1926 election. He pledged to create a 'five year plan' to extend industrialization in the country, and to improve quality of life -- it was a simple hedged promise.
The Constitutional Democrats (or Kadets) nominated Pavel Milyukov, whom still harbored some bitter resentment for being denied a seat in the Council of Ministers under the emergency government of Lvov, and heavily advocated against Stalin, mainly attacking him for his 'treasonous communist past', and his 'treason against the Crown' prior to turning face on the Bolsheviks in 1917.
The Octobrists were revived and maintained course, with Anton Denikin becoming their 'champion'. While not a politician by trade, the stalwart general had a large amount of prestige, and felt a 'natural fit' for the 'big-tent' centre-right Octobrists.
A handful of smaller parties put forth their own competition, but none reached the 'prestige' of the three major parties in the 1926 election, the first in over a decade. The Duma would carry 450 seats, and 226 would be necessary to secure a majority.
1926 Russian general election
226 seats required for majority
Socialist Revolutionary - 228 seats (50.6%)
Constitutional Democrats - 137 seats (30.4%)
Octobrists - 85 seats (18.9%)
The 1926 election confirmed Joseph Stalin, the socialist revolutionary and quite the authoritarian, the Head of Government for the Russian Empire. Tsarina Tatiana invited him to the palace in Moscow to ask him to form a government, and he accepted graciously.
The enigmatic Man of Steel had taken power in Russia, and sought to create a 'new order' for the country to prosper under. While the next election would not take place until 1932, Stalin spent little time 'beating around the bush'.
In late 1926, he extrapolated his 'First Five-Year Plan' to industrialize the Russian Empire. The main goal of this 'Five-Year Plan' was to 'improve the enterprise of the agricultural worker, and increase efficiency of his work'. Stalin targeted many of the pre-Nicholine aristocrats for their excesses, while restraining himself and not attacking the monarchy. While not nearly as methodical or brutal as was expected, Stalin moved to strengthen the 'average Russian' and their attempts to cultivate food and goods for sale in and out of Russia.
Price controls were also imposed during a period of inflation, with the intent of 'preventing an artificial famine'; and the state increased the power of the domestic security forces to prevent Trotskyite insurgency from causing issues. The Okhrana had been dissolved in 1917 with the Revolution, and was revived in 1927 by the Duma as the Commissariat of Internal Affairs (KVD) and was given strength in order to do their job effectively.
Under the first Stalinist 'Five Year Plan', Russia's economy rapidly improved and recovered from the Civil War, and marked the start of rapid industrialization. By 1931, the Duma reported that the First Five Year Plan had been 'completed and exceeded expectations', and many believed it was a general guarantee that Stalin had a blank cheque for another five year plan.
With the elections coming up, many seem pleased with the rule of the 'Democratic Strongman in Moscow', Joseph Stalin.
Last edited:
Asami
Banned
Not entirely abandoned communism, but Stalinism has taken a distinctly anti-revolutionary feel to it, with Stalin being a proponent of 'socialism in one country' more literally than OTL. In this case, Stalin has felt that the democratic system of Russia is better tuned to serve his interests than attempting to subvert a Trotskyite revolutionary nightmare.
- Status