Stalins leadership Essay Example for Free

Stalins leadership Essay The great patriotic war was a theatre of war primarily between Russia and the Nazis, although it involved many surrounding countries in Eastern Europe and beyond. This period was notorious for its unprecedented ferocity, destruction, and immense loss of life and was lead under the leadership of Stalin. Yet to what extent was Stalins efforts and actions the reason for the Soviet victory against the axis powers? Politically, there were many aspects that contributed to the war effort. The Communist Party itself worked at the rear of the forces (350,000 members were transferred to the back lines) and also increased membership to ensure that there was sufficient support for the party. The NKVD played a more significant role in the war, most importantly controlling the USSR population through fear. The NKVD were responsible for the labour camps (gulags) where prisoners of war were sent as well as opposition suspects and deserters from the Russian armies. The group had many other roles, including undercover officers within the red army reporting any deficiencies in moral and any anti-communist attitudes. Therefore they created a sense of terror that deterred any resistance against Stalin and the regime from building up effectively as well as maintaining discipline and security within the army. This was obviously a crucial factor in Soviet success, without this the Red Army would not have fought effectively. Although the NKVD were very effective throughout the war and must certainly be credited in the Soviet success, Stalin was in overall control of the body, and therefore could also claim some of this as his own. He also influenced the air of terror, by coining orders like not one step back meaning that any soldiers that tried to retreat would be shout by the NKVD themselves. Britain and America were Russias allies in the war and although they did not send troops directly to the front line, the lend lease programme (begun in March 1941) provided the USSR with essential war supplies $11. 3 billion worth of goods were sent throughout the war. Without these the army would have been less effectively supplied and progress may have been slower, particularly one the offensive move towards Berlin, which may have given the enemy more time to re-organise and build defenses. Additional assistance came from U. S. Russian War Relief (a private, nonprofit organization) and the Red Cross who also sent supplies. Again, it could be suggested that it was Stalins political ability that allowed him to form these alliances that proved to be so vital. However, for the supplies from the Red Cross and Russian war relief he cannot be accredited and it could be argued that the allies did not aid Russia due to Stalins diplomacy but merely in an attempt to defeat Germany. Despite the destruction of the war, the Russian economy managed to keep the front supplied with weapons and other supplies. The move to dismantle factories and rebuild them in the remote Urals once the Germans had begun to infiltrate Russia proved to be very successful. 1500 enterprises and 10 million people were transferred eastwards and the new industrial heartlands began production. The planned economy also meant that industrial plants were converted into military production factories (for example, in Moscow a childrens bicycle factory was converted into a automatic rifles factory). Without this economic planning, the Red Army would not have been supplied tanks, guns ammunition and planes in adequate quantities (in fact, by 1943 the Red Army was achieving this). However, yet again the ideas for the planned economy and the move of the factories were announced by Stalin and therefore their successful results and vital contribution to the war could be said to be a result of cunning planning and economic efficiency. Further than this, Stalin managed to mobilize the entire urban society into production. Similarly to the five year plans, anyone of a working age was forced into labour, including the women. For example, in 1942, women made up 53% of the urban workforce. Without this mobilisation, the factories would not have run to full capacity and production levels would have fallen substantially. Stalin also cleverly ensured that the workers would not resent the regime by increasing wages (wages rose by 75% between 1938 and 1944) and those in regular manual employment were guaranteed survival through the network of Ors (workers provisionary department) shops at their places of work. Obviously the Red Army must be accredited with at least some of the war success. Although it was initially disorganised and was unable to adapt to the defensive tactics now necessary, this was the result of Stalins fierce purges of the Red Army causing military leaders to be wary of taking any initiative or acting without firm orders from the leader himself. The Army was however, heroic in nature and had many successful attacks against the Germans (for example, the Battle of Kursk). Another initial weakness was the dual command of the Politruki, but Stalin did end this when he realised it was a hindrance to the army rather than a help. Stalins choices in military men had both positive and negative effects on the war. He was often seen to give leadership powers to those who were his close friends and allies, often with poor results. An example of this is Kulik who delayed the production of Katyusa rockets and T34 tanks due to a belief that more old fashioned artillery and horsepower were more effective war methods. However, Soviet success was also the result of meticulous planning and military excellence of many other of the Russian leaders, for example Vasilevsky who was responsible for the planning and co-ordination of all decisive offences and Chuikov who commanded in Stalingrad. The man with the most influence militarily however was General Zhukov who oversaw the defence of Leningrad and orchestrated the first breakthrough, commanded in the Battle of Kursk and launched the final attack on Germany, including capturing Berlin. Further than this Zhukov was more fearless than many others of the leaders and stood up for his military ideas. It could be suggested that this was the main reason that Stalin eventually accepted that his tactics needed updating and moved away from his previous military ideas. Had the Red Army continued with these they may never have won the war as the outdated tactics were very unsuccessful. The Stavka ended up being a very effective team, some disagreement with Stalin was tolerated and the result was concrete military decisions that resulted in Soviet success. It is possible to completely blame Stalin for the initial Russian failures for a further reason. Previous to Operation Barbarossa, Stalin had been warned of the German attack but simply ignored this and made no defensive military plans. Therefore when under attack, the army only had defensive strategies available. This was particularly a problem due to the lack of initiative that generals were willing to take as explained above. Some debate still remains over why Stalin refused to acknowledge the information but it was probably a combination of Stalins overconfidence in the character of Hitler and other circumstantial information (such as 22nd June was theoretically too late to attack as it was too close to the Russian winter). For these reasons Stalin was certainly a hindrance to the Russian side at times. However, he did change his tactics eventually which was obviously a difficult move for Stalin as it resulted in a loss of face. Another of Stalins failures was his refusal to sign the Geneva Convention for human rights. Therefore when Russian prisoners of war were captured they often ended up in extermination camps in Germany. Many Russian war prisoners ended up fighting for the German side in preference to being killed. An example of this is Andrei Vlasov who set up a Russian Liberation Army who fought for the Germans; he was later used as a figurehead for German propaganda. If Stalin had signed the agreement the Germans wouldnt have had any extra re-enforcements. Another general factor for the Soviet success in the Great Patriotic War is psychological and social. The role of the Russian people undoubtedly contributed to the war effort. Other than the obvious roles they played in the factories, farms and on the battlefront itself, the sheer heroism of many of the people is astounding. For example, within Leningrad the Russian people failed to give in to German terror for 872 days, despite the constant attack from the skies, bitter famines spread throughout the whole city, horrific death rates (in December 1941, 53000 people died in Leningrad (this was as many as the total deaths in 1940)) and rations that were barely enough to survive (bread rations were 400g a day but decreased to 250-125g in December/January 1941). This strength of the nation was seen in other places, such as the partisan units that were set up in the German occupied areas. Often the members were Red Army troops that had not retreated quick enough to stay in front of the Germans, but many were also civilians united in a hatred for the Nazis. They were effective in tying down Germans in certain areas, harassing German soldiers but most importantly showing the opposition that Russian influence was still present in their occupied areas. The sheer hatred that the Russians felt for the Germans was also influential to Soviet success, and the treatment in the camps was certainly a contributing factor to this. Another reason for this was the treatment for the Russians in the German occupied territory. The Germans viewed the war as a war of extermination and used the Slav people as sub-humans. An example is a quote from Hitler if 10,000 females die of exhaustion digging an anti-tank ditch, my only interest is that the ditch is dug for Germany. Only towards the end of the war did the Germans realise that it would be much more effective to try and keep the Russians on side. An example of the earlier brutality is the 34,000 Jews and Soviet citizens massacred at Babi-Yar which was an attempt to cleanse Russia and create living space (lebensraum). This is important for the war as the Russian hatred fuelled their desire to defeat the Germans and individuals would work harder and faster in whatever role they were contributing in. It could be suggested that Stalin did help influence this as his speechs were always hugely anti-German and highlighted the deaths and terrors inflicted upon Russia. He also contributed to the propaganda that was circulated in the war which showed clearly the brutalities of the war to the Russian civilians. This was to influence the Red Army and partisans to fight for motherland, for honour, for freedom and for Stalin. Stalin also managed to mobilise and encourage women into the war effort. Women took on roles within factories, farms and other mens positions such as miners and welders. At the beginning of 1940 women made up 41% of labour front and over 800,000 saw active service on the battlefields (ordered after 1942). Another social change that Stalin made during the war were the religious concessions. For example, in 1942 the labour camps were searched for religious men who were then allowed home and in 1943 they Russians elected a new patriarch and synod. These proved very successful and brought him more support as the religious Russians had previously felt oppressed. Stalin as a war leader was always resolute and determined. It is unquestionable that Stalin was courageous, despite German attack he remained with his family in Moscow rather than fleeing to Kuibyshev. Although he did make some mistakes, particularly during the openings of the war, he did manage to amend many of these. The ways in which Stalin helped make the Soviet war success certainly outweigh his hindrances in both number and significance. Without such a powerful, charismatic and talented leader, Russia would have been much more likely to be defeated in the Great Patriotic war.

Monetary Policy Essay examples -- essays papers

Monetary Policy I chose to research and write on the topic of monetary policy. My two main sources of information were www.federalreserve.gov and www.frsbf.org. From my research I would define monetary policy as the macroeconomic act of keeping the country financially stable. According to www.frsbf.org â€Å"The object of monetary policy is to influence the performance of the economy as reflected in such factors as inflation, economic output, and employment. It works by affecting demand across the economy—that is, people's and firms' willingness to spend on goods and services†. The information that I located suggested that the main issues that monetary policy deals with are inflation and unemployment which usually affect each other. Monetary policy is the responsibility of the Federal Reserve System who put the main responsibility of monetary policy on their Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). The FOMC meets 8 times a year and has 12 members who meet to discuss the state of the economy and what changes can be made to help the economy. The main tools used in monetary policy are the manipulation of short term interest rates which can greatly affect demand as well as manipulating the discount rate and reserve requirements. The discount rate is the interest rate the Federal Reserve Banks charge financial institutions for short-term loans of reserves. A change in the discount rate can decrease or encourage financial institutions’ lending and investment activities. ...

How Is Mr Utterson Presented in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

Although Utterson witnesses a series of shocking events, the character is presented as an unenthusiastic and pessimistic Victorian man, and is evident from the very first page of the novel. The text notes that Utterson has a face that is ‘never lighted by a smile’ and only speaks when necessary. In addition Stevenson describes Utterson as ‘dusty and dreary’ and ‘yet somehow lovable,’ which is noticeable in the close relationships he has with his friends. His strong relationships with his friends may perhaps be because ‘his friends were of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest’ meaning his friendships are based on similar personalities and on longevity. His monotonous life is represented in the routine in which on ‘Sunday, when his meal was over’ he would ‘sit close by the fire’ and read his bible until the ‘church rang out the hour of twelve’ when ‘he would go gratefully to bed.’ Yet Stevenson presents Utterson as ‘dreary’, he also gives the lawyer many good qualities, such as his loyalty to his friends. This is evident when he suspects his friend Jekyll of committing criminal activities of blackmail and the sheltering of a murder; however he decides to sweep away what he has learnt and tells a clerk to ‘not speak of this note,’ instead of ruining his friend’s reputation. Another quality Stevenson presents to Utterson is his willingness to care more about those in trouble, rather than to reprimand them for being immoral: ‘At the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds, and in any extremity inclined to help rather to reprove.’ Furthermore Stevenson presents the theme of duality of nature to Mr utterson, which is evident when ‘his blood ran cold in his veins’ at the time when he suspects his friend Henry Jekyll of ‘forging for a murderer.’ The phrase ‘his blood ran cold in his veins’ suggests a possible primitive and animal side to the character, which is later discovered to be possessed by Dr Jekyll as well when Stevenson reveals that Mr Hyde is in fact Dr Jekyll. In addition Mr Utterson is presented as a character who throughout the novel constantly uses rational thinking perhaps due to his occupation of being a lawyer. His rational thinking and denial of the supernatural is especially noticeable when ‘he attempted to protest again’ after being told that his friend Dr Jekyll was also in fact Mr Hyde, who Utterson sees as an inhuman and grotesque creature. In conclusion Mr Utterson is presented as the perfect Victorian gentleman who does not gossip, constantly seeks to preserve order and decorum, and guards his friends’ reputations as though they were his own.

How Is Mr Utterson Presented in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

Although Utterson witnesses a series of shocking events, the character is presented as an unenthusiastic and pessimistic Victorian man, and is evident from the very first page of the novel. The text notes that Utterson has a face that is ‘never lighted by a smile’ and only speaks when necessary. In addition Stevenson describes Utterson as ‘dusty and dreary’ and ‘yet somehow lovable,’ which is noticeable in the close relationships he has with his friends. His strong relationships with his friends may perhaps be because ‘his friends were of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest’ meaning his friendships are based on similar personalities and on longevity. His monotonous life is represented in the routine in which on ‘Sunday, when his meal was over’ he would ‘sit close by the fire’ and read his bible until the ‘church rang out the hour of twelve’ when ‘he would go gratefully to bed.’ Yet Stevenson presents Utterson as ‘dreary’, he also gives the lawyer many good qualities, such as his loyalty to his friends. This is evident when he suspects his friend Jekyll of committing criminal activities of blackmail and the sheltering of a murder; however he decides to sweep away what he has learnt and tells a clerk to ‘not speak of this note,’ instead of ruining his friend’s reputation. Another quality Stevenson presents to Utterson is his willingness to care more about those in trouble, rather than to reprimand them for being immoral: ‘At the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds, and in any extremity inclined to help rather to reprove.’ Furthermore Stevenson presents the theme of duality of nature to Mr utterson, which is evident when ‘his blood ran cold in his veins’ at the time when he suspects his friend Henry Jekyll of ‘forging for a murderer.’ The phrase ‘his blood ran cold in his veins’ suggests a possible primitive and animal side to the character, which is later discovered to be possessed by Dr Jekyll as well when Stevenson reveals that Mr Hyde is in fact Dr Jekyll. In addition Mr Utterson is presented as a character who throughout the novel constantly uses rational thinking perhaps due to his occupation of being a lawyer. His rational thinking and denial of the supernatural is especially noticeable when ‘he attempted to protest again’ after being told that his friend Dr Jekyll was also in fact Mr Hyde, who Utterson sees as an inhuman and grotesque creature. In conclusion Mr Utterson is presented as the perfect Victorian gentleman who does not gossip, constantly seeks to preserve order and decorum, and guards his friends’ reputations as though they were his own.

How Is Mr Utterson Presented in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

Although Utterson witnesses a series of shocking events, the character is presented as an unenthusiastic and pessimistic Victorian man, and is evident from the very first page of the novel. The text notes that Utterson has a face that is ‘never lighted by a smile’ and only speaks when necessary. In addition Stevenson describes Utterson as ‘dusty and dreary’ and ‘yet somehow lovable,’ which is noticeable in the close relationships he has with his friends. His strong relationships with his friends may perhaps be because ‘his friends were of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest’ meaning his friendships are based on similar personalities and on longevity. His monotonous life is represented in the routine in which on ‘Sunday, when his meal was over’ he would ‘sit close by the fire’ and read his bible until the ‘church rang out the hour of twelve’ when ‘he would go gratefully to bed.’ Yet Stevenson presents Utterson as ‘dreary’, he also gives the lawyer many good qualities, such as his loyalty to his friends. This is evident when he suspects his friend Jekyll of committing criminal activities of blackmail and the sheltering of a murder; however he decides to sweep away what he has learnt and tells a clerk to ‘not speak of this note,’ instead of ruining his friend’s reputation. Another quality Stevenson presents to Utterson is his willingness to care more about those in trouble, rather than to reprimand them for being immoral: ‘At the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds, and in any extremity inclined to help rather to reprove.’ Furthermore Stevenson presents the theme of duality of nature to Mr utterson, which is evident when ‘his blood ran cold in his veins’ at the time when he suspects his friend Henry Jekyll of ‘forging for a murderer.’ The phrase ‘his blood ran cold in his veins’ suggests a possible primitive and animal side to the character, which is later discovered to be possessed by Dr Jekyll as well when Stevenson reveals that Mr Hyde is in fact Dr Jekyll. In addition Mr Utterson is presented as a character who throughout the novel constantly uses rational thinking perhaps due to his occupation of being a lawyer. His rational thinking and denial of the supernatural is especially noticeable when ‘he attempted to protest again’ after being told that his friend Dr Jekyll was also in fact Mr Hyde, who Utterson sees as an inhuman and grotesque creature. In conclusion Mr Utterson is presented as the perfect Victorian gentleman who does not gossip, constantly seeks to preserve order and decorum, and guards his friends’ reputations as though they were his own.

Essay about The Winner Within - 688 Words

â€Å"The Winner Within† is about a life plan for team players and what it takes to be a successful team. Each chapter is based on one subject, and that subject is one of the many things that a team needs to be successful. Pat Riley shares his game plan for team players in all of life, not just on the court. All of the strategies in this book are very inspiring and motivate teamwork. I think that the first chapter in the book, ‘The Innocent Climb’, is one of the most important concepts you have to have on a team. The innocent climb is the surge that occurs within a team as they are accomplishing more because of the synergy that occurs within a team. Innocence means understanding that the team comes first and being carried along by that.†¦show more content†¦When you stop trying to get better, you’re bound to get worse. After winning a few games there is no settling for what has been done, there is always work to be done and improvement to m ake. Riley states â€Å"Players cannot be â€Å"game players.† They can’t turn it on and off. They have to always be doing things well and their best to accomplish their best. Being competitive is a great habit, because it guards you from getting too complacent.† â€Å"Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem.† -Henry Kissinger Pat Riley concludes the book with a chapter named ‘One from the Heart’. He mainly talks about different warriors from the world. From Earvin Johnson, a basketball player, to Rafe Esquith, a man who provided immigrant kids in a hard neighborhood a better education. But the thing I took from this chapter was how he says, â€Å"A basketball game is an event-filled forty-eight-minute stream of possessions-shots, blocks, rebounds, steals, passes, fast breaks-just like a year in the life of family or a business is a 365-day-a-year event stream. â€Å" He says it is not humanly possible to win on every possession, to score every time you get the ball, or to block your opponents shot every time the ball is in their hands. No matter what sport or your role in life, there are always smaller encounters within the larger whole. The quote I took from that chapter that Ri ley states is, â€Å"Each small victory improves the odds that you willShow MoreRelatedFiction Essay1012 Words   |  5 Pagessomewhat tragic short stories is that of D.H. Lawrence’s, â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† and Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†. With the classic theme of â€Å"luck† and what that means in each story, we see two very different meanings as these two stories unfold. In â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†, we see the protagonist, Paul, who endlessly searches and somewhat attains luck in his search for his mother’s monetary desire. Within the lines of â€Å"The Lottery†, however, we see a quaint satirical setting of towns’Read MoreDavita Dialysis1281 Words   |  6 Pagesnursing shortage and had to re-evaluate the organization’s recruiting methods (â€Å"DaVita: Optimas Award Winner for Competitive Advantage,†Ã‚  2009). Management was forced to consider new theories and eventually consider a complete overhaul of the recruiting department. DaVita Dialysis met with success at the end of the overhaul but many steps and changes were made to reach the goals (â€Å"DaVita: Optimas Award Winner for Competitive Advantage,†Ã‚  2009). About the Article On December 14, 2009, Workforce MagazineRead MoreThe Lottery vs. the Rocking-Horse Winner1286 Words   |  6 PagesOutline Title: â€Å"The Lottery vs. The Rocking-Horse Winner† I. Introduction A. 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