The Great Terror in the Factories, 1935–1938 Research Paper

In retrospect, the efforts made by Stalin and his proponents to sustain the regime of terror and totalitarianism under the guise of empowering workers across the USSR were immense. The Stakhanovite movement can be viewed as one of the most glaring examples of how the truth was twisted in the identified environment. In his article, Robert Thurston makes a very powerful statement concerning the conniving nature of the strategies used by the members of the Party to promote Socialist ideas among the USSR population so that they would continue to support Stalin’s regime despite the atrocities that took place at the time.

The author keeps a close focus on the nature of the movement, as well as the events that took place behind the screen of ostensible success and endeavors to encourage consistent economic growth. Thus, a profound analysis of the phenomenon can be conducted.

Furthermore, Thurston explores the nature of the Stakhanovite movement as a phenomenon that comprises the idea of empowering workers and the need for the USSR government, particularly Stalin, to seize complete control over the citizens and the key political, economic, cultural, and financial processes that occurred in the state at the time. For instance, Thurston provides a thorough overview of the changes that the active promotion of the Stakhanovite movement and the relevant values had on the social values and the staff’s perception of their role in the context of their organizations.

Particularly the fact that the movement led to the inability of the employees to approach the decisions made by the managers of companies from a critical perspective.¹ By stating the specified change in people’s attitude toward their jobs, the roles that they play in the context of organizations, and the idea of viewing the companies’ decisions critically, Thurston points to the gradual and unstoppable process of persuading the Soviet people to accept the decisions of the government, the Party, and Stalin without questioning the logic behind these choices. As a result, the foundation for enhancing the totalitarian regime was built. Particularly, Thurston allows connecting the specified alterations in the Soviet society and the lack of willingness to protest against the Great Purge that could be witnessed at the time in the political environment of the USSR.

Moreover, the fact that the tension within organizations was growing at a steep pace deserves to be mentioned as the primary indicator of the problems within the strategy chosen by the government. For instance, Thurston proves his point by mentioning the resentment that was building between the employees and the superiors. Particularly, the inability to complain set workers in most of the public organizations at their boiling point needs to be addressed.

Thurston makes very efficient use of the available evidence, thus, creating a compelling argument and representing the situation very clearly: “Mistrust and resentment of superiors had quickly found outlets through Stakhanovites. Perhaps some of these proletarian critics deliberately chose to reproach management, in the hope that they could deflect other workers’ resentment away from themselves.”²

There is no need to stress that the identified type of relationship was beyond unhealthy. Viewing the situation through Thurston’s lens helps realize that the challenges experienced by the members of public organizations were beyond excruciating and that the inconsistency of the guidelines provided by the state government and the policies that it issued served as the foundation for frustration and mistrust to grow.

• Keywords: Stakhanovite movement
• Stakhanovite movement: The movement aimed at encouraging workers to excel in their performance by delivering a larger amount of work was called the Stakhanovite movement after Alexey Stakhanov.

Bibliography

Thurston, Robert. “The Stakhanovite Movement: Background to the Great Terror in the Factories, 1935–1938.” In Stalinist Terror: New Perspectives, edited by J. Arch Getty and Roberta T. Manning, 168-197. Cambridge: Cambridge, 1993.

Footnotes

1. Robert Thurston, “The Stakhanovite Movement: Background to the Great Terror in the Factories, 1935–1938,” in Stalinist Terror: New Perspectives, ed. J. Arch Getty and Roberta T. Manning, (Cambridge: Cambridge, 1993), 142.
2. Ibid., 144.