In the spirit of the other thread. 1939 is a bit late, and I thought it would be more interesting to think about what the Soviets should have done starting earlier. So: The Civil War is over and the Soviets have won. What next?
What should a sane Soviet leadership have done in 1922?
- Thread starter Workable Goblin
- Start date
Avoid economic autarky and becoming an international pariah state at all costs.
In a certain sense, the Bolshevik Revolution was a very bad idea from the start for purely Marxist reasons. But if we want to make the best of a bad situation, the Soviet Union needs to integrate itself into the world economy as it builds its heavy industry and higher technology enterprises. That means, of course, a nonconfrontational policy in the Comintern, shifting away from revolutionary hardlines.
It is also in the best interests of the Soviet state to allow some liberalization, like reversing the ban on factions in the Bolshevik Party.
Flubber
Banned
Knowing this board, I'm sure there will be a lot of the usual myopic gearhead answers about developing this rifle, that tank, this plane, and that warship. I'm going to emphasize what attitudes would helpful for the Soviet leadership in 1922.
(Of course I won't even touch on the ASB presumption that the clutch of evil, maniacal, irrational, reality denying, ideology-besotted, assclown, sociopaths ruling the Soviet Union in 1922 would even consider these suggestions.
)
Never, ever, never, ever even whisper the phrase "international revolution". If anyone asks and even if they don't ask, tell them that the revolution is a purely Russian solution to purely Russian problems. Don't subsidize communist parties, meetings, newspapers, and all the rest beyond your borders and avoid the various preexisting international communist movements as you would the plague so you don't scare the rest of the world.
Allow foreign commies to immigrate and to visit so that the brain drain doesn't work entirely in one direction.
Don't unilaterally void all treaties and other obligations from the Czarist era. Instead, say the condition of the nation makes honoring all previous obligations difficult and that you're open to renegotiation of anything with any party. When pressed about loan payments, point to the devastation caused by the Great War and Civil War, make token payments, and again renegotiate.
Walk small, talk smaller, and keep your head down while you rebuild your way to superpower status.
And above all don't buy into the douchebaggery about the dialectic, your predestined victory, and your society being the next step in evolution.
(Of course I won't even touch on the ASB presumption that the clutch of evil, maniacal, irrational, reality denying, ideology-besotted, assclown, sociopaths ruling the Soviet Union in 1922 would even consider these suggestions.
)Never, ever, never, ever even whisper the phrase "international revolution". If anyone asks and even if they don't ask, tell them that the revolution is a purely Russian solution to purely Russian problems. Don't subsidize communist parties, meetings, newspapers, and all the rest beyond your borders and avoid the various preexisting international communist movements as you would the plague so you don't scare the rest of the world.
Allow foreign commies to immigrate and to visit so that the brain drain doesn't work entirely in one direction.
Don't unilaterally void all treaties and other obligations from the Czarist era. Instead, say the condition of the nation makes honoring all previous obligations difficult and that you're open to renegotiation of anything with any party. When pressed about loan payments, point to the devastation caused by the Great War and Civil War, make token payments, and again renegotiate.
Walk small, talk smaller, and keep your head down while you rebuild your way to superpower status.
And above all don't buy into the douchebaggery about the dialectic, your predestined victory, and your society being the next step in evolution.
At the very least, wait until you're a superpower to start cranking out this kind of rhetoric.
1) Shoot Stalin and Trotsky, Bukharin takes the leading position.
2) Continue with NEP and Korenizatsiya
2) Continue with NEP and Korenizatsiya
The Ideal solution would be for the Soviet leadership to lie down and let he Menshevik Socialist-revolutionaries strike back from the brink and take over.
But if the 'international revolution' was restricted to non-violent peaceful demonstrations, it'll be a good start. Just wipe out the Soviet leadership first so they don't have a chance to radicalize the socialists.
Truthfully, by 1922, the world has already seen the face of the Bolsheviks. They've got not international standing left and are more or less pariahs.
But if the 'international revolution' was restricted to non-violent peaceful demonstrations, it'll be a good start. Just wipe out the Soviet leadership first so they don't have a chance to radicalize the socialists.
Truthfully, by 1922, the world has already seen the face of the Bolsheviks. They've got not international standing left and are more or less pariahs.
There's also no reason to believe that they would be any better received by the international community, nor any less authoritarian in practice.
MSZ
Banned
Assuming it is the Soviets who have to rule Russia, and not any other faction from the Russian Civil War, the best thing it's leadership can do is to avoid international isolation at all costs - essentialy, strive to be seen as a Russia-bis by becoming part of the established post-Great War order (like Weimar Germany) rather than oppose it and seek tp destroy it. At the very least it would keep the Soviets options in foreign policy open. This could be achieved by liberalising trade with foreign states and it's economy, accepting the minority treaties, withholding from using armed bands/terrorists against it's neighbours, joining the LoN, etc.
Continue the NEP and take an in-kind tax in grain for export to fund state industrialization schemes. Don't make the grain-tax high enough to cause resentment (and sure as hell not high enough to cause mass starvation)--all the benefits of Stalinism but a much less reduced human cost.
If links with foreign Communist parties are maintained, make sure they don't cooperate (or at least don't fight) anti-Communist extremist groups (aka Nazis).
If links with foreign Communist parties are maintained, make sure they don't cooperate (or at least don't fight) anti-Communist extremist groups (aka Nazis).