Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is a state that existed in the period 1922-1991. in Eastern Europe, Northern Asia, parts of Central and Eastern Asia.

The history of the USSR is an amazing series of incredible, sometimes simply mystical events.

This story has it all: incredible victories and humiliating defeats, the delight of unique achievements and the fear of sudden reprisals.

After going through many upheavals, from 1913 to 1986. Russia has increased its national wealth by more than 50 times, its national income by 94 times.

The number of students of higher educational institutions has increased 40 times, doctors - 48 times. In 1986, the national income of the USSR was 66% of the same in, products - 80%, agriculture - 85%.

However, from 1985 to 1991, a series of economic and political transformations were carried out in the USSR, which undermined the economy and destabilized life in the country. The internal political confrontation escalated.

All this led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Russian Federation was recognized as the successor state of the USSR in international legal relations and took its place in the UN Security Council.

Of course, it is simply impossible to describe all this in detail in one article, so we decided to write a brief history of the USSR, highlighting its most important periods.

As a result of the First World War, four empires ceased to exist: Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and German.

February Revolution

In contrast, the "Reds" were supporters of Bolshevism. Their goal was the establishment of communism in Russia and the complete destruction of any form of monarchy.

The “Reds” became the winners in this confrontation, as a result of which the power was headed by the RCP (b) - the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks). Soon she was reunited with the central state apparatus.

During the Civil War, many territories of Western Ukraine and Belarus were conquered by the Poles, who managed to restore their independence.

As a result of the military conflict, Bessarabia became part of, and the Kars region was ceded to. The principalities that used to be part of the Russian Empire turned into independent republics (, and).

Formation of the USSR

The agreement on the formation of the USSR was signed on December 29, 1922, and already on December 30, 1922, the First All-Union Congress of Soviets approved it.

The first states that found themselves in its composition were the Ukrainian SSR (Ukrainian SSR), the Byelorussian SSR (BSSR) and the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (ZSFSR).

An interesting fact is that formally all of them were considered sovereign states.

The struggle for party power

All power in the USSR was concentrated in the hands of the Communist Party, which changed its name several times throughout history. Ultimately, in 1952, it began to be called the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union).

The supreme organs of power were the Central Committee, the Orgburo, the Secretariat and the Politburo. The last of them was the most important authority.

The resolutions of the Politburo were not subjected to criticism and discussion, and had to be implemented unquestioningly.

De jure, all members of the Politburo were equal, but de facto this was not entirely true. The most significant representative of the Politburo was Vladimir Lenin, from whose pen various laws came out and all the most important decisions were made.

However, after Lenin began to get seriously ill, he could not participate in the discussion of certain issues, which gave rise to a struggle for power.

In addition to him, the Politburo included Rykov, Tomsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev. It was this six in the period 1922-1925. participated in the meetings.

Soon there was a split in the Politburo. Stalin, along with Zinoviev and Kamenev, opposed Trotsky (see). It is worth noting that friction between politicians arose during the Civil War.

At the end of 1923, Trotsky began to demand greater equality in the party, openly criticizing the "troika" of his fellow party members. However, as it turns out later, he will lose this confrontation.

As a result, both Trotsky and all his associates will be declared enemies of the people.

After Lenin's death in 1924, other key politicians joined Kamenev and Zinoviev. Among them were Kuibyshev, Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky.

At the 13th Congress of the RCP (b), Lenin's widow published the "Letter to the Congress", written by the late husband shortly before his death. However, the letter was not read out in the hall, since those present considered it right to read it only at a closed meeting.

By the way, in this letter, Lenin spoke about his comrades-in-arms, giving each a brief but meaningful description.

In particular, Vladimir Ilyich accused Stalin of having concentrated too much power in his hands and was unlikely to be able to use it wisely.

At the same time, he praised Trotsky and even called him the best candidate to govern the newly formed state.

An interesting fact is that at that congress Stalin asked for his resignation, but Kamenev insisted that this issue be put to a vote.

According to a number of historians, Stalin decided to take such a step not because he wanted to leave politics, but in order to win over people.

Thus, he showed that he supposedly did not cling to power and thus won the sympathy of the congress participants. As a result, only Trotsky's supporters voted against him.

It is worth noting that in a couple of weeks Joseph Stalin will forget how he was supported by Kamenev and Zinoviev.

He will accuse them of distorting Lenin's ideas and will do everything possible to portray them as enemies of the people. As a result, they will be forced to join Trotsky.

At this time, Stalin became close to Bukharin. Together with him, he preached the ideas of socialism and criticized capitalism. In society, every day there were more and more supporters of Stalin, who believed in his program for the development of the USSR.

In the autumn of 1927, the "United Opposition" in the person of Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev was finally destroyed. By 1929, all power was in fact in the hands of Joseph Stalin.

Soon he began to get rid of his associates, including Bukharin. His goal was to knock out of the political race all those who could potentially prevent him from becoming the head of the USSR.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

During the history of the USSR 1922-1929. the country is actively developing a new economic policy (NEP). All power finally passes into the hands of Joseph Stalin, who by that time had already destroyed all his opponents and began to establish an authoritarian regime in the USSR.

The NEP provided for the development of entrepreneurial activity, but on a small scale. The government did everything possible to prevent the increase of private capital.

In this regard, private traders had to pay huge taxes to the treasury, which could account for more than half of their income.

The life of the peasants was also unsweetened. To develop their economy, they were in dire need of various agricultural products and tools, but they could not afford them because of the extremely high prices.

Industrialization in the USSR

After the death of Lenin, a course was announced for the industrialization of the USSR. Soviet citizens were in need of goods needed to perform a particular job. During that period of history, the government replaced the food tax with a cash tax.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that during the coup d'état all large landowner farms were destroyed, and no organizations were created to replace them.

To successfully carry out industrialization, Stalin needed large funds. Then he decided to get them by exporting wheat and other goods abroad.

As a result, the collective farmers had to fulfill huge plans for the delivery of products to the state. This led to the poverty of the peasants, and soon to the terrible famine of 1932-1933.

After that, a more benign version of the gradual replenishment of the state budget through the continuation of the NEP came into force.

According to statistics, during the period of the history of the USSR 1928-1940, GDP growth exceeded 6%. Even the world's leading economies could not boast of such high rates.

Soon the pace of development reached such a level that the USSR was in first place in Europe in terms of industrial output. In the state, one after another, metallurgical, chemical and energy plants were built.

An important aspect was the fact that the USSR turned out to be an economically independent state. Otherwise, his story could have taken a completely different path.

However, despite this, the standard of living of the majority of rural citizens has practically not improved, and in some places even worsened.

Collectivization

In the early 1930s, the collectivization of agriculture was introduced, which was the unification of peasant farms into centralized collective farms.

It has led to a significant decline in agricultural and livestock production. Peasant uprisings broke out in various places, which were often suppressed with the help of weapons.

In the USSR, a card system was introduced, according to which people could receive certain shares of certain products. The abolition of cards (for certain products) occurred only in 1935.

An interesting fact is that it was after this that Stalin uttered his historical phrase: "Life has become better, life has become more fun."

Terror and repression

Immediately after the Civil War, the Bolsheviks began to destroy the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks who preached their beliefs. In addition, former landowners also became victims of repression.

The greatest scale of repression was reached during the period of the so-called Great Terror (1937-1938).

According to historians, hundreds of thousands of people were killed during this time, and millions of Soviet citizens ended up in labor camps. Most of the convicts were accused of treason and counter-revolutionary activities.

The foreign policy of the USSR in the 1930s

In connection with the signed treaty, Germany turned a blind eye to these actions by the USSR. After that, the Soviets annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, placing military bases in these republics.

Then the USSR offered Finland to sign an agreement on mutual assistance. However, when the Finns rejected any proposals, a war broke out between the countries.

It continued for 4 months. As a result, the USSR and Finland signed the Moscow Peace Treaty. In this conflict, the Soviet side suffered heavy human and technical losses.

When Hitler saw that the USSR, which outnumbered Finland in terms of population and technology, could not win the war, he decided that the Red Army did not pose a serious threat to him.

The Great Patriotic War

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the USSR, thus violating the non-aggression pact. This was the beginning of a terrible one.

At the beginning, the Germans managed to occupy most of the European countries in a short period of time, but when they reached, they ran into problems.

The Red Army, under the leadership, began an active counteroffensive against the Wehrmacht. The turning point in the war came during the Battle of Kursk, in which the Soviet soldiers won great victories, continuing the persecution of the Germans.

As a result, on May 8, 1945, Germany unconditionally capitulated, and the next day, was proclaimed Victory Day.

After that, the USSR declared war on Japan, since it was an ally of Nazi Germany. An interesting fact is that it was during this period of history that the United States carried out.

A few weeks later, under the onslaught of Soviet soldiers, Japan capitulated. After that, South Sakhalin (see) and the Kuril Islands began to belong to the Soviet Union.

World War II was the bloodiest in human history. According to historians, more than 26 million Soviet citizens died in it, although some experts give even higher numbers.

post-war period

After the war, a communist regime was established in many European countries. At the same time, the United States gained more and more serious influence around the world.

Soon between the United States of America and the USSR began cold war, which manifested itself in the military, industrial and space race.

In the post-war period, the Soviet Union, which suffered the greatest losses, suffered from hunger and devastation. It took years for the standard of living of ordinary people to improve.

History of the USSR in 1953-1991.

In 1953 Joseph Stalin died. His death was a real tragedy for the majority of Soviet citizens who lived during the cult of personality.

He was elected the new head of the USSR. Under his rule, a huge number of victims of Stalinist repressions were rehabilitated, and important reforms were carried out.

Khrushchev thaw

At the 20th Congress of the CPSU, Nikita Khrushchev criticized Stalin's personality cult by releasing various documents that spoke about his crimes.

Khrushchev's words were supported by party members in exactly the same way that they had previously supported Stalin himself. In general, this was not surprising, since everyone was afraid of losing their place.

The history of the USSR during the reign of Khrushchev was called the "thaw". The government paid great attention to the agrarian issue, while declaring a course towards "peaceful coexistence" with the capitalist countries.

Good relations began to develop between the USSR and Yugoslavia.

At the time of the collapse, the USSR occupied almost 1⁄6 of the inhabited land of the Earth with a population of 294 million people, as well as the 7th place in the world in terms of national income (3.4%).

Thus ended the history of a great country - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

If you liked the short history of the USSR, share it on social networks and subscribe to the site in any convenient way. It's always interesting with us!

Liked the post? Press any button.

Brought complete destruction to Bolshevik Russia. For its further existence, it needed someone to rely on. First of all, these were the closest neighbors: Ukraine, Belarus and Transcaucasia. The Bolsheviks coped with their task. As a result, on December 30, 1922, the USSR was formed at the First Congress of Soviets. It signed an agreement on the relationship between the central government and the allied bodies.

The prerequisites for the formation of the USSR were as follows:

In the RSFSR, power belonged to the Bolsheviks. In their striving to extend it to the Union republics, they achieved great success.

The Russian language was widespread on the territory of all nationalities.

The entire vast territory was connected by a single railway network.

Reasons for the formation of the USSR

The reasons for the formation of the USSR were as follows:

Foreign policy. The Bolshevik Party sought to extend its power over as much territory as it could cover.

Economic. The economy undermined by the Civil War led Russia to starvation. She needed the support of the Union republics.

Territorial. During food deliveries, it was necessary to move freely. A single state created optimal conditions for this.

Cultural. Despite their different roots, the peoples lived together for a long time, and this led to the formation of some common traditions.

Political. The government apparatus of the union republics, which consisted of the Bolsheviks, was strictly subordinate to the central government.

Consolidation stages

The main stages of unification in the early years of the formation of the USSR are presented in the table.

Stalin and Lenin principles of building a new country

There were two points of view on the formation of a single state. One development was, and the other.

Stalin's formulation was as follows:

1. All union republics were part of the RSFSR as autonomies.
2. The authorities of the RSFSR became the highest in the new state.

Lenin's point of view was as follows.:

1. All union republics should not be included, but united together with the RSFSR into a single state on an equal footing.
2. In the new formation, it is necessary to create the highest bodies of power of the Union.

Stalin's plans were to create a centralized state. Lenin looked further. In the future, he wanted to join the Union and other European countries.

As time has shown, the Leninist point of view after 70 years led to the collapse of the association.

Unification difficulties

Already the first steps towards unification showed how difficult the process was. On the basis of an agreement between the union republics, most industries were subordinated to the people's commissariats of the RSFSR.

This state of affairs caused discontent on the part of other republics. In fact, by delegating power, they were deprived of the opportunity to make independent decisions. At the same time, there was a declaration on the independence of the republics in the sphere of government. Stalin began to have difficulties in promoting the idea of ​​the republic joining the RSFSR on the rights of autonomies.

At this time, Lenin put forward his concept of uniting all the republics on an equal footing. The name of such an entity was first proposed by the Union of Soviet Republics of Europe and Asia, but then changed to the USSR. Lenin motivated his proposal by saying that the republics should enter the association in such a way that the principles of good neighborliness and respect would be implemented. At the same time, a single administration should be created from representatives of the union republics.

Formation of the USSR

Map: Formation of the USSR. Development of the Union State (1922-1940). 15 republics gradually united into one powerful country, which had a very strong military and economic potential. On December 30, 1922, at the Congress of Soviets, allied treaties and a declaration on the formation of the USSR were signed.

The official date of the formation of the USSR is December 30, 1922. At this time, the First Congress of Soviets took place. The republics included:

• RSFSR;
• Ukraine;
• Belarus:
• republics of the Caucasus.

The congress adopted a declaration on the formation of the USSR and the Union Treaty.

In subsequent years, the USSR already included 15 republics. Added to the previous ones:

• Kazakhstan;
• Kyrgyzstan;
• Turkmenistan;
• Tajikistan;
• Uzbekistan;
• Azerbaijan;
• Turkmenistan;
• Georgia;
• Latvia;
• Lithuania;
• Estonia;
• Moldova.

For some time, the Republic of Finland was included.

The declaration reflected the policy of the Soviet state. Its goals for the coming years were declared.

Some of the quotes read as follows:

1. At the present time, the whole world is divided into 2 camps: and.
2. The main aspiration of the USSR is a world revolution.
3. Any republic that has embarked on the socialist path of development has open access to the USSR.
4. There was a call to unite the world proletariat against the capitalist system.

First constitution

The document was adopted at the II Congress of Soviets. On its basis, the jurisdiction of the USSR included the following issues:

1. Foreign and domestic trade.
2. Questions of war and peace.
3. Leadership of the armed forces.
4. Economic issues and the formation of the country's budget.
5. legislative initiative.
6. All republics were part of the USSR on a voluntary basis. Territorial changes could only be carried out after agreement with them.

Government

The following authorities were approved in the Constitution:

The supreme body of power in the USSR was the Congress of Soviets. Only he had the right to fix the Constitution or to amend it. He was elected from the city councils.

The Central Executive Committee ruled the state during the break between congresses. It consisted of the Council of Nationalities and the Union Council.

The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR resolved issues of the state between sessions of the Central Executive Committee.

The executive body of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR was the Council of People's Commissars. It consisted of a chairman, a deputy and ten people's commissars.

The republics had the opportunity to express their interests through government bodies such as the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and the Council of Nationalities. According to the Constitution, the main power was concentrated in the center. Thus, the leadership of all the union republics could be carried out from there.

Bolsheviks occupied the main posts of all central and allied bodies. As a result, the party exercised total control over the activities of the newly created state.

Country leaders

The entire list of leaders of the USSR from the moment of its formation to the collapse is presented in the table.

Significance and consequences of the formation of the USSR

As a result of the political activity of the Bolsheviks, a huge multinational state was created. Centralized management has made it possible to implement a number of large-scale projects on its territory. In the shortest possible time was held industry and agriculture. The country began to develop rapidly. Many industrial enterprises were built and the whole country was electrified.

However, all these achievements were based on the unprecedented enthusiasm of the population, and this could not continue forever. During the years of Soviet power, the standard of living of the working people increased much less than in the capitalist world. This was carefully hidden by the government, so many barriers were created to travel abroad, especially to capitalist countries. However, this situation could not last long. , which began under Gorbachev, revealed to the population all the shortcomings of the socialist system, and after a few years the USSR ceased to exist.

In 1913, the future head of the first socialist state, V.I. Lenin, being a unitarian like Marx and Engels, wrote that a centralized large state "is a huge historical step forward from medieval fragmentation to the future socialist unity of all countries." In the period from February to October 1917, the centuries-old state unity of Russia collapsed - a number of bourgeois-nationalist governments arose on its territory (the Central Rada in Ukraine, Cossack circles on the Don, Terek and Orenburg, Kurultai in the Crimea, national Soviets in the Transcaucasus and the Baltic states, etc. .), seeking to isolate themselves from the traditional center. The threat of a sharp reduction in the territory of the socialist proletarian state, the loss of hopes for an early world revolution forced the leader of the party that came to power in Russia to reconsider his point of view on its state structure - he became a fierce supporter of federalism, however, at the stage of transition "to complete unity". The slogan of "one and indivisible Russia", professed by the leaders of the white movement, was opposed by the principle of the right of all nations to self-determination, which attracted the leaders of national movements ...

However, the Constitution of the RSFSR of 1918 was a step back from a true federation, since it only declared the form of the state structure of Russia (it did not even provide for the representation of future members of the federation in the authorities of the center), in fact, a unitary state was proclaimed, created from above on the initiative of the ruling party by joining the conquered in during the Civil War of the Territories. The division of powers between federal and local bodies in the Russian Federation was based on the principles of the exclusive competence of the first and the residual - the second ...

The first intra-Russian national borders appeared in late 1918 - early 1919 with the formation of the Labor Commune of the region of the Volga Germans and the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, by the end of 1922 there were already 19 autonomous republics and regions in the RSFSR, as well as 2 labor communes created on a national basis. National-state formations coexisted with administrative-territorial units, both of which had a very weakly expressed independence.

The Russian Federation, according to the plan of its founders, was to become a model of a larger socialist state, allowing the restoration of the Russian Empire, the collapse of which during the revolution and the “triumphant procession” of the Soviet power could not be avoided. Until the middle of 1918, only two republics existed as independent states - the RSFSR and Ukraine, then the Byelorussian Republic, three republics in the Baltic states, three in Transcaucasia ...

From the first days of their existence, the RSFSR, itself in need of the most necessary, provided them with assistance in various spheres of public life. The armies of the independent republics were supplied by the People's Commissariat (People's Commissariat) for military affairs of the RSFSR. The Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of June 1, 1919 "On the unification of the socialist republics of Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus for the struggle against world imperialism" formalized a military alliance. The armies of all the republics were united into a single army of the RSFSR, the military command, management of railways, communications, and finances were united. The monetary system of all the republics was based on the Russian ruble, the RSFSR took over their expenses for the maintenance of the state apparatus, armies, and for the establishment of the economy. The republics received from her industrial and agricultural products, food and other assistance. The union, along with other factors, helped all the republics to get out of the war ...

Over time, the state apparatus of all the republics began to be built in the likeness of the RSFSR, their plenipotentiary representations appeared in Moscow, which had the right to enter on behalf of their governments with representations and petitions to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the Council of People's Commissars (Sovnarkom), People's Commissariats of the RSFSR, to inform the authorities of their republic about the most important events of the RSFSR, and the authorities of the latter on the state of the economy and the needs of their republic. On the territory of the republics, there was an apparatus of authorized representatives of some people's commissariats of the RSFSR, customs barriers were gradually overcome, and border posts were removed.

After the blockade of the Entente was lifted, the RSFSR concluded trade agreements with England, Italy, Norway, and Ukraine with Austria, Czechoslovakia and other states. In March 1921, a joint delegation of the RSFSR and Ukraine concluded an agreement with Poland. In January 1922, on behalf of the organizers of the Genoa Conference, the Italian government invited only the RSFSR from all the republics to participate in it. In February 1922, at the initiative of the Russian Federation, nine republics signed a protocol authorizing it to represent and protect their joint interests, to conclude and sign treaties with foreign states on their behalf. Thus, the military, bilateral military-economic treaties were supplemented by a diplomatic agreement. The next step was the formation of a political union.

FOUR REPUBLICS INSTEAD OF ONE EMPIRE

By 1922, 6 republics had formed on the territory of the former Russian Empire: the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR, the Armenian SSR and the Georgian SSR. Between them from the very beginning there was a close cooperation, due to the common historical fate. During the years of the civil war, a military and economic alliance was formed, and at the time of the Genoa Conference in 1922, a diplomatic one. The unification was also facilitated by the common goal set by the governments of the republics - the construction of socialism on the territory located "in the capitalist environment."

In March 1922, the Azerbaijan, Armenian and Georgian SSRs merged into the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. In December 1922, the First Transcaucasian Congress of Soviets addressed the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee with a proposal to convene a united Congress of Soviets and discuss the issue of creating a union of Soviet republics. The same decisions were taken by the All-Ukrainian and All-Belarusian Congresses of Soviets.

IT WAS NOT STALIN-STYLE

There was no consensus on the principles of creating a union state. Among a number of proposals, two stood out: the inclusion of other Soviet republics in the RSFSR on the basis of autonomy (proposal) and the creation of a federation of republics with equal rights. Project I.V. Stalin "On the Relations of the RSFSR with the Independent Republics" was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Parties of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia recognized it as premature, and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus spoke in favor of maintaining the existing contractual relations between the BSSR and the RSFSR. The Ukrainian Bolsheviks refrained from discussing the Stalinist project. Nevertheless, the autonomization plan was approved at a meeting of the commission of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) on September 23-24, 1922.

IN AND. Lenin, who did not participate in the discussion of the project, after reading the materials presented to him, rejected the idea of ​​autonomization and spoke in favor of forming a union of republics. He considered the Soviet Socialist Federation the most acceptable form of government for a multinational country.

NATIONAL LIBERALISM OF ILYICH

On October 5 - 6, 1922, the Plenum of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) adopted the plan of V.I. Lenin, however, this did not lead to an end to the struggle in the party on issues of national policy. Although the "autonomization" project was rejected, it still enjoyed some support from a number of senior officials both at the center and in the localities. I.V. Stalin and L.B. Kamenev was urged to show firmness against Ilyich's "national liberalism" and, in fact, to abandon the previous version.

At the same time, separatist tendencies in the republics are intensifying, which manifested itself in the so-called "Georgian incident", when the party leaders of Georgia demanded that it be included in the future state as an independent republic, and not as part of the Transcaucasian Federation. In response to this, the head of the Transcaucasian Regional Committee G.K. Ordzhonikidze was furious and called them "chauvinistic rot", and when one of the members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia called him "Stalin's donkey", he also beat the latter hard. In protest against Moscow's pressure, the entire Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia resigned.

Commission chaired by F.E. Dzerzhinsky, created in Moscow to investigate this "incident", justified the actions of G.K. Ordzhonikidze and condemned the Georgian Central Committee. This decision aroused the indignation of V.I. Lenin. It should be recalled here that in October 1922, after an illness, although he began to work, he still could not fully control the situation due to health reasons. On the day of the formation of the USSR, being bedridden, he dictates his letter “On the question of nationalities or autonomization”, which begins with the words: “I seem to be very guilty before the workers of Russia for not intervening energetically and sharply enough into the notorious question of autonomization, officially called, it seems, the question of the union of Soviet socialist republics.

UNION AGREEMENT (ONE UNION INSTEAD OF FOUR REPUBLIC)

AGREEMENT ON THE FORMATION OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS

The Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (RSFSR), the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic (Ukrainian SSR), the Byelorussian Socialist Soviet Republic (BSSR) and the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (ZSSR - Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia) conclude this Union Treaty on unification into one union state - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics...

1. The jurisdiction of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, represented by its supreme bodies, shall be:

a) representation of the Union in international relations;

b) changing the external borders of the Union;

c) conclusion of agreements on the admission of new republics to the Union;

d) declaration of war and conclusion of peace;

e) conclusion of external state loans;

f) ratification of international treaties;

g) establishment of foreign and domestic trade systems;

h) establishing the foundations and general plan for the entire national economy of the Union, as well as concluding concession agreements;

i) regulation of transport and postal and telegraph business;

j) establishing the foundations for organizing the armed forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;

k) approval of the unified state budget of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the establishment of a monetary, monetary and credit system, as well as a system of all-union, republican and local taxes;

l) establishment of general principles of land management and land use, as well as the use of subsoil, forests and waters throughout the territory of the Union;

m) common union legislation on resettlement;

o) establishing the foundations of the judiciary and legal proceedings, as well as civil and criminal union legislation;

o) establishment of basic labor laws;

p) establishing the general principles of public education;

c) the establishment of general measures in the field of public health protection;

r) establishment of a system of measures and weights;

s) organization of all-Union statistics;

t) the basic legislation in the field of union citizenship in relation to the rights of foreigners;

u) the right to a general amnesty;

v) repeal of resolutions of congresses of Soviets, Central Executive Committees and Soviets of People's Commissars of the Union Republics that violate the Union Treaty.

2. The supreme authority of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the periods between congresses - the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

3. The Congress of Soviets The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is composed of representatives of city Soviets at the rate of 1 deputy per 25,000 voters and representatives of provincial congresses of Soviets at the rate of 1 deputy per 125,000 inhabitants.

4. Delegates to the Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are elected at the provincial congresses of Soviets.

…eleven. The executive body of the Central Executive Committee of the Union is the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Council of People's Commissars of the Union), elected by the Central Executive Committee of the Union for the term of the latter, consisting of:

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union,

Vice Presidents,

People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs,

People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs,

People's Commissar for Foreign Trade,

People's Commissar of Communications,

People's Commissar of Posts and Telegraphs,

People's Commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspectorate.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the National Economy,

People's Commissar of Labour,

People's Commissar of Food,

People's Commissar of Finance.

…13. Decrees and resolutions of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are obligatory for all union republics and are carried out directly throughout the entire territory of the Union.

…22. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has its own flag, coat of arms and state seal.

23. The capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the city of Moscow.

…26. Each of the Union Republics retains the right to freely secede from the Union.

Congresses of Soviets in documents. 1917-1936. vol. III. M., 1960

1917, night of 26 to 27 October. Elected by the II All-Russian Congress of Soviets as head of the Soviet government - Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars.

1918, beginning of July. The 5th All-Russian Congress of Soviets adopts the Constitution of the RSFSR, which clarifies the status of the post of Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, which is occupied by V.I. Lenin. November 30th. At the plenary session of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies, the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense is approved, the Council is given full rights in the matter of mobilizing the country's forces and means for its defense. V.I.Lenin is approved as the Chairman of the Council.

1920, April. The Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense is transformed into the Council of Labor and Defense (STO) of the RSFSR under the chairmanship of V.I. Lenin.

1923, 6 July. The session of the Central Executive Committee elects V.I. Lenin as chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. July 7th The session of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the RSFSR elects V.I. Lenin as chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR. July 17th. The Council of Labor and Defense under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR is being created under the chairmanship of V.I. Lenin.

The Romanov Empire for a long time remained committed to conservative noble traditions and monarchical absolutism. The belated abolition of serfdom, the preservation of a wide sector with a lack of society, as was the case in Europe and the United States - all this led to an increase in mass discontent.

Reasons for the formation of the USSR. Briefly

Of course, there have been attempts to resolve the whole range of problems. For example, the activity of Pyotr Stolypin, which is especially important in its agrarian part (an attempt to create many small market-oriented peasant farms). However, this reform was actually curtailed with the death of the initiator. Ignoring problems led to the fall of the tsarist government in February 1917. However, the Kerensky government was unable to cope with the situation and settle the radical mood. In the outbreak of the civil war, the Bolshevik party, despite all its contradictions, became the most attractive. Yes, and the most progressive for the era in its aspirations. The formation of the USSR, in short, was the result of the consistent development of socialist sentiments and the crisis of the monarchical system. was actually completed in 1922, when Ukraine, Siberia, Belarus and others were completely occupied

territory.

Summary of the Constitution

The formal Soviets took place on December 29, 1922, when the treaty of the republics on the formation of the Union was signed. And the very next day the treaty was ratified by the All-Union Congress of Soviets. The first constitution was drawn up only in 1924. It laid the foundations for the functioning of the state in its first period. The second Constitution was adopted in 1936. The Constitution of 1924 established a single citizenship throughout the country, regulated relations in the system of power, where the Congress of Soviets was declared the highest body, prescribed the process of the republics secession from the Union.

Formation of the USSR: briefly about the situation in the party

In addition to the event under discussion, during these years another, also very important, happened. In May 1922, Vladimir Lenin fell seriously ill, after which he actually retired from government. And in January 1924 he died. The death of a recognized leader logically raised questions about the successor. The middle and second half of the 1920s were marked by heated discussions in the party apparatus regarding the future course of the country, as well as the first persecutions. At first in a mild form, but leading to a global purge throughout the country in the 1930s.

Education of the USSR: briefly about the meaning

Directly for the country, an important fact was the end of the civil war,

which made it possible to direct all forces to the restoration of the national economy, the elimination of its consequences and the return of life to a peaceful course. However, the creation of the world's first state headed by socialists had much more global and long-term consequences. There were negative ones among them, which were the result of the complexity of the practical implementation of communist ideas in life. The desire to ensure high rates of state growth, stability, general welfare and a quick solution to all social problems often led the Soviet leadership to voluntaristic methods (after all, market laws were not recognized and not taken into account) and deplorable results. Such as mass repressions, hunger for the sake of fulfilling the grain procurement plan, the fruitless and notorious global epics of the Khrushchev era, the Brezhnev stagnation caused by the slowness of the command and administrative system, and so on. However, this state gave no less positive results to its own people and to the whole world. Despite the inconsistency of the 1930s, the growth rates of state indicators were unprecedented in the entire human history. The small peoples of the Union, despite today's nationalist assessments, received a tangible contribution to the development of their economies and industrial structures.

Yes, and the Western world was transformed under the influence of communist ideas, which personified the Union. So, after the revolutions in Russia and Germany, it was formed. Already in 1919, by the decision of its congress, an eight-hour working day was established throughout Western Europe and America. The formation of the USSR, in short, led to the inspiration of the labor movement around the world, under the pressure of which governments repeatedly raised social standards and cared for social security. After all, the fate of the Romanov Empire eloquently demonstrated what ignoring the interests of the people could lead to.

Brought complete destruction to Bolshevik Russia. For its further existence, it needed someone to rely on. First of all, these were the closest neighbors: Ukraine, Belarus and Transcaucasia. The Bolsheviks coped with their task. As a result, on December 30, 1922, the USSR was formed at the First Congress of Soviets. It signed an agreement on the relationship between the central government and the allied bodies.

The prerequisites for the formation of the USSR were as follows:

In the RSFSR, power belonged to the Bolsheviks. In their striving to extend it to the Union republics, they achieved great success.

The Russian language was widespread on the territory of all nationalities.

The entire vast territory was connected by a single railway network.

Reasons for the formation of the USSR

The reasons for the formation of the USSR were as follows:

Foreign policy. The Bolshevik Party sought to extend its power over as much territory as it could cover.

Economic. The economy undermined by the Civil War led Russia to starvation. She needed the support of the Union republics.

Territorial. During food deliveries, it was necessary to move freely. A single state created optimal conditions for this.

Cultural. Despite their different roots, the peoples lived together for a long time, and this led to the formation of some common traditions.

Political. The government apparatus of the union republics, which consisted of the Bolsheviks, was strictly subordinate to the central government.

Consolidation stages

The main stages of unification in the early years of the formation of the USSR are presented in the table.

Stalin and Lenin principles of building a new country

There were two points of view on the formation of a single state. One development was, and the other.

Stalin's formulation was as follows:

1. All union republics were part of the RSFSR as autonomies.
2. The authorities of the RSFSR became the highest in the new state.

Lenin's point of view was as follows.:

1. All union republics should not be included, but united together with the RSFSR into a single state on an equal footing.
2. In the new formation, it is necessary to create the highest bodies of power of the Union.

Stalin's plans were to create a centralized state. Lenin looked further. In the future, he wanted to join the Union and other European countries.

As time has shown, the Leninist point of view after 70 years led to the collapse of the association.

Unification difficulties

Already the first steps towards unification showed how difficult the process was. On the basis of an agreement between the union republics, most industries were subordinated to the people's commissariats of the RSFSR.

This state of affairs caused discontent on the part of other republics. In fact, by delegating power, they were deprived of the opportunity to make independent decisions. At the same time, there was a declaration on the independence of the republics in the sphere of government. Stalin began to have difficulties in promoting the idea of ​​the republic joining the RSFSR on the rights of autonomies.

At this time, Lenin put forward his concept of uniting all the republics on an equal footing. The name of such an entity was first proposed by the Union of Soviet Republics of Europe and Asia, but then changed to the USSR. Lenin motivated his proposal by saying that the republics should enter the association in such a way that the principles of good neighborliness and respect would be implemented. At the same time, a single administration should be created from representatives of the union republics.

Formation of the USSR

Map: Formation of the USSR. Development of the Union State (1922-1940). 15 republics gradually united into one powerful country, which had a very strong military and economic potential. On December 30, 1922, at the Congress of Soviets, allied treaties and a declaration on the formation of the USSR were signed.

The official date of the formation of the USSR is December 30, 1922. At this time, the First Congress of Soviets took place. The republics included:

• RSFSR;
• Ukraine;
• Belarus:
• republics of the Caucasus.

The congress adopted a declaration on the formation of the USSR and the Union Treaty.

In subsequent years, the USSR already included 15 republics. Added to the previous ones:

• Kazakhstan;
• Kyrgyzstan;
• Turkmenistan;
• Tajikistan;
• Uzbekistan;
• Azerbaijan;
• Turkmenistan;
• Georgia;
• Latvia;
• Lithuania;
• Estonia;
• Moldova.

For some time, the Republic of Finland was included.

The declaration reflected the policy of the Soviet state. Its goals for the coming years were declared.

Some of the quotes read as follows:

1. At the present time, the whole world is divided into 2 camps: and.
2. The main aspiration of the USSR is a world revolution.
3. Any republic that has embarked on the socialist path of development has open access to the USSR.
4. There was a call to unite the world proletariat against the capitalist system.

First constitution

The document was adopted at the II Congress of Soviets. On its basis, the jurisdiction of the USSR included the following issues:

1. Foreign and domestic trade.
2. Questions of war and peace.
3. Leadership of the armed forces.
4. Economic issues and the formation of the country's budget.
5. legislative initiative.
6. All republics were part of the USSR on a voluntary basis. Territorial changes could only be carried out after agreement with them.

Government

The following authorities were approved in the Constitution:

The supreme body of power in the USSR was the Congress of Soviets. Only he had the right to fix the Constitution or to amend it. He was elected from the city councils.

The Central Executive Committee ruled the state during the break between congresses. It consisted of the Council of Nationalities and the Union Council.

The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR resolved issues of the state between sessions of the Central Executive Committee.

The executive body of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR was the Council of People's Commissars. It consisted of a chairman, a deputy and ten people's commissars.

The republics had the opportunity to express their interests through government bodies such as the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and the Council of Nationalities. According to the Constitution, the main power was concentrated in the center. Thus, the leadership of all the union republics could be carried out from there.

Bolsheviks occupied the main posts of all central and allied bodies. As a result, the party exercised total control over the activities of the newly created state.

Country leaders

The entire list of leaders of the USSR from the moment of its formation to the collapse is presented in the table.

Significance and consequences of the formation of the USSR

As a result of the political activity of the Bolsheviks, a huge multinational state was created. Centralized management has made it possible to implement a number of large-scale projects on its territory. In the shortest possible time was held industry and agriculture. The country began to develop rapidly. Many industrial enterprises were built and the whole country was electrified.

However, all these achievements were based on the unprecedented enthusiasm of the population, and this could not continue forever. During the years of Soviet power, the standard of living of the working people increased much less than in the capitalist world. This was carefully hidden by the government, so many barriers were created to travel abroad, especially to capitalist countries. However, this situation could not last long. , which began under Gorbachev, revealed to the population all the shortcomings of the socialist system, and after a few years the USSR ceased to exist.