Stalin was elected General Secretary of the Party in 1922, and although he quickly began to increase his personal power, no one realized how dangerous he was at this time. ... But the other members of the Politburo, Lenin's circle of advisers, ignored the Testament and allowed Stalin to remain in a position of power. ... Once in power, Stalin began a drive to industrialize and modernize the Soviet Union, with a Five-Year Plan (1927-32) based on Marxist principles championing government control of the economy. ... But Stalin's grip on power was not shaken, save perhaps in his home, wh...

• Word Count: 5151
• Approx Pages: 21
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONARY AVANT-GARDE The avant-garde way of life prospered in Russia directly following the Revolution of 1917, generating one of the most awe-inspiring art movements of the twentieth century. Assembling an entirely new government, the Bolsheviks gave free reign to the Russian avant-garde to create a new culture and thus a new society through art. For this brief time, the culture of the avant-garde was synonymous with official cultural policy of the Soviets. Its leaders were empowered to establish government-sponsored art schools, and an entire system that espoused some of...

• Word Count: 4641
• Approx Pages: 19
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate