The Historical Contribution of the October Revolution to the Economic and Social Development of the Soviet Union—Analysis of the Soviet Economic Model and the Causes of Its Dramatic End

ABSTRACT

Written in response to a range of problems and debates, this paper provides an objective evaluation of the various stages in the economic development of the Soviet Union, as well as of the causes behind the dramatic changes experienced as that development proceeded. The paper thus explains the historical significance of the October Revolution for the economic and social development of the Soviet Union. The analysis begins with studies of War Communism and of the New Economic Policy as correct choices necessitated by their historical contexts. Then follows an examination of the road of socialist construction as opened up by the October Revolution. The achievements recorded along this road are held to have been greater than the mistakes committed. The paper concludes by pointing out three major causes that in the view of the author led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. These causes were at a basic level, long-term confusion in the field of theory and ideas; as a key factor, organizational and policy mistakes over an extended period; and as the fatal blow and immediate cause, the political betrayal represented by “perestroika and new thinking.”

KEYWORDS:

• October Revolution
• Soviet Union
• economic and social development
• the dissolution of the Soviet Union

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on Contributors

Cheng Enfu is professor and director of the Research Center of Economic and Social Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Chairman of the World Association for Political Economy. He is also chief editor of two English language journals, International Critical Thought and World Review of Political Economy.

Liu Zixu is an assistant researcher at the Academy of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Notes

1. See “Uroki XX s’ezda” (Lessons of the 20th Congress). http://www.orossii.ru/2006-09-29. Quoted in Cheng and Ding (2011).

2. See “Rol’ 20-go s’ezda KPSS v razoblachenii kul’ta lichnosti” (The Role of the 20th Congress of the CPSU in Exposing the Personality Cult). http://library.by/2002-11-13. Quoted in Cheng and Ding (2011).

3. See “Uroki XX s’ezda” (Lessons of the 20th Congress). http://www.orossii.ru/2006-09-29. Quoted in Cheng and Ding (2011).

4. V. S. Shevelukha, “Vnimatel’no provodit’ kadrovuyu politiku!” (Seriously Execute Our Cadre Policy). Accessed July 30, 2016. http://kprf.ru/2008-11-30.

5. See “My otuchili nachal’nikov pit’ za gosudarstvennyy schet” (We Made the Leaders Afraid of Drinking at the Expense of the State). Accessed July 30, 2016. http://www.ng.ru/2010-05-18.

6. See www.levada.ru/en/2017/02/28/leaders-of-russia/. Accessed June 20, 2017.