The Assignment
One of the issues that historians continue to debate regarding the Russian Revolution is whether Stalin’s “Revolution From Above” was, in fact, a revolutionary effort that fundamentally changed Russian society. Some scholars argue that Stalin’s “Revolution From Above” was a continuation of Lenin’s Revolution because it fundamentally altered the USSR’s economic, class, and political structures, while others scholars argue that it was not revolutionary and is best understood as a repudiation of revolutionary goals. With which school of thought does Sheila Fitzpatrick agree in The Russian Revolution? In answering this question, please be certain to discuss 1) the First Five Year Plan, 2) Collectivization, and 3) the Cultural Revolution.
