Stalin And Russia

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Mark Von Hagen makes several excellent points in the relationship between the evolution of the military and the development of civilian society. The initial concept is the power gain by Stalin. He stresses that Stalin understood the culture of Bolshevik Russia and that was the ultimate source of his power and ability to exert his will on the country. 268. I think what is left out of this initial opening is the impact on the culture that Lenin had already had with his own propaganda movement and restructuring of the idea of nationalism. Vladimir Lenin had already begun to identify the proper behavior of citizens along with the responsibility of each citizen. Stating that the sacred duty of every citizen of the U.S.S.R. is to defend the fatherland. This search for nationalism would later be involved in the next important section discussed by Hagen: militia versus …show more content…
A successful volunteer force, as with the United States, requires several factors. First, global sense of nationalism with dedication to the individual culture must exist in order for a successful call to arms. This in turn requires a communication or enforcement of core values. America achieved this by many methods but the national educational system was key in integrating our history and core values. I don’t believe this was firmly established in Russia among the vast peasant class. Be default, in order for the political structure to move forward, a professional military was the comfortable answer. This brings the discussion and most relevant point of the link: The right of passage. Once the concept is established that military service leads to a lucrative and stable career and one protects the other, the link between military and civilian social structure is sealed. (271). Hagen confirms that the red army was becoming a stable and respectable career with clear links to future political and occupational