TRADE UNIONS IN POLITICAL STRUGGLE OF 1930S: FROM TROTSKY’S “INTEGRATION INTO THE WORLD ECONOMY” TO STALIN’S “INDEPENDENT ECONOMIC ENTITY”

Abstract

The article analyses 1930s as a period of breakthrough of Soviet Russia from rural society to industrial one, creation of new technological paradigm through struggle of two basic approaches to socialistic project implementation: Trotsky’s approach through «integration into the world economy» and Stalin’s approach through «independent economic entity that primarily rely upon internal market»; it is emphasized that in those years in Soviet Russia was established essentially elitist system of universal and free education. Based of that system new soviet technical intelligentsia was formed, that, alongside with qualified workers, became the striking force of modernization. Soviet Russia succeeded in «shrinking the time» to the maximum and performing real «socialistic pressing» in all spheres of life, which made it possible to become a Great Power after Great Victory. At the same time elite broke down Trotsky’s project with repressions, which eventually led to political and ideological consolidation of soviet establishment, and professional unit elite became its main component with strict party governmental control. Repressions did not allow professional elite to become a self-sufficient and inherently valuable entity, that is a nomenclature, but they made to serve the nation and soviet country responsibly and efficiently. It is also summarized that professional unions themselves, being integrated into political system as «driving belts» from the party to the masses and having obediently completed major and smaller tasks of party committees, proved to be «at the right place at the right time». They are «removed» from political field and reoriented on «natural», common to them, though routine, functions: they obtained control over improvement of working classes quality of life, government-sponsored social insurance, recreational and health centers, children’s recreational institutions, control over labor protection and safety laws enforcement.