m, he decided to collectivize farms. Peasant way of life was changed drastically as the government rushed to complete Stalin's reforms. Farmers were moved from their homes to remote regions where they were more useful to the administration. Massive disorganization followed the collectivization process, resulting in an initial failure and widespread famine in 1933. (Lih) Stalin was aware of the tremendous opposition to his policies. Zealotic insistence on maintaining unity within the party, coupled with paranoia about his job stability, led him to carry out the Great Purge. Any suspected opposition to the Communists' platform was dealt with by sentences of hard labor or execution. (Lih) The Committee for State Security (K.G.B.) was formed to identify threats to Stalin's leadership. (Christopher) No class was exempt, from peasants to high-level officials. Millions perished in Stalin's fervor to wipe out his enemies. (Lih) Another powerful organization within Russia was the Communist International (Comintern). This group was a tool used to advance socialism outside of Russia's borders. This group allowed the Russian government to practice dual-track diplomacy: between parties and between states. The gains from this policy, however, were small. Its main accomplishment was to gain control of Poland and other nations on Russia's eastern front. Communists feared these territories could be used against them by capitalists, or as springboards for a suspected German invasion. (Lih) C. World War II On 22 June 1941, almost ten years to the day after Stalin's statement that the U.S.S.R. had ten years to make up the industrial gap, German troops were ordered to cross the border. The Soviet Union, with little in the way of intelligence, was caught completely off guard. Also, during the years of 1937 and 1938, Stalin became paranoid and had most of the upper ranks of the Red Army killed, leaving the Soviet forces withouteffective ...
