Undergraduate thesis is a historical overview of socialist power structures in the Soviet Union from
the October Revolution to Brezhnev era. The thesis sets its theoretical basis on Marxist perception of
social classes and (class) state in general, proletarian state and its withering away. The thesis also
follows developments in perception of Soviet class structures and the role of the Soviet state (within
the Soviet Union), attempting to explain the origins of these changes in the question of revisionism.
The perception of socialist power structures is not limited to state institutions (e.g. Soviets), but it
also includes elements of civil society, special attention being given to the role of trade unions as well
as Machine Tractor Stations (MTS). Another crucial aspect is the influence of the Communist Party
on both state institutions and civil society, effectively turning the latter into an informal structure of
socialist power. With that in mind, internal party dynamics, like its membership fluctuation and
influence, become relevant. Another important aspect is overview of Soviet economic policy (War
Communism, NEP, Centralist Planning and Limited Self-Management) as an insight to the state of
the base of Soviet class structures. In the thesis it becomes clear that initially Soviet practical policies
were heavily conditioned by demands for functional short-term policies which were nevertheless
attempted to be consistent with Marxist thought. In Stalin era, pragmatism dominated, setting
directives for theoretical shifts. It was also the era of the rise of bureaucracy and intellectuals that
further strengthened their positions following Stalin's death and in turn setting directives for further
developments both in practical policies and theoretical thought.
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