Figure 1.--Here we see Soviet school children participatong in a International Friendship Clubs (KID). This may have been an activity promoted by the Young Pioneers. The photograph is undated, but was probanly taken during the 1970s. |
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One of the most appealing aspects of the Soviet Union was the official commitment to international harmony. Here the focus was in large measure on the Third World. An aspect of this was racial equality as outside of Europe you have countrues populated with various other races. This was in part related to the generalized opposition to imperialism and as an extension racial equality. We note Soviet publications criticizing colonialism and promoting racial understanding. Soviet schools had International Friendship Clubs (KID). We do not know much about these clubs, but apparently the ideal of international solidarity and frirndship was supported. Notably actual contacts outside of official exchanges were not promoted. And Soviets citizens found it almost impossible to travel abroad. The Siviets did give scholarships to Third World students so they could study in Soviet universities. This approach also dove tailed with Soviet foreign policy which was confront the European countries with empires and the United States. The United States did not have an empire, but it did have a serious racial pronlem and the on set of the Cold War coincided with the Civil Rights movement. The problem for the Soviets was that while they criticized the European colonial empires, the Soviet Union itself was an empire. The various Soviet republics had no n-Russian populations whch had no desire to be aart of the Russian-controlled Soviet Union. And after World War II at a time in which the European countries were beginning to grant independence to their empires, the Soviets proceeded to estanlish a vast new empire in Eastern Europe. And the history of the Cold War is one continuos episode of these countries aspiring for independence from Soviet control. One interesting aspect of the Soviet pursuit of international harmony is the stidently anti-foreign attitudes in modern Russia, especially toward racial minorities. As much as the Soviets attacked America (in some cases justifiably) for racial prejudice, America today is a country that has made great strides in race relations and the Soviet Union is a country in which anti-Semitosm and racial/ethnic hatred is rampant. One has to wonder why Soviet efforts to promote international harmony and race relations faoled and American efforts achieved considerable success.
One of the most appealing aspects of the Soviet Union was the official commitment to international harmony. From the very beginning of the Soviet Union there was a strong intetnationalist orientation. Most Bolsheviks expected that the Russian Revolution was the first of a series of revolutions that would sweep Europe. Lenin and his colleages were in fact surprised that the Revolution occurred first in Russia, a backward agricultural country just beginning to industrialize. Marx predicted the Revolution would occur in industrialized countries. This led to the difference as to whether Russia should fomrnt revoklution abroad or concentrate on building socialism in Russia. This was reflected in the struggle between Stalin and Trotski. After World war II and the failure of Communist parties in Europe to prevail in free, democratic electioins, the Soviet focus was in large measure on the Third World. An aspect of this was racial equality as outside of Europe you have countrues populated with various other races. This was in part related to the generalized opposition to imperialism and as an extension racial equality. We note Soviet publications criticizing colonialism and promoting racial understanding.
Soviet schools had International Friendship Clubs (KID). We do not know much about these clubs, but apparently the ideal of international solidarity and friendship was supported. A Russian reader writes, "There was a time when in school I was a KID member and exchanged letters with one Polish boy. It was so long, long ago. Nowdays Poles hate us russians and claim that we are barbarians, asian mongrels, moscow bastards, evolutional garbage and so on. Now they are friends of the United States. My
congratulations. The United States now has a good friend. Wonderful friend who will betray you, just like they betrayed us." HBC has had extensive discussions with our Russiann reader. We do not believe he understands just what the Soviet Union did in Poland during and after World War II. We do believe, however, he acurately reflects Russian opinion toward Poland andcRussia's other Eastern European neighbors.
Notably actual contacts outside of official exchanges were not promoted. And Soviets citizens found it almost impossible to travel abroad. Here there were several factors at play. 1) Most Soviet citizens could not afford foreign travel. 2) The NKVD/KGB was very suspicious of foreigners in the Soviet Union. And they were also concerned about Soviet citizens whjo had contacts with foreigners.
The Soviets did give scholarships to Third World students so they could study in Soviet universities. This approach also dove tailed with Soviet foreign policy which was confront the European countries with empires and the United States.
The United States did not have an empire, but it did have a serious racial pronlem and the onset of the Cold War coincided with the Civil Rights movement. Soviet anti-American propaganda focused heavily on the issues of racism. There were efforts in other areas such as charges that American workers were opressed and lived in poverty. That was a hard sell. Some America bought it during the Depressioin era, but not in the post-World War II era. Charges of racial prejudice were more effective because there was a foundation of truth. And peopkle in developing countries of different races were particularly atuned to such charges. Soviet propagagandists had only to open Ameruican newspapers to obtain material for their propaganda mill. The Soviets did not appreciate, or at least did not allow to enter their prpaganda, two important factors. 1) The issue of racecand racism was being openly discussed and debted and tha this openess was a strength and not a weakness. 2) The United States was slowly, if painfully, making real progress in the area of race relations.
The Bolshevicks after World War I attempted to reconstruct the Tsarist Empire, but was only partially successful. They suceeded in regaining control of central Asia and the Ukrain, bur lost much of the non-Russian areas of northern Europe. The Soviets after World War II succeeded in fully reconstituting the Tsarist Empire in Europe as well as an extensive empire in central Europe. The problem for the Soviets was that while they criticized the European colonial empires, the Soviet Union itself was an empire. The various Soviet republics had non-Russian populations whch had no desire to be aart of the Russian-controlled Soviet Union. And after World War II at a time in which the European countries were beginning to grant independence to their empires, the Soviets proceeded to estanlish a vast new empire in Eastern Europe. And the history of the Cold War is one continuos episode of these countries aspiring for independence from Soviet control.
One interesting aspect of the Soviet pursuit of international harmony is the stidently anti-foreign attitudes in modern Russia, especially toward racial minorities. As much as the Soviets attacked America (in some cases justifiably) for racial prejudice, America today is a country that has made great strides in race relations and the Soviet Union is a country in which anti-Semitosm and racial/ethnic hatred is rampant. One has to wonder why Soviet efforts to promote international harmony and race relations faoled and American efforts achieved considerable success.
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