Reseach On History Of Soviet Labor Camps (1918-1960).

As an important and integral part of Soviet discipline system, research on Soviet labor camps is necessary for the contemporary Soviet history researchers. With the Russian archival documents declassified and open in recent years, more and more researchers begin their study on the history of labor camps. This paper generally and objectively introduced the formation, development, peak and declination of the Soviet labor camps from 1918 to 1960. Besides the preface and conclusion, the main body is divided into four chapters.The first chapter was formation period (1918-1928) of the Soviet labor camps, during which time newborn Soviet regime faced a difficult situation after victory of October Revolution. First, while the October Revolution overthrew the rule of bourgeois interim government, Bolshevik Party did not get the support they deserved. Second, although the October Revolution win victory in the center area of Russia, what controlled by the Bolshevik Party were only Petrograd, Moscow and the adjacent area of 500 km, while the rest of Russia was still in absolute chaos. In addtion, in order to withdraw from the First World War, the newborn Soviet regime proposed for peace negotiation with the Allies, but was turned down, only was forced to enter into Brest-Litovsk Treaty with Germany. Finally, Conference of Allies Prime Minister and Foreign Minister was held in London on March 15, 1918, on which the decision of Jonitly intervention to the east part of Russia was made. As a result, the imperialist states openly began armed intervention to Soviet Russia. In order to defuse the crisis and consolidate political power, Bolsheviks involved in the civil war on one hand, and arrested or supressed counter-revolutionaries on the other hand so that red terror can beat white terror. Thus the basic form of labor camp - Forced Labor Camps was born on the basis of concentration. It was mainly used to detain those enemies of the new regime, and to establish dual tasks of labor reforming and of self-financing. Solo Horowitz Forced Labor Camps founded in October 1923 was a sample of the Soviet labor camps.The second chapter was development period (1929 -1945) of the Soviet labor camps. Several major controversies and struggles Soviet Union Communist Party (Bolshevik) occured in 1920s, through which Stalin defeated his political opponents, established his own party, became the toppest leader of Soviet, and proposed the theory of Socialism in One Country. In order to turn such a backward agricultural Soviet Union into a socialist country, agricultural collectivization and industrialization must be implemented and peasant economy must be socialist transformed. Collectivization intensified the contradiction between government and peasants, Stalin targeted the fight against the rich peasants in rural areas and launched a large-scale movement to deprive the rich peasants and force them to migrate. Under such overall conditions, suppressions in Soviet Union's were strengthened, and a number of new forced labor camps were established and changed their names into labor camps. In 1930s, Administration of Labor Camps was established, it was in charge of all of the labor camps at first, then started to manage various production areas, and gradually got the features and functions of economic institutions. In the late 1930s, these planned, large-scaled, industrial and military labor camps began to turn into large joint ventures consisting of construction, mining, production, training and design. Prior to the war, labor camps had already included 20 production fields. Mining metallurgical industry, timber industry and fuel industry accounted for the largest share. In the period of Great Patriotic War, many labor camps began to produce large amounts of weapons, ammunition and special boxes for front-line and made great contributions for the victory of the Great Patriotic War with their efforts.The third chapter was heyday (1946 - 1953) of the Soviet labor camps. After the war, prisoners were amnestied to some extent by the Soviet Government except those political ones. With the return of prisoners of war and detainees by enemy countries, the Soviet discipline system began a new round of suppression. Labor camp network expanded rapidly and number of prisoners rose sharply and a rigorous reorganized system -special labor camps occured. Accordingly, the role of labor camps economy continued to grow, therefore, a lot of programs with strategic significance to national defense and construction projects were accomplished by the labor camp prisoners.The fourth chapter is the decline period (1953 - 1960) of the Soviet labor camps. In the early 1950s, labor camps industrial complex began to endure economic crisis. It can be attributed to following reasons: High production costs, poor production quality and shortage of work force. In addition, the labor camps can hardly finance themselves and the state had to pay large subsidies to them. The prisoners launched massive protests, and so on. After the death of Stalin in 1953, labor camps system began to loosen. The sectors of the economy in labor camps were gradually separated, the state tried to use ordinary prisons to take the place of labor camps. In 1956, the Soviet authorities began to release the prisoners, close the camps. On January 13, 1960, Administration of Labor Camps was cancelled by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of USSR, Soviet labor camps disappeared with its survival base from the stage of history.