Study Of The Legitimacy Of CPSU's During Stalin's Reining Period

Stalin was a controversial figure in history. During his ruling period, the CPSU had made great achievements in developing the state and increasing people's life dramatically, which had promoted greatly the legitimacy of CPSU's. However, the CPSU also had made some severe mistakes that damaged the party's image, lowers its prestige and decreased its legitimacy. This thesis is to fully study and analyse above issue combined with the expatiation of the theory on legitimacy.The first part of the thesis mainly discusses the issue of legitimacy from theoretical angle. That is "what is the legitimacy?" This part makes a full explanation about the legitimacy in the light of discussions made by some famous scholars. The base of legitimacy (also called resource of legitimacy) is the ground that a political power can get legal reign. This question is introduced in this part. On the base of these discussions, this part makes a full exposition about the legitimacy of Communist Party in socialist country.The second part analyses several main factors that could promote and increase the legitimacy of CPSU during Stalin's Period. Stalin and CPSU chose the way of developing socialist industrialization and increasing people's life in culture and material. The way was fit for the situation in constructing the country and all people's requirement and fervent will at that time, which strengthened the base of legitimacy of the CPSU. The victory in the great Defending War of USSR gave a powerful proof that socialist USSR was strong and CPSU had super capability of governing the country. The crisis in capitalist countries served as a foil to socialist superiority, and increased the reputation of CPSU's. All these firmed its ruling position.The third part studies and expounds several factors or hidden factors that decreased the legitimacy of CPSU during this time. Personality cult and movement of creating God could improve public feeling from a short term, but it would be baleful a long time. The Great Purge seriously ran counter to party's principles and ruined party's reputation and made the image of Bolshevik's plebification down much.Highly centralized system strangled the party's vigour. The party became a conservative and closed one and couldn't adapt to the developing situation, so that it finally lost the will of the people. Some wrong agricultural policies damaged farmer's benefits and hurt their feeling, which lowered the party's prestige.The fourth part summarizes the thesis. The issue of legitimacy is still a bit sensitive, but the scholars in China begin to face it, because every ruling party can't shy away this issue. The capability of governing of the ruling party can be improved substantially none but the issue is coped with correctly. The experiences on legitimacy from CPSU during Stalin's Period offered us much valuable lessons.