Catherine II and Stalin :: European History

Catherine II and StalinCatherine II (the Great) and Joseph Stalin were some(prenominal) leaders of Russiathat demonstrated an awareness of the westerly. They well-tried to emulate someof the elements of the West while purposely neglecting early(a)s. Forthis reason they were partial westernizers. Catherine the Great wasvery in tune with the Enlightenment and she had vast knowledge over theculture of horse opera Europe. Due to this she decided that her countrywas backward and would need to change in order for it to remain being aworld power. In 1767 she assembled a Legislative Commission to helpher amend the laws and government of Russia. Before this trunkconvened, Catherine published a set of Instructions based on legion(predicate) ofthe political works of the philosophes. Other examples of herwesternization exist in her plans for economic growth. She tried tohalt interior barriers in trade. Also, under her reign, the exports ofgrain, flax, fur, and naval stores increa sed and she further thegrowth of the urban middle class, which is so essential for trade. Onthe other hand, although it seemed as if Catherine was taking stepstoward a more western future, her advise to reform law did notoccur until fifty years later. Also, she powerfully supported to rightsof the nobility and granted them local power over the chivalrous customof serfs. Catherine never had any intention from departing fromabsolutism and her close plangency with the philosophes was a strategicmove. She destinyed them to spread the word of a industrial and modernRussia. She wanted to resemble the West but she did not want toactu onlyy be like it. Joseph Stalin was much less modern in his thoughtthan Catherine the Great. One of the few examples of westernizationunder his regime was the remarkably productive Five-Year Plans. Thiswas his vehicle for industrialization by setting goals for economicproduction and merging them. Also, Stalin make peace with the RussianOrthodo x Church. Although, this was more likely an tone-beginning to gainmore support during World War II than because of the charity of hisheart. However, most of Stalins actions reflected a cruel backwardmentality. Stalins collectivization proposal made the kulaks verywealthy and also was opposed by many farmers and peasants from allsocial classes. First, Stalin eliminated the kulaks as a class. Thenhe proceeded to assassinate al dissidents and this ended up in