I laughed reading about how they recognized the alcohol problem in Russia and sought to address it. How successful was the campaign?
Author: mauramcd
Comment on Blog 3 – Militarization of Labor by mauramcd
I thought the idea of militarizing labor was actually pretty smart on the Bolsheviks. They faced many issues when coming to power, and the social classes were one of them. So by merging the army with the working class, it helped to get rid of the barrier between those classes. How did the working class feel about being organized by the army?
Comment on Women: Powerful or just Domestic? by mauramcd
I thought it was interesting when you were talking about the Komsomol, because you characterized them as unsuccessful and discriminatory. I just read another blog post about the Komsomol successfully leading and shaping the young generation, so it was interesting to see how they affected other sections of society. That must’ve been extremely frustrating for women who thought they were gaining a more active role in society when in reality, they were still being excluded. I really liked how you compared the two photos- good idea!
Comment on Young Communists and Young Thug by mauramcd
I thought it was really funny that you compared rap artists to the Bolsheviks shaping the young generation, but it really is relatable. Children are easily shaped by the influential, and the Bolsheviks really harnessed this idea. I’m a little surprised though that the Komsomol gained such a large following with how strict their beliefs were. Were there a lot of youths that rebelled against these social norms that enforced purity?
Comment on Lenin’s Soviet Children by mauramcd
How influenced were children by their education in schools compared to the influence their parents had over them? Did the older generation oppose the ideas that were taught to their children?
Comment on Making Red Warriors out of Peasants by mauramcd
I can’t believe they abolished rank within the Red Army. You’d think that soldiers would lose a sense of respect and motivation for work. I also cannot believe their numbers expanded to 3 million in just a year. I don’t even think the United States has 1.5 million today. Interesting post!
Comment on When Life Gives You Metal, Make A Lot of Swords by mauramcd
I find that there is so much irony with creating such beautiful swords, as if they were decorations rather than tools for destruction. I like how you included multiple photos of swords, showing the variety in their creation. What was the purpose of Russians continuing their purchase of swords when the weapon does not compare to the power of guns? Was it then solely for decoration?
Comment on Episode 1: The Phantom Railways by mauramcd
The connection you made to Star Wars really made me laugh! I thought this photo was especially interesting because it actually shows how the photographer used red, green, and blue film to create the colored images. I haven’t seen these streaks of color on his other photographs. I also really enjoyed how you compared the industrialization of Russia to the US to show how much more advanced one region of the world was to the other.
