Autonomization is a topic requiring in-depth study

In December 2017, the 95th anniversary of the formation of the USSR - the state, which lasted almost 69 years - is celebrated. During the Soviet period, the unanimous and voluntary joining of the fraternal republics in the USSR was emphasized. After its disintegration, this part of our history is set forth in textbooks in a different way. Some researchers argue that one of the main reasons for the collapse of the Union in 1991 was autonomization. This opinion is not without foundation. Let's find out why.

Formation of independent republics

After the Bolsheviks came to power, they immediately adopted several important decrees, including the Declaration, which gave the peoples of Russia the right to create independent states. This right was used by Finns, Latvians, Poles, Ukrainians, Estonians and other peoples who were formerly subjects of the Russian Empire, who now gained independence.

At the beginning of 1918, the Third Congress of Soviets legislatively consolidated the federal principle with broad autonomy for those peoples who wish to remain in the RSFSR. This approach, on the one hand, deprived the nationalist movements on the outskirts of the former empire of the main reason for the continuation of the struggle, and, on the other, struck a blow against the great-power idea that was cultivated in Russia until October 1917.

Nevertheless, during the Civil War, several young Soviet republics combined their armed forces, finances, communication systems and transport for joint defense and subsequent restoration of the national economy. In the early 20-ies the future of such a military-economic union caused great debate. In general, three options were proposed: confederation, federation and autonomization. This became one of the state tasks that needed an early solution.

Federation of Lenin

The leaders of some Soviet republics, wishing to preserve their independence, proposed the creation of a confederation where there would be no unified state government bodies. But V.I. Lenin, who enjoyed enormous prestige in the Soviet government, criticized the idea of the confederation, believing that in such a state there would be too weak ties between the national republics.

However, Lenin did not agree with the proposal of Stalin, according to which, autonomization is the unification of the Soviet republics within the Russian Federation as autonomous (independent and equal participants). Lenin was a supporter of the federal system of the Soviet Union. He, in fact, came up with this name for the future state.

The federation, Lenin believed, is the most acceptable form of association for a multinational country. Such a state-political system would provide for equality of all republics, including the right to withdraw from the Soviet Union. In the federation there should not be room for excessive centralism and great-power chauvinism.

Stalin's plan for autonomization

In 1922, Stalin served as People's Commissar of the RSFSR for Nationalities. He also headed the party-state commission, which developed a draft law, which in history was called the "plan for autonomization."

According to the bill, the three Soviet republics - Belarus, Ukraine and the Transcaucasian Federation (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia) - should become autonomous regions within the Russian Federation.

In fact, Stalin proposed the creation of a unitary state with the organs of supreme power and legal system common for all republics. In other words, the central leadership was to play a decisive role in all spheres of life of the union republics, which in fact lost their internal sovereignty.

Education of the USSR

On December 30, 1922, the delegations of the Soviet republics signed the Union Treaty and the Declaration proclaiming the formation of the USSR. These documents indicated that only the issues of foreign trade and politics, defense, communications and finance will be the responsibility of central state bodies. The remaining cases remained the responsibility of the republican authorities.

Thus, the basis for the creation of the Soviet Union was based on the Leninist principles of sovereignty and equality, however, as time showed, only formally. In reality, however, the rights of the Union republics were gradually curtailed, and the state itself became unitary. Very soon Stalin's autonomization of the USSR began to be realized.

What in the end?

The causes of some inter-ethnic conflicts that arose at the turn of the 80's and 90's in the territory of the USSR and after its disintegration in the post-Soviet space, should be sought in the Soviet era.

Of course, in these problems one can not blame only the principles of autonomization, laid by party leadership in the basis of state-national policy. Before the revolution, the situation in this sphere was no better. Nevertheless, the infringement of the sovereign rights of the republics could not pass without a trace.

The period of Soviet history, when preparations were under way for the creation of the USSR, have so far been studied as little as Stalin's autonomization. This leads to contradictory assessments of current political relations between the formerly former Soviet republics and in any case does not contribute to the peaceful resolution of existing interethnic conflicts.