Lenin dies after prolonged illness

The Twelfth Congress debated the economy, party organization and the national question. Delegates heard warnings about Great Russian chauvinism and discussed how the party should build national cadres...

The Congress closed with a resolution on the national question that called for training local cadres, using national languages in administration and countering Russian chauvinism. Korenizatsiya...

The Buryat-Mongol ASSR was established within the Russian republic. The territorial arrangement recognized a Buryat national unit and opened space for language and cultural institutions. Soviet...

The Central Executive Committee approved a draft all-Union constitution, which was later ratified by the Second Congress of Soviets in January 1924. The draft codified the union’s institutions and the...

During 1923, industrial prices rose sharply relative to agricultural prices, producing a widening gap known as the “scissors crisis.” Peasants found manufactured goods expensive while state planners...

Lenin was buried in Moscow after a large public funeral attended by workers, party members and state officials. The ritual helped establish his political legacy as a source of legitimacy for the...

The Second Congress of Soviets adopted the first USSR Constitution, formalizing the union established in 1922. It assigned major powers, including foreign affairs, defense and planning, to union...

The British government formally recognized the USSR, opening diplomatic relations after years of non-recognition and intermittent trade. Recognition reflected practical interests and the postwar...

Italy formally recognized the USSR, one of several European governments that established relations with the new state in 1924. Diplomatic recognition improved Soviet access to trade and...

The party leadership approved a large recruitment drive after Lenin’s death, opening membership to hundreds of thousands of workers. The campaign broadened the social base of the Communist Party while...