5 - The Unidirectionality of History and Improving the World: Universalism in the Notion of American Exceptionalism

Summary

Introduction

The concept of “redemptionism” propagated by the Soviet Union during the 1950s relied on a nonuniversalist notion of history, which allowed Moscow to achieve geopolitical preeminence in its sphere of influence and protect the stability of the regime. This approach allowed Moscow to extend its geopolitical influence and promote despotic principles to countries that were not within its immediate area of influence but that sought socioeconomic improvements and a detachment from the political guidelines drawn up by the United States.

A National Version of Marxism

By the time Nikita Khrushchev came into power, there was an idea that socialism could only be built according to the national characteristics of each society. This idea emerged as a result of the multinational nature of the Soviet Union. Additionally, the Soviet leadership was able to instill this idea due to the prestige that it gained as a result of victory in World War II, which was won with the collaboration of the different peoples of the Soviet Union. The endorsement of a national version of Marxism was a sign of the limitations to expanding Soviet ideology as well as the increasing difficulties experienced regarding the launch of a program of social and economic reforms at home. The Khrushchev period served to raise awareness about the possibility of using Communism in order to create an economic system that would surpass American capitalism. It was vital for the Soviet Union to ensure that it remained the beacon of socialism, which compelled Moscow to ameliorate socioeconomic conditions at home. This was the main legacy of De-Stalinization. Indeed, during the Malenkov-Beria-Molotov interregnum, the ministries were endowed with further decision-making powers in an attempt to raise living standards. There were some successes in agricultural production due to a partial liberalization of production, further investment, and the lowering of taxes in private markets and plots. The emphasis on national Marxism went hand in hand with the efforts to improve the socioeconomic situation. In the 1950s, and as a consequence of victory in World War II, there was an entrenchment of a national version of Marxism. Moscow's actions were seen by many as a renunciation of the possibility of replacing capitalism with a dictatorship of the proletariat at the world level.