Saturday, October 4, 2008

Right-of-Way Driveway


As Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Manager for a local county, I have the opportunity to witness many unusual land disputes.  Fortunately, many of these disputes are easily resolved by simply referring to the official document for a particular portion of land, the Warranty Deed, or Quit Claim Deed, or Beneficiary Deed, to name just a few.  The deed sometimes outlines specific rights that are transferred with a particular piece of property, when it is sold to another.  Consequently, in solving disputes between property owners, the deed is the first place that many refer.  (Assessor)

The issue this week was between two farmers, fighting over a 20-foot strip of land.  The property owner to east claims he owns it and his driveway branches from it (see aerial image above).  The property owner on upper west side claims he owns it, and the person to the east has no right to use it.  A couple of years ago, the property to the east further infuriated the owner to the west by registering a Right-of-Way deed for this 20-foot strip of land.  Unfortunately, he attempted to do so five years after he had sold it to the person who now owns the west side.  

Recently, the attorney for Mr. West contacted me.  He wanted to clarify the connection between a property deed and our online GIS system; as well, he wanted clarification of the wording of the deed he had.  We quickly confirmed that the south line of the property in question was appearing too far north on the map.  In the aerial photo above, you can even see where the property line should be, where a truck is parked on the map.  (GIS) Consequently, after reviewing documentation that the attorney forwarded, and a bit of research in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, all the necessary corrections were made and a new piece to the puzzle of the other half of the dispute made its appearance.

While doing the research for supporting documentation on this change, a deed was received transferring ownership of the southwest property.  This Warranty Deed referenced the 20-foot strip of land, like all of the other deeds had; naming how it had been granted; however, this deed gave a specific Book and Page location of the document that deeded that 20-foot strip of land.  Hiding in a document from 1895, was the missing link in the dispute over the 20-foot strip of land.

Throughout all of the deeds of all parties involved in the dispute, through all of the transfers through the years, they had given the metes and bounds for the 20-foot strip.  Sometimes, the language was such that it excepted it from the transfer and then gave it right back, which was odd enough.  Unfortunately, none of them had spelled out which deed actually separated the 20-foot strip of land from the properties involved.

Speaking briefly with Mr. West’s attorney, he indicated that everyone was “aware of that deed but had reviewed it and “found it to be essentially the same as all of the others.”  Regardless of whether it was the same as all of the others, it was the documentation deeding the 20-foot strip of land.  

Retrieving and reviewing the document was as easy as walking across the hall to the Office of the Recorder.  In an old county register, with very careful and neat handwriting, the deed from 1895 spelled out the disposition of the 20-foot strip of land rather explicitly.  After the usual “party of the first part” and “party of the second part,” it stated that “... said land is deeded to said buyer for a for a road and will be 20 feet wide from place of beginning to place of ending and shall remain as his property as long as used for road purposes only.”  (County) As well, it stipulates that the owners of surrounding properties have the right to keep gates on the roadway to protect their crops and use the land to access their properties.

Indeed, it appears that the document very specifically provides for rights to the 20-foot strip of land for the benefit of all parties involved.  Previous experience indicates to me that the wording of the document is the tiebreaker, which under normal circumstances would indicate that when the land is no longer used for a road, it should revert to the original owner.  However, the final word on the interpretation of this situation is probably that of the Department of Planning and Zoning.  

In a meeting with the Department of Planning and Zoning, they reviewed all of the documentation; as I assumed, of specific interest was the original deed for the 20-foot strip of land.  Many of these individuals know the parties involved well, so their initial response was not too surprising.  They indicated that all of the parties involved should hire an attorney to sort it out for them.  When pressed further for an answer that I could use in future situations, I was not surprised that they said simply, “It is a right of way, but do not tell them that.  We have tried, and it will only make the situation worse.  Let them hire an attorney and get a judgment.”  They went on to confirm that my assessment was correct, technically.  When it comes down to it, as soon as they quit using it as a road, then ownership would revert to the original owner.  (PNZ)

Sources:

  • Assessor – General office policy on land disputes.  Office of the Platte County Assessor.  October 3, 2008.  
  • GIS – Platte County Geographic Information System Online  http://co.platte.mo.us.  (accessed 04OCT08)
  • Attorney – The attorney for the property owner on the upper west side of the GIS map included.  Name withheld.
  • County –   Platte County Deed; Book 35, Page 287; circa 1895.
  • PNZ –   Platte County Department of Planning and Zoning.  Spokesperson name withheld by request.

GGP345 – Land Use Planning

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Sinking in Unregulated Risk

From 1970 to current date, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources investigated nearly 200 reported collapses and found that most were less than 10 feet in diameter and depth.  (Kauffman) However, there have been some documented that have covered numerous acres and have caused massive property and ecosystem damage.  Much of this could have been avoided.  Tighter regulation of development, requiring basic studies of the geology and hydrology of the area in question, could go a long way to further securing the public safety and welfare, and saving millions in property damage.

Surrounded by a suburban subdivision, the 23-acre Lake Chesterfield in St. Louis drained in just a few days in 2004, after a sinkhole emerged in the lakebed.  (Currier) The artificial lake, and accompanying subdivision were built in the mid-1980s, and the only reported review of the structural integrity of the land had been through aerial photos taken by the county.  The photos did not indicate the presence of past sinkhole formation, or that the landscape would be prone to this sort of development.  However, it is impossible to ascertain anything by simply reviewing aerial photography.  Most sinkhole activity happens slowly on a minute scale, over an extended period.  A minor, hidden sinkhole could easily have been overlooked.  The water from the lake might have begun to seep into a small crack around an overgrown or underwater sinkhole and leaked out a thimble full of water every day for years, until just enough erosion occurred to allow for a greater drainage; at which point it would be much like someone pulling a plug on drain.

There are usually some common elements that a structural engineer, geologist or hydrologist can easily recognize.  In reviewing this particular case, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) found that the rock layers beneath the lake were very “prone to solution activity where soils are thin.  The areas have always been a prime candidate for sinkhole development, and intensive studies should have been done, prior to any development.”  (MoDNR)  Currently, plans are being made to seal the sinkhole and refill the lake, but at great cost to the homeowners of the subdivision.  As private property, the city is not obligated to restore the lake, or repair any damages done, but the developer should certainly be held accountable in some way.

With the number of incidents on the increase in southern parts of Missouri, property owners are facing growing repair costs.  A simple Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis (Comer) conducted in the spring of 2008 discovered that there are very specific areas within Missouri, which are at a higher risk; the City of Nixa is one such area.  Situated just a few miles immediately south of Springfield, the community sits squarely on one of these higher risk areas, and it has been known for years to be prone to sinkhole development.  In 2006, a sinkhole measuring approximately 60 feet wide and 75 feet deep, opened and swallowed portions of a couple of homes in a half-block area of  city.  Spokesperson for the City, Bryan Newberry stated, “These homes had been there without problems until this point.”  (AP)  Typical for sinkhole formation, there is usually very little warning prior to a collapse and many small towns like Nixa and rural areas are ill prepared for situations such like this.  Building codes are either not in place, or because the construction is technically outside of city limits, city development regulations do not apply.  

As recent as April 2008, new sinkholes have begun to form in and around Nixa.  While there are no regulations requiring that there be a study of overburden integrity prior to any construction, with new development on the increase, Nixa city leaders have taken notice.  The City is now beginning to consider regulations that would require a study of the structural integrity of the land under consideration for new development.  (KY3)

On the east side of the state, the City of Cape Girardeau has been witnessing a steady increase in sinkhole activity, at an alarming rate.  In April 2008, the city had recorded 20 new sinkholes over a nine-month period.  According to Ken Eftnick, director of development services for the city, they “have been seeing one show up every week or so and don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon.”  The sinkholes appear related, but the cause is still a mystery, and the concerns of property owners continue to mount.  Utilities are already working to move lines to areas more structurally sound and the Burlington-Northern Sante Fe Railroad has installed ground movement sensors to alert oncoming trains if there has been significant disturbance to the integrity of the rails, and workers in the city have made efforts to stabilize and fill recent sinkholes.  There really is no good way to fill a sinkhole though and be certain it will not reappear.  


Currently, the biggest concern for the city is a wastewater treatment facility, which lies perilously close to the area that the collapses have been occurring.  Widespread contamination of groundwater and ecosystems could occur if a sinkhole forms beneath this facility.  Fortunately, the city has reached out to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to help identify and propose solutions to the problem before such an eco-disaster happens.

It will be interesting to review the results of their research, especially since the City has chosen to ignore one of the prime suspects in the situation.  Many of the sinkholes have been developing around the local Cape LeCroix Creek, which by way of infiltration, appears in the walls of nearby Buzzi Unicem quarry.  At minimum, it seems rather obvious that intense vibrations from the blasting at the quarry, coupled with erosion from ground water movement, could be compounding the problem, if not creating it.  When questioned about the significance of the quarry operation, the GIS Analyst for the City stated that they “do not believe that the operations at the quarry are contributing to the problem in any way,” and they “are not considering an investigation of the quarry.”  (Anand)  As the “biggest employer and highest taxpayer in Cape Girardeau,”   (McNichol) this certainly raises the concern that the city could be ignoring critical evidence, as well as the safety of the public, in the interests of preserving their employment and tax base.  It would not be the first time that a government entity has set aside public interest, in favor of business, and certainly will not be the last.

Identifying the immediate cause of sinkhole development could take years, though.  Many of the factors that contribute to this problem are not constants, and persistent monitoring of them will be essential in obtaining a better understanding their significance.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the property owner to do their best to protect themselves from naturally occurring phenomenon, such as sinkholes.  However, community planners can also take steps to help property owners become more aware of the potential, and regulate to avoid unnecessary risk in areas that are at higher risk.  This is particularly true for any development by utilities and businesses.  

Sources:

GGP345 – Land Use Planning

Spot-Zoning Public Welfare

Borrowed from SeattleforGrowth.org

One contradictory argument in land-use appears to be that of “spot-zoning.” While there are as many arguments against spot zoning as there are for this practice, none of them holds much weight when viewed in light of the needs of the surrounding community. In the book Land Use in a Nutshell, by Robert Wright and Morton Gitelman, it states that spot zoning “is invalid because it amounts to an arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable treatment of a limited area within a particular district.” (185) This seems to be a very narrow opinion in a field that purports to be representing the interests of the bigger picture; as well, the safety, health and welfare of the public.

The first question that comes to mind is, why is “arbitrary” and “capricious” not good for communities? They are that way, by their very nature, despite the level of planning that goes in to them. Indeed, for centuries, perhaps as long as a few millennia, whole cultures, and societies have thrived along these lines because they have recognized a few basic premises. The needs of the community change over time, or become better recognized, and cannot be planned for with strip malls and mega-stores in locations that are inaccessible or convenient. In addition, denial of specific types of spot zoning is actually in defiance of the public welfare; consequently, should be allowed with discretion towards the surrounding community, even planned for by those that would deny its viability.

In the United States, from New York to Los Angeles, every major city has had to recognize necessity of spot zoning. Probably the best example can be witnessed in those cities with a higher population density, but also in rural areas. In many neighborhoods, a small grocery can be found placed in the middle of a residential area. As well sometimes, a laundry, drug store, perhaps even a gas station, can be found tucked away in an older neighborhood of an urban area.

One local planner recently suggested that it is likely that, in most of these cases, the neighborhood probably grew up around the grocery. While this may be partially true, in older cities, quite the opposite can be observed. More often than not, the neighborhood grocery grew up with, provided, and continues to provide for the welfare of the community.


Across the river from New Orleans in Algiers, is one of the best examples of spot zoning that works well. River Fine Foods on Patterson Drive, has been a landmark, and has provided a place to eat, pick up the essentials, and “lease to common ground, where neighbors meet and strengthen their community ties” (Swerman) for as far back as many can remember. This grocery is positioned at the end of Whitney Avenue, facing the levee, and flanked in all directions by the modest homes of its customers. It has been a grocery in one form or another for at least 50 years, while many of the homes have been there for nearly 100.

borrowed from http://algierspoint.org

This is the nature of Algiers though. In one area, there is a small theater in the middle of a neighborhood, right next to an old firehouse. There is a barbershop attached to the front of another’s house, which has been there for more than 50 years. There are a couple of taverns in the middle of residential neighborhoods, one of which has been there since the town was founded in 1797. There is a gas station surrounded by homes on all sides. As well, there are many other small community businesses peppered throughout this historically residential area. (Old Algiers). These businesses have grown with, and in response to the needs and welfare of the surrounding community. Indeed, they are seemingly, the glue that holds this small community together. Individuals can access essentials without spending money on transportation, or being forced to patronize a mega-store, where the essentials are sometimes unnecessarily over-priced.

In all, this level of spot zoning can and does benefit the community as a whole. Residents are close to the things that need and are not placed in a position to reserve assets for allocation to unnecessary expenses like transportation. Typically, many of them walk to the business. This is not just beneficial to the community, either; it also works to help the environment, both physical and psychological. The neighborhoods are more like a family. They recognize and support, as well as meet and greet one another in the local spot zoned businesses that they and their family have patronized for generations. They know one another, their families, about their good times and their bad times. They help each other. If all of this were erased and condensed in to a “planned” situation, it is likely that sense of community would be erased.

borrowed from http://www.algierscrossing.com/

Unfortunately, that may be closer than many of the people in these communities are ready to accept. City planners in New Orleans are already positioning themselves to ruin a situation that has worked well for more than 200 years. Plans are under way to use much of the riverfront in Algiers for a “13-acre master-planned community ... [featuring] 1523 apartments, additional housing, retail space, and public parks.” (Roberts). Ironically, the land in question already hosts as many modest homes, businesses (including River Fine Foods), and public parks. The current “master plan” will displace many of these businesses, in favor of brand names consolidated into a strip mall at the levee. This will probably be surrounded by the new housing, which will likely be priced out of the reach of the current residents, since it is literally “only minutes from downtown.” This is not planning for the benefit of a community; rather, planning for the benefit of powerful corporate developers desperately in search of land in the greater New Orleans area, which does not flood regularly. Algiers is one of two areas that usually do not; across the river, the French Quarter is that other “high ground.”

borrowed from http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/c19b6/4/

Unfortunately, in post-Katrina New Orleans, most residents do not have the resources to fight plans like these, as they continue to be absorbed in returning to their normal lives, and preparing for the next disaster. According to Mrs. Swerman, the community has attempted to communicate that it does not want or need this “master plan,” but the city planners persist, touting that it will provide a new and beautiful addition to an otherwise under-used portion of land. (Swerman) Ultimately, the result will be the same as it has been repeatedly across the United States. The sanitary, mega-strip-mall-store will be put in place, along with new apartments and homes affordable only to those in the upper middle class. Spot zoning which has worked well for nearly 200 years will be eliminated. Those local businesses that are not eliminated, will eventually fail, being unable to compete. Essentially, the entire social fabric of historic Algiers will lay in ruin, but it will at least have a nice shiny and glittering mega-strip-mall façade to hide the damage done to the welfare of the original community. Perhaps local business will find a way to empower itself and bring ruin upon the “master plan,” instead; one can only hope.

Sources:

GGP345 – Land Use Planning

Thursday, September 11, 2008

The County Meets the Immovable Object

Hidden away on a quiet two-lane highway, right next to San Isabel National Forest, is one of the most interesting features of the Colorado landscape.  Built out of stone and iron, completely by hand, and soaring 160-feet into the air is a castle known simply as “Bishop’s Castle.” It is named after its builder, Jim Bishop.  

Complete with turrets, dragons belching smoke and fire, it was considered a nuisance by no one, except Custer County.  It is difficult to find any trace that there was previously a problem with this amazing structure.  However, the life of one man came under fire on numerous occasions, from the Department of Planning & Zoning of Custer County.  When zoning did not work, they resorted to harassment, which did not work either. 

Jim Bishop purchased the 2.5 acres in 1959, prior to a “Master Plan,” as well as zoning ordinances, and proceeded to work with his father to build a cabin in the mountains.  At some point, somebody told him that it looked kind of like a castle, and he got the notion to continue building until it was a castle.  (Owen) He applied for, and received permits to remove the stone he used, from the San Isabel National Forest.  Sometimes, people passing by the area would stop and they would talk about his construction.  According to Mr. Bishop, the trouble began when a representative of a local township inquired towards his building permit.  He explained that he did not need a permit from their city, since he was outside of the city limits, and then told them to get off his property before he had them arrested for trespassing.  Of course, this infuriated the local official, who went directly to the county.  The county was the next to stop in for a visit.


According Mr. Bishop, the county official told them that he needed to submit plans for his structure, prior to its construction.  It was a little late for that, and he told them he had no plan anyway.  Consequently, the county official told him that he had to stop construction immediately.  Fortunately, Mr. Bishop knew the laws fairly well.  He was aware that that at the time he began construction, there were no requirements of the kind and chose to ignore the county and continue.  This went on for several years; the county drafted zoning restricting the area to single-family residences on 35-acres (now 10-acres).  In response, Mr. Bishop built a log cabin next to the castle, moved in to it, and began calling the castle his “art.” 

At this point, the small county was helpless and turned to the state for help.  It is unclear what measures the state took, but they obviously had little effect.  In one instance relayed to me by Mr. Bishop, the state arrested and held him on the property until Federal Land Management authorities could verify his permit to remove stone from the San Isabel National Forest.  Their representatives indicated that they had no record of that type of permit.  Fortunately for Mr. Bishop, a National Forest Ranger happened to be in the area, had heard what was going on, and stopped in to clear things up.  When it was all said and done, the Federal authorities simply shrugged their shoulders at the state and county officials that were there at the time and told them it was their jurisdiction, not the Federal governments, and left.

The county continued to harass Mr. Bishop over the years.  There were numerous attempts to hold hearings, which Mr. Bishop would show up for, and answer their questions, but refuse to do anything they asked.  His primary argument through all of this was that they were attempting to interfere with his freedom of expression through art.  They also attempted to have him arrested for non-compliance with their regulations and zoning.  However, according to Mr. Bishop, the County Sherriff refused on the grounds that he had broken no law and that he did not serve the county in such a capacity as to imprison people for creating art, much less violating a zoning regulation that was affected after construction had already begun.  

The county was definitely at odds with what to do about Mr. Bishop, but not out of resources.  According to Officer Mike Drake of Colorado State, “they had friends at the state level” and began to harass him on the highways, at his business in Pueblo, among other things.  Most of these attempts at harassment were petty at best, such as traffic tickets, drunken driving tests, yearly audits on his business books, refusing to renew his business permit.  The State Visitor’s Bureau even refused to list his castle in their annual publication, despite the fact that it had become a tourist attraction equal to many of the others in the state.

Through all of this, Mr. Bishop retained his composure as best as was his nature (he has habit of being rather defensive to the point of shouting).  The county lost their mind in frustration.  They contended that he was a nuisance.  His castle was causing disruptions in traffic on his secluded mountain highway.  He had inadequate parking facilities, restroom facilities, no insurance; the list is probably a mile long of the things they tried and failed to get him to “cease and desist,” but he just kept building.

These days the harassment has stopped, and the county has given up, is regrouping for another battle, or is just waiting for him to die so they can tear down the structure.  Unfortunately, the public outcry over the destruction of his either would probably prevent the later from happening.  Besides, it seems more likely that they county has simply given up and finally begun to recognize that this is a genuinely amazing feat and will stand as a monument to the people of Colorado for many years to come.  Supporting this theory is the one shred of evidence that could be found tying the county to Mr. Bishop.  The Custer County  Master Plan, adopted on April 10, 2002 says simply, “Several public campgrounds and hiking trails are located in the Wet Mountain Zoning District, as is Bishop’s Castle, a popular tourist attraction located” between San Isabel and McKenzie Junction along SH 165.”  This is definitely a step in the right direction, considering that for the longest time, the county and the state completely refused to recognize the existence of the castle.  This is as should have been in the first place.  He was hurting no one and was miles from anyone; he was nuisance only to the county, because he would not recognize their right to tell him what to do with his land.  

GGP345 – Land Use Planning


Sunday, May 11, 2008

Sinkhole Risk in Missouri

Sinkholes have become a topic of renewed interest in various parts of the country; specifically, in Missouri where some areas have noticed an increase of phenomenon. However, this type of geologic formation has not been given the same level of attention as more exciting geology, such as volcanoes and earthquakes. It has remained mostly misunderstood and understudied, except by the few that have devoted their life’s work to the study of the type of terrain harboring them, known as karst.

Beneath the state of Missouri is one of the largest, most continuous karst terrains known.  It is primarily created by dissolution of rock, sometimes leaving the landscape looking pockmarked, and a bit “like Swiss cheese.”  (Robinson, 2006) Natural springs, magnificent cave structures, and complex underground river systems characterize this landscape; as well as hidden dangers, such as deep vertical shafts and sinkholes.  Usually sinkholes, sometimes referred to as collapses, form slowly and on such an insignificant scale, that they seldom affect everyday life.  (Kauffman, 2007) However, sinkholes can form suddenly, sometimes on a massive scale, and with devastating consequences.

Natural sinkholes typically form where the underlying bedrock is composed primarily of fractured limestone and dolomite, from as far back as 500 million years ago.  (Elliot, 2008)  As water trickles down through the soil, this underlying bedrock erodes away, leaving an empty cavity.  Combined with sediment particles, the infiltrating water continues to erode the bedrock, creating its own path through the varying layers of sedimentary rock, widening and opening the cavity as it goes.  (Kauffman, 2007)  It is hard to predict what will happen next in this equation.  It may develop a huge cave that continues to expand for millions of years, sustaining a unique and alien ecosystem of its own, a sinkhole could develop, or both.

The United States Geological Survey identifies two different types of sinkholes.  The most benign are solution and cover-subsidence sinkholes, which are usually nothing more than an inconvenience.  The ground above the eroding rock layers slowly sinks into the cavity, forming a small surface depression.  This process might stop or may continue repeatedly over hundreds of thousands of years in the same location, with only incremental changes to the overall surface structure.  

The second type is a cover-collapse sinkhole, which is the biggest concern, because they often develop quickly and unexpectedly.  These sinkholes usually develop where the ground above the bedrock is comprised of a significant amount of clay or simply can no longer withstand the weight above.  As the water and sedimentary particles filter through, and erode the underlying bedrock, the clay remains in place above, forming an arch-like structure, or cavern.  These caverns can be just a few feet wide and deep, or hundreds of feet in depth and width.  As erosion of the overlying materials continues, the roof of the cavern progressively collapses in on itself until it eventually reaches the surface, and the entire structure collapses.  (Kauffman, 2007)  

From 1970 to current date, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources investigated nearly 200 reported collapses, and found that most were less than 10 feet in diameter and depth.  (Kauffman, 2007)  However, there have been some documented that have covered numerous acres, and have caused massive property and ecosystem damage.  Recently in Missouri, there have been a few cities which have been experiencing an increase of the appearance of this nuisance; indeed, just a few years ago, an entire lake recently disappeared because as the result of a sinkhole.

Surrounded by a suburban subdivision, the 23-acre Lake Chesterfield in St. Louis drained in just a few days in 2004, after a sinkhole emerged in the lakebed.  (Currier, 2004) The man-made lake, and accompanying subdivision were built in the mid-1980s.  The only reported review of the structural integrity of the area had been through aerial photos taken by the county.  The photos did not indicate the presence of past sinkhole formation, or that the landscape would be prone to this sort of development.  As Glenn Powers, planning director for St. Louis County indicated, “These things happen.”  (Price, 2004) If there had been a minor, hidden collapse, it may have gone unnoticed by developers.  The water from the lake might have begun to seep into a small crack around an old overgrown sinkhole and only leaked out a thimble full of water every day for years, until just enough erosion occurred.  

In this scenario, once it reaches this point, it is much like someone pulling a plug on drain.  The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR, 2004) reviewed this particular case, and found that the rock layers underlying lake were very “prone to solution activity.”  (MoDNR-176, 2008) This indicates that the areas have always been a prime candidate for sinkhole development, and intensive studies should have probably been done, prior to any development.  

Plans are being made to seal the sinkhole and refill the lake, at great cost to the homeowners of the subdivision.  As private property, the city is not obligated to restore the lake, or repair any damages done.  This is not an isolated episode, either.  Property owners are facing growing repair costs, as the incidents increase, especially in the southern part of the state, where karst terrain is most dominant.

Near Springfield, in 2006 a sinkhole measuring approximately 60 feet wide and 75 feet deep, opened and swallowed portions of a couple of homes in a half-block area in Nixa, Missouri.  One homeowner that lost half of house said that he had been reading the paper, when he heard a rumbling noise.  Initially, he thought that it was a thunder or something similar.  He was surprised to look out of his window and see part of his house, garage, and car swallowed by the earth.  

City spokesman, Bryan Newberry stated, “These homes had been there without problems until this point.”  (AP, 2006)  This is typical of sinkhole formation; they do not send up a warning flare prior to their arrival.  Small towns like Nixa and rural areas are ill prepared for situations such like this.  Building codes are either not in place, or because the construction is technically outside of city limits, do not apply.  

In a recent Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, which accompanies this article, it was discovered that there are areas within Missouri, which are at a higher risk than others are, and Nixa is no exception.  Situated just a few miles immediately south of Springfield, the city sits squarely on one of these higher risk areas, and as recent as April 2008, new sinkholes have begun to form.  There are no existing regulations requiring developers to conduct research on the geology before construction.  Nixa city leaders have taken notice though and are beginning to discuss how to address the issue, considering changes to regulations concerning construction around sinkholes.  (KY3, 2008)

Another city, which has also been witnessing a steady increase in sinkhole activity, is Cape Girardeau.  As of April 2008, the city has recorded 20 collapses over the past nine months.  According to Ken Eftnick, Director of Development Services for the city, they “have been seeing one show up every week or so and don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon.”  (McNichol, 2008)  

Workers in the city continue efforts to stabilize and fill the sinkholes, but there really is no good way to fill a sinkhole and be certain it will not reappear.  They are finding it difficult to keep up though, as heavy rains and flooding continue in low-lying areas of the Mississippi River, near the Cape.  Documenting the sinkholes, through site visits and aerial photography, the Geographic Information Systems Coordinator for Cape Girardeau continues to attempt to make sense of it all.  The holes do appear related, and the cause is still a mystery, while property owner concerns mount.  

The biggest concern for the city is a wastewater treatment facility, which lies perilously close to the area that the collapses have been occurring.  Widespread contamination of precious groundwater and ecosystems would then be the biggest concern, should a collapse occur beneath this facility.  (Arnand, 2008) In the meantime, industry is adjusting.  Utility lines, both gas and electric, have had to be moved and Burlington-Northern Sante Fe Railroad has installed ground movement sensors to alert oncoming trains if there has been significant disturbance to the integrity of the rails.  At the local rock quarry, it is business as usual.


Sinkholes can be problematic enough without human intervention.  Research has drawn correlations between some of these sinkholes and human land-use practices, specifically as they relate to ground water pumping.  (Barnett, 2007)  In this case, the water pumped out is acting as buoyant for the ground surface above, helping it to maintain a relative degree of structural integrity.  When ground water is pumped out, the earth above it no longer has any sort of support, and the structure could collapse.  The same effect may be occurring in Cape Girardeau, with the river acting as the pump.  Higher than average precipitation and flooding could be the catalyst, causing the Mississippi River and its tributaries to swell and recede.  This action fills the gaps in the rock underground, and stabilizes it somewhat.  When the water retreats though, it leaves only air to support the ground above, disrupting previous structural integrity.  In addition, earth movement from minor earthquakes, as well as human disturbances, intensify shifting.


Cape LeCroix Creek, around which many of the sinkholes have been developing, indirectly empties into the Buzzi Unicem quarry.  Water from the creek disappears underground and reappears in the walls of the quarry, further eroding the rock layers during its underground journey.  Regular blasting at the quarry site may be compounding the problem.  When asked about the significance of the nearby quarry activity, the GIS coordinator for Cape Girardeau dismissed the idea as not particularly relevant to the current situation, and that the blasting was insignificant.  (Arnand, 2008) However, a visiting geology professor noted that there was regular significant scale blasting occurring at the quarry, and that alone could be enough to create the problem.  He indicated that during his brief visit, he could feel vibrations from the blasting, as much as a mile away.  (Hageman, 2008) Similar to a carefully balanced house of cards, these intense vibrations can cause the loose layers of rock to shift and settle.  Water may intrude, washing away particles that have filled gaps, and when blasting resumes, the underlying rock settles further.  If a significant gap opens in the rock layers under the ground, it could cause those rocks to shift and settle, resulting in a collapse.  

While scientists are known to not agree on just about everything from A to Z, this does lead to an interesting question.  Given the set of circumstances, is it possible that the public is being put at risk, in the interests of preserving a business, which is the “biggest employer and highest taxpayer in Cape Girardeau?”  (McNichol, 2008) There is no question that in order to dismiss the quarry as an antagonist to the problem, an impartial study should be conducted in and around the quarry.  The city recently reached out to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to help identify and propose remediation to the problem.  

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have its hands full, investigating the exact cause of the sudden increase in sinkhole activity.  For years, karst landscapes were ignored, except by mining and industry interests.  A notable few have done extensive studies, but when compared with other types of terrain, research has been lacking.  Perhaps, it has been the level of accessibility, or simply the basic assumption by everyday people that the ground is as solid as it will always be.  In either case, situations such as those in Cape Girardeau, have demanded that scientists turn their attention to the topic.  At the time that this article was initiated, there was very little to be found about sinkholes, excepting news reports, and a few in-depth geologic studies.  Since that time, numerous new studies have appeared each with their own hypothesis on the exact nature of this problem, and with a different approach to solving it.


The initial GIS analysis and mapping done in combination with this article reviewed the rock layers within Missouri, and their relationship to sinkhole incidents Using the latest GIS software, two separate analyses were conducted (refer to analysis maps at end of article).  The study only scratched the surface; excepting geology, no other factors that contribute to sinkhole development were considered in the analysis.  As with any science, confirmation of previous findings is essential to forming a solid base for future research.  The analysis did confirm that the state is indeed “textbook karst.”  (Elliott, 2008) The regions with the highest incident of sinkhole activity are comprised of Paleozoic era, Cambrian, Mississippian, and Ordovician systems.  These are some of the weakest rocks, when pitted against the scouring power of running water.  Future research can use the study as base to continue comparisons with the other factors, in order to narrow down the possibilities until a specific cause is identified.

Identifying the cause of sinkhole development could take years.  Many of the factors that contribute to this problem are not constants, and monitoring of these phenomenon will be essential in understanding their significance.  Until a cause and permanent solution can be agreed upon, there are measures that individuals living in affected areas can take to avoid the problems associated with these formations and avoid the disaster that has befallen some of the previously mentioned communities.  

the state of Missouri should initiate a thorough investigation of its karst regions and make recommendations to the local governments to regulate construction in these areas.  The local governments could then work towards identifying their own specific areas of concern and inform their citizens of potential hazards.  Findings should be communicated quickly, and in comprehensible terms.  As Assistant Professor of Geography, David Fox of Park University indicated during a brief interview, it is important that the message about geographic dangers “be communicated effectively to the general population [and] focus on real people and their personal relationship with the environment, so that they walk away with a better understanding of the impact.”  (2008)  Indeed, with a better understanding, there will be a lot fewer surprises, and might just save a life.  At minimum, property owners can take charge of the situation themselves, and attempt to understand the structural integrity of their property, and insure themselves appropriately.  Only through awareness, will sinkholes be more understood, and their effects on human habitation, be minimized. 

 References


EN306C: Advanced Expository and Research Writing

3rd Annual Research & Creative Arts Symposium

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Fatality on the Home Front

My “Fatality on the Home Front” Map displays the distribution of fatalities of the war in Iraq, according to their home state in the United States, in relation to the number of recruits from each state in 2004.  

The data for fatalities was collected from a well-referenced media source, iCasualties.com.  The data was imported to an Excel spreadsheet, where some fields needed standardization to remove anomalies, such as extra spaces before names.  A new field was added to provide a state abbreviation, since the “Place Name” that the database was to be geocoded against, had abbreviations and not full names.  All entries for individuals from outside of the 50 states were removed from the database, for simplification, and the database was ready to be geocoded.  The Place Name file was chosen from NationalAtlas.gov, an Address Locater was created, and the Fatality database was geocoded against that.  There were approximately 500 entries that had to be matched interactively.  After each of these cities located in Google Maps, the nearest city within each state, appearing in the Place Name file, was chosen to match against.

The geocoding results were then plotted on a base map of the United States, provided by NationalAtlas.gov.  Since point data can really only be displayed as points, I realized that I needed something for comparison.  First, I attempted to compare it to general population figures, but the numbers were too insignificant.  Then, I attempted to locate armed forces census data but discovered that their job profiles are buried in the regular job profiles of the census.  After much consideration, and a lot of searching, I discovered the 2004 new recruit data on StateMaster.gov.  I attempted to locate a wider range, but unfortunately the Department of Defense does not share that type of information, and it is not available in normal Census data.  I decided that since that was the first full year after the start of the war in Iraq, it would be an adequate statistic to measure against. 

Comparing the number of fatalities to the number of new recruits was relatively easy in ArcGIS, but the balance of the cartographic design was not so easy.  The first consideration was the thematic overly, or map type.  I chose a graduated color map, because I believe it displays data on a national level much more effectively than any other type of symbol map.  It is easy to see patterns and pick out disparities in the data.  For this, I believe it worked very well.  The second biggest consideration was a color ramp.  I wanted something that would go well with the data and represent something close to the idea of a fatality.  After sifting through each of the color ramps provided in ArcGIS, I decided on the one that had the deepest color of red, closest to that of blood, to signify the loss of the same.  I was not entirely happy with the pink at the low end, but in the scheme of things, it worked out to signify what it should; there was very little loss of blood/life.

The remainder of the design was primarily towards technical aspects.  Initially, I tried a graticule, but it seemed to interfere too much, so I discarded it.  For the purpose of this map, it was not particularly relevant, so much as the data in the map itself.  I also had Alaska and Hawaii represented, but they too interfered with being able to balance the map and the textual information adequately.  Since the numbers for these states were not particularly outstanding, I decided it would be just as well to display their specific numbers in a relative position on the map page.  Part of this might have been due to the projection chosen, but I feel as though I might have had the same problem no matter which project I choose.  The final choice for projection was Albers Equal Area Conic, since it is one of the accepted norms for representing the conterminous United States.  The legend became a small problem, after some inspection.  The data was not represented accurately in the first draft, because the numbers were whole numbers.  While this would be perfectly acceptable for the intended audience of the map, for data representation it was lacking a bit, and the legend was adjusted to display two decimal places.

The balance of the map page is mostly aesthetic.  For appearance alone, the major lakes of the United States were chosen, but later I realized that it completed the map’s representation of the “red, white & blue.”  The scale bar chosen displays a singular numerical width of 1000 kilometers.  Kilometers were chosen because it is the international standard, and I believe that all measures should correlate with those standards.  Label were placed on the states, though a few had to modified for appearance, such as Vermont and New Hampshire; their abbreviation is displayed.  The north arrow was chosen for its appearance, and to provide a general sense of direction.  The title and subtitle were chosen to reflect the appearance of the intended audience, a general news readership.  Text was discriminately for details about the data and its sources, and the Arial font for its clean and neat appearance.

The overall layout was simple and straightforward.  I chose a thin, unobtrusive neat line to border the map page at one inch from the margins.  All elements were arranged within the neat line for a good sense of balance.  In order to make the text stand out better, a slight drop shadow was added, kerning adjusted to 2 pixels, and a fine black “stroke over fill” edge added. For a finishing touch, I added the stock photo of an American flag, for a backdrop.  This photo was made to be mostly faded and transparent, so as not to distract from the content of the map page, while still giving the map a sense of patriotism, and honor those that had fallen.  


GGP330 - Cartography
3rd Annual Research & Creative Arts Symposium

Friday, May 9, 2008

Cave Density in Missouri Counties

This map arose from a GIS project on sinkhole development.  I created during that time, but really did nothing special to it.  It was created to display the varying density of caves in the state of Missouri. so that I might observe their relationship to sinkhole development.  

The data for this map were collected from the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS), and it seems just in the knick of time.  The shapefile I had originally downloaded is no longer available from their service.  Fortunately, there is not much of a contrast between the sinkholes and caves.  They both pretty much exist in the same circumstances.

The manner in which this map was created is slightly fascinating to me.  Essentially, it displays the spatial join of a County shapefile and a Cave Density by Quadrangle polygon (not points) shapefile.  MSDIS indicated that the reason the Cave Density file is shown in this manner, to protect the locations of private and dangerous caves.  Regardless, the two files were joined, and I chose a dot density format for display.  Initially, I did this just to see if the software would do it.  After I discovered that it would, I played with the density options, and discovered that I could “mask” the dots to the original quadrangle file, for a greater degree of accuracy.  Indeed, I perceive it to have done just that, and the distribution appears to be very similar to sinkhole locations.

While struggling to figure out what I was going to do for this assignment, I rediscovered this map, but was at a loss as to how to spice it up.  I tried several things, inserting lakes, rivers, cities, etc, but nothing really seemed to fit with this map.  It was almost as if it demanded to be left in its most raw format.  Consequently, I decided it would be a simple and basic cartographic display of dot density, by county; and actually, by quadrangle.

I choose the color for the counties because it is somewhat of a standard color in maps of this type.  It is non-intrusive to the data, and not distracting in the least.  Actually, it was simply “beige,” but I decided that even that was too much of a glare, and imposed a 50% transparency.  The only other item I could think to add to the map was the county names, for better location comprehension.

Stepping outside of the usual choices, which I had made in other maps, for scale and north arrow; I chose something just a little different.  The north arrow, with a simple northern indicator was really all that was needed, and it was obvious.  However, my own choice of scale bar surprised me in its effectiveness.  By dicing up the division in the intervals that I did, and the alternating “low/high” effect it has, created a simple scale bar that is very easy to visually translate to the map, without having to pinch your fingers together, or get out a ruler.  The remainder of the map is simply title and data credits.  The projection was also added, as Transverse Mercator, likely the best projection for the state of Missouri.  The only issue I had, which I still do not care for, is the legend.

I found the legend be particularly annoying.  Every time the legend is moved, the dots move around inside the box.  That is not so much the problem, as ArcGIS forces the user to have an extra unnecessary item, that which the dots represent.  It seems enough to have “1 dot = 5;” I can always tack “caves” to the end of that with the built-in tool set.  I do not see the necessity for that, but perhaps I do not understand it enough, or I am completely missing how to rid myself of that extra line.  In either case, I could have easily erased it in Photoshop, but thought that it might have some significance that I was missing. 

Finally, I noticed that the map did not really fit the page nicely, no matter where I placed the elements.  Ultimately, I decided that it would be a square sheet, for no other reason than to contain all of the elements more nicely.  In addition, as with every map, the final product was created ready for press, in 300 dpi JPG image format.

Overall, with an understanding of how it was created, I find this to be an interesting map and would be very curious to know how accurate the dots are in relation to actual cave sites.

GGP330 - Cartography

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Square Kilometers per Person


I initially conceived this map while trying different things with world data but decided to add a different twist to the manner in which the data was displayed.  Most people choose to display this type of data as “persons per sq km,” and I decided to do the exact opposite, to see how much space there is for people of each country.

The data for this map were collected from that which accompanied the software for ArcGIS, by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).  It is a simple join between population and country data, and I found it to be a rather interesting display, though I usually do not care for these types of symbols on maps.  They always seem too difficult to ascertain exactly what is going on in the map, unless there is a huge disparity.

I encountered a problem right away, when I chose the proportional symbol.  All of the symbols were so big that they covered most of every country.  I quickly figured out that I could scale down the size of the initial symbol, so that the rest were not so obtuse, and was quickly on my way to creating the rest of the map.  The only thing that still concerns me is the relative size of the lower numerically represented symbols.

The color that I chose to represent the base was a little more complicated, and I ended up using two separate world layers to get the effect that I wanted.  I thought that the continents should be green, symbolizing mostly habitable areas on the planet, while at the same time, I expected Antarctica to show up as white, since there is usually snow there all the time; thus, the two layers, one white, the other green.  It was at this point, that I chose the symbol color.  Yellow seemed to be the obvious choice.  It typically means happiness, and I figured that the more space there was for each person, the happier they would be, so it was good fit.

The background gave me a small problem.  While it was easy enough to turn the oceans blue, it also turned the entire background of the map blue.  There was no way to distinguish where the earth left off, and the canvas began.  Initially, I tried adding a graticule.  After reviewing it, there was some sense to having it, to understand the distortion in the projection that was taking place.  However, it really did nothing to offset the earth.  Ultimately, after the map was completed in ArcGIS, I imported it to Photoshop and dissolved the background around the globe.  I changed the background to a light gray and left it at that.

The projection was a little difficult to come to terms with as well.  I tried several, but they distorted area too much, or a few of symbols completely obliterated the areas they represented.  In a final act of desperation, I turned to the Cartography book and discovered my answer there.  It indicated that the Winkel III World Projection was a good one to use, so I went with that.  It still did not fit the situation though.  Countries were still being blocked out by symbols.  However, the Winkel II worked perfectly to preserve area and distance, while preventing countries from disappearing under symbols too much.  Greenland, Svalbard, and the Falkland Islands still have this problem.

Another problem I encountered was label placement.  Ultimately, I raised the symbol weight on the features to a point that they finally began to show only the most prominent relevant features.  In addition, since there were really no oceans in the shapefile, I had to add the labeling for those independently.  In addition, since the countries previously mentioned were obliterated by the symbols, I went through and manually added labels on top of those symbols, for easier recognition.

At this point, the remainder of the map was rather straightforward and simplistic.  A self-explanatory title was added, along with the data credits, as well as the legend.  As with most legends, I declined to label it as a “Legend;" it just seems silly, unless there is so much activity on the map page that you cannot discern the legend from the map.  Of course, in that case, it might be better to start over with a new map.

Finally, the final product was created ready for press, in 300 dpi JPG image format.  The results were rather surprising though.  I did not expect to see such a difference in the US and many of the other countries.  However, I believe that this data to be heavily weighted towards the three obvious places with the most area per person.  If those were removed, the map might show a completely different picture.

Overall, much like graduated symbols, I still do not care for these types of maps.  I suppose that it might prove useful for displaying some data, but this is probably not the best format for its display.  It does show some recognizable trends though, that would be more apparently in graduated color map.  

GGP330 - Cartography

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Population Change in Census Tracts

The purpose of this map is to display changes in population between the 1990 Census and 2000 Census of Buchanan, Clinton, Platte, and Clay Counties.  I conceived this map upon hearing about Park University’s Northwest Missouri Deep Map Project, and thought it might be an interesting type of data to display.

The data for this map were collected from the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS), as well as the National Atlas.  The later was only to obtain the state of Kansas for display purposes.  Essentially, it is a simple join between the census tract data, a census tract shapefile.  The counties were added from the state of Missouri to better define the census tracts, and the state of Kansas, purely for aesthetic purposes.

The base map colors were chosen to be a slightly graduated scale, for easier interpretation, and separation.  The color for Missouri is actually the same as that for Kansas, except the later displays a 50% transparency.  The symbol for the color seemed an obvious choice; it needed to be something that contrasted well with browns and tans, but did not raise any alarms.  After cycling through several different color choices, green seemed to fit the best.

Once displayed, I found it somewhat interesting that the map was showing minimal growth towards Jackson County, in Clay County; at the same time, it was showing large growth towards Jackson County, and little growth in the northwest regions of Platte County.  I am quite sure that has changed significantly, since the 2000 census, and will be interested to see how that comes out when the 2010 census data is made available.

Choosing the symbol size was not particularly difficult, but I did have some difficulty understanding whether it was appropriate to display negative enumeration units consistent with those that are positive.  In the end, I decided it probably did not make that much of a difference, as long as it was accurately represented.

Much like the Cave Density map I produced, the layout is simple and straightforward.  It was with that map and this one, that I decided that I wanted to explore the graphics potential of ArcGIS, more than I had already.  I made several discoveries, about placing, and aligning things that I forgotten about.  Ultimately, I was glad that I took the time to do these final maps in ArcGIS alone, rather than importing them into Fireworks or Photoshop for final touch-ups. 

The remainder of the map was a series of obvious choices, to me.  The north arrow was added to aid in directional understanding.  Data source and credits were added, along with the title, which did give me a little bit of trouble.  Primarily, I was unsure as to what to call the map.  I had initially made the subtitle “Park University’s Deep Map Project Area,” but discovered that the area actually encompasses over 20 counties.  This deep into the map, I did not particularly want to go back to square one, but could have very easily done that.  This seemed like the best and most simple area of study, so I stuck with it.

In looking over the near-final product, I decided that the counties names needed to be a little bigger, to be seen as distinct from the surrounding counties.  As well, the focus of the data frame needed to portray the counties of study, and their immediately adjacent counties and/or state.  My favorite type of scale bar was added, as always in kilometers, because I feel that the US really needs to get on board with the metric system.  Otherwise, this type of scale bar is my favorite because it is easy to pinch with your fingers, or lay your thumbnail to, and take to a different location on the page. 

There were a couple of things that gave me some trouble on this map though.  The projection was a trial and error situation.  Nearly every projection that I tried on this caused a slanting, which remains every so slightly, still.  However, the North America Albers Equal Area Conic Projection was the one that seemed to maintain direction and area the best, after trying ten or fifteen.  In addition, where and how to place the state names was a little difficult, but after stepping away for a bit, I realized that the most logical place, was at the bottom center, between the state lines.  Finally, I chose a simply neat line to surround it all, after cycling through every one available.  It seemed that this was the one meant for the page.

Overall, I still do not particularly care for these types of maps.  When I initially displayed the map in graduated color, the changes were much more obvious.  If I had my choice on doing it again, I would choose the later.  Otherwise, as every map should be, the final product was created ready for press, in 300 dpi JPG image format.

GGP330 - Cartography

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Is there hope for Russia in the 21st Century?

Russian Empire - 1836 David Hugh Burr

Russia has endured some of the most turbulent of times, in a quest to carry out an experiment every bit as grand and idealized as that of Democracy.  Sadly, they have consistently fallen prey to overzealous leaders who are nothing more than self-serving demi-gods, seeking the ultimate in totalitarian power.  The stage is set for this rule by oppression by a series of incompetency’s and failures to recognize the need for change, at the social level.  

It begins with the son of “The Great Emancipator”, Tsar Alexander III and quickly ends with his son’s ineptitude and ineffectual leadership being completely dismantled in favor of a new social order, in a bloody and violent revolution, at a time when the rest of world is attempting to stem the tide of German expansionism.  

The revolutionaries that who seize power will start with great and mighty ideas of reforming a state and pledging allegiance to the common man.  It begins to work, but the leader of the movement is taken too soon, and the idealism that had given much hope to the Russian people, will quickly disintegrate.  

Seizing power, and assuming direction of the Communist ideal, a hostile and paranoid dictator, unrivaled even by Adolph Hitler, will ruthlessly control every aspect of the Russian world, and suppress the people nearly to the point of creating a civilization of automatons. Uncertainty and confusion will be the norm for nearly 100 years in Russia, and persists even today, with a view towards the past century. 

It is not difficult to understand why; it has only been in the last 20 years that hope for a true and free state, of the Russian people, and for the Russian people, has begun to emerge.  Can it sustain? 

Tsar Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov III (oil on canvas reproduction of a painting by Ivan Kramskoi, courtesy of WikiMedia Commons)

    

Alexander III had lived through various attempts on his father’s life.  The Tsar, Alexander II, had been the target for Nihilists and other radical groups within Russia for most of his life.  The preceding winter, there had been an explosion at the Winter Palace, coupled with the Imperial Train coming under attack. Indeed, in the final years of Alexander II, the assassination attempts became more and more numerous, despite being hailed as the Great Emancipator, for his abolition of serfdom in Russia.  

On Sunday, March 13, 1881, the Nihilists were finally successful, and Alexander III could only watch on as his dismembered and disfigured father was brought home to the Winter Palace to die. (Lowe, 37)  Ironically, it had only been a few hours since Alexander II had signed a decree giving the people the right to begin to assemble parliamentary representation.  Sent to be put in type that morning, it was ultimately withheld, for further consideration by the new Tsar. (Lowe, 56)

As heir-apparent, Alexander III had been known to back many of the liberal reforms that his father had instituted.  However, with the brutal death of his father, many remained uncertain.  While his father lay dead, Alexander began to be harassed by the Russian press, advocating the granting of a Constitution.  Seemingly, this did not bother Alexander so much as the ultimatum he received from the Nihilists that had murdered his father.  Their statement essentially demanded a dismantling of the current regime, or face revolution.  This ultimatum was likely the determining factor for how Alexander was to proceed in as Tsar, and on the advice of his ministers, decided to rescind the decree, until there could be further consultation on the matter. (Lowe, 55-8)

Instead of granting representation to the people, Alexander decided to experiment a little, and assemble the current municipal councils and Zemstvos to consider the smaller questions concerning peasants in Russia.  One of their first orders was to consider the question of taprooms, by which the new Congress would get its sarcastic nickname, The Tap-Room Congress.  The deliberations of these meetings were not kept secret or supervised by any official from the government, and were reported freely in the press.  Unfortunately, while this satisfied the Tsar’s curiosity of Parliamentary process, it was source of amusement for the rest of the common people of Russia; it had no power, and was obviously at odds with Alexander’s goals. (Lowe, 59)  This was the closest that the people get to the Constitution and Assembly, for many years.   With nowhere else to turn, Alexander was forced to rely on the wisdom of his old teacher, Konstantine Pobedonostseff.  Convincing Alexander was not much of a problem.  He buttered him up well, and convinced him to return to the days of his grandfather, Tsar Nicholas.  He impressed upon him, and he on the people that “God was God, and the Tsar was His prophet.” (Lowe, 64)

Alexander III seemed to continue to follow the ultra-conservative advice of Konstantine Pobedonostev, moderating it with his own personal beliefs, fully aware of his role in shaping the emerging state.  He did nullify many of the reforms of his father.  He abolished many of the courts and transferred their functions to judges appointed by the Interior Ministry, who appointed “Land Captains, usually hereditary noblemen… to supervise peasant affairs,” and who could discard decisions made by town assemblies and other peasant level courts.    He reduced the city electorates, creating tension between the local peasant representation and the reigning governmental bodies, though they continued to achieve minor advances in personal freedom.  (MacKenzie, 26)

Alexander III was considered by many sources to be brutish, unsophisticated, and horribly repressive.  However, despite the tendency towards regression and repression in many of his policies towards the people, he was still highly favored.  His coronation was lavish, and the celebration extended to the general population, even to the poorest of subjects.  (Lowe, 76)  His tendency towards pacificism in foreign policy (Lowe, 79) earned him the nickname “The Peacekeeper,” allowed him to begin major internal projects, such as the Trans-Siberian Railway in East Asia, which would bring about quick economic advances.  He also strongly encouraged the growth in the arts, desiring and recognizing the need for Russia to make its own name in this area. (RAO)  It is likely that Tsar Alexander understood that this would usher in a new era of unprecedented intellectual awareness in Russia, but he probably would not grasp the final impact of the advances that literature would have on the destiny of the Romanov family and monarchy.  It was during this time that a young Vladimir Ulyanov, would become attached to and make a life long ambition of, realizing the Prussian social theories advanced by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, called communism. Changing his last name to Lenin, he was educated in this new period of intellectual enlightenment. Indeed, it could be said that Tsar Alexander III indirectly brought about the downfall of his successor and son, Nicholas II.  

 Tsar Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov II - photo by A.A. Pasetti, courtesy of WikiMedia Commons)

As the last Tsar to reign over Russia, Nicholas II ascended to his reign wholly unprepared.  His father, Alexander III died unexpectedly at the age of 49.  Though having quieted the empire, and built up the respect of other nations, Alexander III had mostly pursued a reactionary policy that was not built to last.  This was especially true, considering the education of Nicholas II, which had been in way geared more towards the old world aristocratic methods of ruling.  Coupled with his indecisiveness, and weak resolution, he stood in stark contrast to his father.  In addition, his instructor General Danilovitch, was anything but equal to the charge of raising a successor, being rather narrow minded and suspicion.  It is reported that he was constantly reminding young Nicholas that he must always remember, “that everybody who approaches wishes to obtain something from you.” (Schelking, 104)  This had its natural consequences, and Nicholas become equally as suspicious of everyone and everything.  Nicholas was also rather non-confrontational.  He would often praise his ministers, only to send them a telegram at home, dismissing their services. (Schelking, 104)   It was in this manner that Nicholas II guided Russia out of his father’s world and into the land of confusion, dishonor, and ultimately revolution.

Overall, the populous had been hoping that Nicholas II would continue the work that his grandfather, Alexander II, had begun.  Instead, he seemed to have made up his mind that his father’s reactionary way of dealing with things was the best course.  He even declared as much, saying that he wished to “leave the country to [his] son, even as [he] received it from [his] father” and began surrounding himself with many of the same reactionary ministry that had surrounded his father’s administration.    The exception to this rule was Count Sergei Witte, who had helped to further many of the financial and industrial gains of Russia.  Unfortunately, the Count would continue to be pre-occupied with financial reforms and would ignore anything regarding internal administration of the state.  This would prove to work against the new ruler quicker and more efficiently than most would imagine, as general discontent was on the rise, in recognition of Nicholas ineptitude.  (Schelking, 251)

While revolution had been on the mouths of the peasants since the time Nicholas’ grandfather, it reached new heights during his rule and ultimately led to his downfall.  It almost seemed to waiting and ripening on the vine, waiting for the perfect opportunity.   The opportunity would seek its own way, following a dispute over the Manchuria-Korea border between Russia and Japan.  On of the occasions when Count Witte had offered his advice on this situation, it was ignored.  Instead, Nicholas followed the poor advice of his Interior Minister V. K. Pleve who perceived that a war with Japan would be an excellent means of distracting the revolutionaries in the state towards goals more suited to the state.  Consequently, despite repeated offers from the Japanese to compromise, he stumbled and blundered his way into an unnecessary war, which would have disastrous consequences.  (MacKenzie, 33)

The Russo-Japanese War turned out to be a fiasco, and horribly damaging to any confidence that the people might have felt towards this awkward ruler.  Taking heavy losses against the Japanese, the Russians were doing all that they could to contain them, as well as their own militaries honor and pride, but nothing seemed to be working.  Moral among all Russians was at an all time low.  There had been several years of bad harvests, and the more educated and articulate populous that had been fostered by Alexander III, demanded a more decisive and responsive government. (MacKenzie, 54)

Nicholas had made a few concessions to the public, but the hugely bureaucratic network of his government, made most of these conciliatory efforts seem like nonsense, and completely short of the public’s expectations of what they perceived needed to be done.    Unfortunately, the seeds of revolt had already been planted, and mimicking the days of pre-revolutionary France, there were political banquets being held everywhere.  The time was drawing near for Russians to take their destiny out of the hands of rulers that were only concerned for themselves and their image, and take the reins themselves.  The only thing that was needed was a spark.

On January 9, 1905, Father George Gapon organized some factory workers in St. Petersburg, as a means of distracting them from revolutionary extremism.  Urging his followers, through peaceful means, to petition the Tsar to the end the war, he led them towards the Winter Palace.  They were unarmed, singing hymns, and obviously had no intention of initiating violence.  Unfortunately, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich did not perceive it that way, and after the protesters refused to halt on his orders, he commanded that his troops fire on the crowd, slaughtering hundreds.  (MacKenzie, 55)  This one action united the Russian people against the monarchy, more than any other, and they rallied in support of their comrades who had fallen on this “Bloody Sunday” and a general strike was soon proclaimed in Petrograd and chaos ensued.  Railway transportation was paralyzed, and water, food, and fuel were virtually non-existent.  

Nicholas II quickly sought a way out of the mess in Manchuria, so he could turn his attention on his quickly disintegrating control.  First, he seized on request of the United States President Roosevelt, to mediate a quick end to the war.    The end would not come quick enough though, and the revolutionaries were gaining support, and organizing quickly; in addition, naval mutinies erupted, and armed revolutionary movements were taking shape. (MacKenzie, 55)  It seemed that there was nothing, which Nicholas II could do to change the course.  He attempted to establish the Duma, as a form of representative assembly for the people, though many would boycott it and renounce it as not nearly enough, and mass discontent continued to rise.  Another general strike appeared in September, and “nearly out of his mind with fear,” (Schelking, 252) Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto.  The declaration “promised a constitution, civil liberties, and a national parliament (Duma) elected by a broad suffrage without whose consent no bill was to become law.” (MacKenize, 56)  

For the most part, through all of the chaos of this time, the moves of Nicholas II seemed to push back the tide for just a little while.  While it was not particularly pleasing to all elements, it did satisfy the more middle-of-the-road folks, isolated the radicals, and thrust a wedge between those that advocated social change over political change.  This wedge would remain throughout the remainder of the reign of Nicholas II and well into 20th century USSR.  Helping it along too, was that most of the leaders of the initial revolt were in exile, and unable to command as they would in the coming years.  (MacKenzie, 57)

On May 10, 1906, the Tsar opened the first Duma, which would end in nothing more than confusion.  He gave no the Duma no directives, while at the same time fairly well ignoring any measures they presented.  He undermined their attempts at authority at every turn, holding secret sessions with some of their leaders, and when the Duma turned to the public for support of their efforts, he dissolved the body and prohibited future elections.   The Kadet party, a large part of the Duma, though initially in defiance of the Tsar, would soon become suspicious of the people that they represented, and turn towards the idea of constitutional monarchy.  This would lead to their being perceived by most peasants as “bourgeois,” and a party dedicated to preserving the aristocratic class.  (MacKenzie, 61)

There was nothing that Nicholas II, which would make things better.  Every attempt was met with opposition.  Arising from the morass was Pyotr Stolypin, a well-off landowner, and provincial marshall, and the new Prime Minister, who some contend stole power through a coup.

Pyotr Stolypin, was a model Stalinist, before Josef Stalin.  He was a repressive and ruthless leader, and perceived these means to be the only way to reform.  He frequently made use of Article 87, which gave executives (such as him) the means to rule by decree, and would ultimately proclaim a state of emergency.  During this “state of emergency”, he organized the Black-Hundred, to terrorize the countryside with brutal reprisals and cruel punishments on the peasants for infractions, kill hundreds of state and local officials, as well as any perceived to be of the revolutionary ilk that might topple the middle classes.  Discontent continued to spread under his direction, in all levels of society, and ultimately lead to his assassination in 1911 by a member of the police. (Lenin-1)

The death of Pyotr Stolypin seemed to cause further confusion in the general populous, and much more in the monarchy, but ultimately revolutionary factions would recognize the power vacuum he had left, and begin to make their push to fill it.  The leader of the Bolshevik movement, Vladimir Lenin put it plainly, that the people should have learned a valuable lesson through all of this, “either march to freedom by overthrowing the tsarist monarchy… or sink deeper into slavery.”  (Lenin-1)

It was hard to motivate the masses though.  With all of the constant arguing between factions, the public seemed to be more and more indifferent, and appeared to be willing to back whoever was going to provide them with stability.  Indeed, they were characterized by one citizen, Mr. Kondurushkin, who complained, “Russian society seems to me as yielding as rubber, or dough. It can be kneaded and pressed by word or dead.  But as soon as it is alone, it resumes its shape as of old.”  Essentially, he seemed to be saying that while they realized the necessity of the state, they would essentially do nothing unless someone or some movement compelled them to. (Zvezda-1)  As well, with the world quickly tumbling towards war, there seemed to be chaos on all fronts, and no firm leadership to guide the people out of the darks they had been in since the ascension of Nicholas II.

While things were stewing, on June 28, 1914, a Bosnian student attached to the Serbian National Movement assassinated the heir to the Austrian throne, and a complex network of alliances and secret treaties tumbled all of Europe, as well as Russia towards brutal conflict.  At first, Russia was indifferent, and the Tsar called for partial mobilization of Russian troops.  At the urging of his ministers, whom this writer believes probably filled, him with the same crazy ideals about stemming the revolution at home with war abroad again, Nicholas II ordered full mobilization.  Indeed, it is likely that he was so fed up with the constant strife and conflict within his own state, that he made the decision to depart, and lead the army in the struggle.  This was to be his final and fatal decision.  In the end, he would lose not only his state, but also his life, and the lives of his immediate family, through violent revolution. (MacKenzie, 89)

While Nicholas II was at the front in March of 1917, a spontaneous revolution broke out in Petrograd again.  This time, even though there were specific orders in place to handle such an uprising, the mounted police were not as interested in keeping the peace, as Nicholas would have wanted them to.  Ultimately, after firing on the crowd, and having another regiment return fire on them, they gave up and returned to their barracks, having likely decided that it was not worth it, and resolving to not fire again on strikers.  The government had just lost the support of the military, and as is typical in these situations, confidence was never restored.  

The Petrograd Soviet was established, and though they remained divided, they had enough cohesion to convince most of the garrison at Petrograd to defect to their side, assist in gathering and arresting all of the ministers.  Upon hearing of the uprising, Nicholas II attempted to return to his family, but was stopped and forced to return to the front.  In a last ditch effort to save his crumbling authority, he agreed to establish a more responsible ministry.  Unfortunately, it was not enough for the commanders he was dealing with, who unanimously demanded abdication.  Hoping to save himself, Nicholas II abdicated to his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail.  Mikhail realizing he was in a difficult position that he could not hope to win, immediately renounced his claims, and the rule of the Romanov’s ended. (MacKenzie, 98)

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - photo by L Leonidov, courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

With no defined leadership in Russia, and the people of the state involved in a war that nobody really wanted, and they knew they were wholly unprepared to fight, the various factions immediately began a grab for power.  While many of the arguing factions were still horribly divided, none was as opportunistic and ready for violent accession, as the Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin.

At first, there was an attempt to retain order through the concept of dual power, offered by Leon Trotskii, Lenin’s closest advisor, later head of the opposition group known as the Mensheviks.  The concept was that there would be a weaker interim government, made up of those that were financially, and intellectually capable of handling things, though not necessarily powerful enough to.   Essentially, they (the bourgeoisie) would be allowed to hold temporary power, as they pretty much always had, with the understanding that their way of doing things had outlived its usefulness in society.   This Provisional government worked well to maintain stability for a relatively short while, but the Bolsheviks, with Josef Stalin at the head, in Vladimir Lenin’s absence, insisted on having full power, and as quickly as possible.  Fortunately, Lenin was to return to Russia in April.  (MacKenzie, 107)

Vladimir Lenin’s return provided very little stability to the government though, and as he declared that the bourgeois should be purged, and that “the proletariat and the poorest strata of the peasantry” should be in full power, confused reigned the day.  (MacKenzie, 108)  Shifting from left to right, the populous seemed to be gathering behind those opposing Bolshevik rule.  The overall condition of Russia spiraled downward.  The interim government chose to continue the war with Germany, despite the protests of the masses.  The Bolsheviks tried, but failed to win majority in the elections, and conflict between every individual and entity was the norm.  As internal strife continued between the various factions, the Bolsheviks rallied the support of the masses, primarily through propaganda and exploitation, and seized power in a relatively unopposed coup in November 1917.  Though the moderates protested that the action was illegal, their voices were ignored.  Vladimir Lenin established himself as the President of the Council of People’s Commissars, and urged immediate peace to all nations involved in the war, and end to the secret diplomacy that had created the war.  (MacKenzie, 117)

In addition, he moved quickly in the domestic sector, knowing that he did not have a lot of time, or there would be greater potential for more revolt if someone did not assume complete and decisive command of the people.  From Petrograd, that November, he sat down and began issuing many statements to the people about the ambitions and goals of the new government, in the hopes of assuring them of the stability to come.  In one letter to the peasants, he states that it should be “known that all power in the country henceforth belongs wholly to the Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies… landed proprietorship has been abolished… the former property of the landowners… is the property of the whole people, and which the people themselves must therefore protect.”  (Izvestia)  It seems that he was acutely aware that the peasants needed something to rally around, primarily themselves, to deflect them away from antagonizing the new government.

By 1918, Vladimir Lenin had made peace with Germany, through the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, viewing it as essential to the new regime’s survival.  Unfortunately, a bigger task was soon at hand, political opposition was furious, and civil war broke out between the factions, known as the “Reds” and the “Whites.”  The allies soon began interfering on the side of the Whites.  Vladimir Lenin was forced to begin to pursue oppressive action against perceived threats, to stem the tide.  Seemingly, it worked rather well, and in the end, the Reds were victorious, though a deep resentment remained over the support provided by the allies to their opposition.   One of the oppressive programs instituted was War Communism, which was an emergency program designed to build nationalization, mobilize the labor force, and make grain requisitioning easier.  This experiment would ultimately lead to disaster with many of populous starving, and industry falling apart.  It would take another revolt in Kronstadt to bring V. Lenin to the realization that it was doing more harm than good.  In this revolt, excessive force was used to put down the uprising, primarily out of fear that it might kick off other similar revolts.  After putting the down the revolt with a massive infantry assault, V. Lenin would finally acquiesce to peasant demands, and scrape the program of War Communism, stating that Kronstadt “lit up reality better than anything else”.  It indicated the need for a different direction for the economy and the state. (MacKenzie, 132)

Increasing paranoia towards opposition would fuel many of the directives of the Bolshevik bureaucracy from this point forward.  While V. Lenin was a man willing to listen to opposing views, he was becoming increasingly aware that it was not going to help his cause.  He would go on to authorize a secret police to observe and report to him, and completely ban factions within the party.  While criticized by many as being hard-liner, these steps were undoubtedly necessary for him, and the Bolshevik Party to retain control.  Unfortunately, many of the institutions he created for protection would end up being nothing more than tools for oppression by his successor.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

When Vladimir Lenin died from a stroke in 1924, he had named no successor, likely because he felt that there was nobody that could adequately carry on the work he had started, and he probably did not expect his life to end so quickly.  There was an intense power struggle, but ultimately one man would rise to the top, Josef Stalin, a Georgian of serf descent.  One would think that his humble origins would compel him to be more sensitive to the needs of the common man, but this was not to be the case at all.  Unfortunately, life circumstances built a wholly different individual.  A drunken father and a strict disciplinary upbringing through the Tiflis Orthodox Seminary created a person that was more inclined to question authority, than bow to it.  In addition, while in exile, he was to become acquainted with a book that expounds upon the virtues of totalitarianism, Machiavelli’s “The Prince.” (MacKenzie, 140)  It is almost without question that this book would be the cornerstone of his ruling ideology.  Indeed, as Machiavelli is well-noted as stating in the book, “a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies; for these are wont to injure the whole people, whilst those executions which originate with a prince offend the individual only.” (Machiavelli, 88)  Josef Stalin seemed to rule by these words, and many of the others throughout the book.

Machiavelli was not Josef Stalin’s only inspiration.  Vladimir Lenin had somehow become his unquestionable idol, likely in his quest for ultimate power, and Lenin’s astute manner of persuasion.  Regardless, Josef Stalin idolized Vladimir Lenin, and upon establishing himself as his successor, used V. Lenin’s ideology as the reasoning for all of his actions.  Borrowing from Marxist-Lenin idea, he developed his own theory on socialism, that “Russia will... blaze the trail to socialism,” and proceeded to ensure that this would happen, one way or another.

Josef Stalin likely ruled with the best of intentions, based on Machiavelli’s principles, building a huge personality cult, and oppressing where necessary.  He probably saw this in Vladimir Lenin, as well.  Unfortunately, where V. Lenin was open to debate on issues, and formed his decisions around the debate, only oppressing those who questioned his final authority, Josef Stalin oppressed any differentiating opinion on any level, all as he would suggest, in the full interest of the state and the party. (MacKenzie, 150)

Indeed, as dissent against his rule arose, he ruthlessly crushed it, when peasants demanded concessions to ease their life; he urged action against them and any sympathizers.  He began what is known as The Great Purge, effectively wiping out all of his opposition, as well as anyone that he perceived to be a potential threat to his rule.  (MacKenize, 152) Essentially, he became everything that epitomizes a dictator or totalitarian ruler, and ultimately the world would brand his manner of ruling the state with its own unique descriptor, Stalinism.  He was not all bad though, the manner in which he pursued success, pushed an otherwise indifferent populous to attempt to make a difference, again under the threat of retaliation.  His plan of Forced Collectivization turned out to be an utter failure, ultimately provoking resistance, which in turn brought suffering to those involved, through persecution.  (BBC-1)

Through all of the trails and tribulations, Josef Stalin still managed to create a god-like air, completely in line with the principles previously mentioned.  Indeed, Nicolo Machiaveli would likely have been very proud of Josef Stalin and the cult of personality he had established and the devotion granted to him, in spite of all of his evil deeds.  Even as his power became more absolute, he never relaxed his grip.  He was the final authority in all matters.  If he stated a decision, it was the final decision.  Opposition to his means was consistently dealt with by death, or in minor cases, exile. 

Josef Stalin only stumbled in his decisiveness once.  After having reached agreement, through the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1941, as tension built with Japan, he seemed assured that any aggression would be delayed on the western borders of the state.  Unfortunately, Adolph Hitler was just as untrustworthy as Josef Stalin was, and Nazi Germany soon invaded without cause or warning.  In the opinion of this writer, this seemed to cause a bit of a breakdown, as Josef Stalin disappeared into hiding, and could not be reached to guide his state against them.  After a few days, he surfaced, rallied the troops and before any of the allies could manage to provide assistance, managed to push the Nazis back. (MacKenize, 230)

The events of World War II became a source of contention between Russia and the West.  Promises were broken on both sides, suspicion and fear ruled the day, and perpetuated itself through action and inaction on both sides.  Ultimately, this would lead to a period of attempted expansion through isolation, as Josef Stalin gathered the states around his borders under the flag of communism, to insolate and protect the state.  In the years following World War II, through the end of J. Stalin’s dictatorship and life, he would dash the hopes of many for a more liberal government, in favor of restoring absolute control, and pushing for more rapid industrialization.  (MacKenzie, 236)

The populous did not have long to wait for the much hoped for change.  In 1953, Josef Stalin finally died, ending more than 25 years of personal rule and ruthlessness that has yet to be matched anywhere in the world.  At the same time, he had left behind one of the two most powerful states in the world, rivaled only by the United States.  Unfortunately, the manner in which he had established himself, and maintained that power, left no means for selecting or implanting a replacement, and Russia seemed destined to spiral out of control, like so many other dictatorships throughout the world’s history.  (MacKenize, 241)

Despite the world’s fears of a downward spiral, Josef Stalin had unintentionally, or perhaps intentionally, left one individual suited to the task.  Having groomed Nikita Krushchev to follow his path, this person immediately organized and followed a similarly ruthless path against the opposition, and quickly assumed power.  Through bullying, and finally threats of exposure of the evil deeds of Josef Stalin, and partially carrying out the later, Nikita Krushchev seized the opportunity to implant himself as leader of the Communist Party, and all of Russia.  However, having been witness to many of the atrocities carried out under Josef Stalin, Nikita Krushchev finally delivered some moderation to the people of Russia.  Indeed, he followed more closely the principles set down by Vladimir Lenin, emphasizing persuasion of the masses, rather than strong-arm coercion.   Party Congresses, which had been anything but frequent under Josef Stalin, now became regular, meeting more often in a year sometimes, than they had in 5 years.  (MacKenize, 253)

Nikita Khrushchev’s reign was marked by numerous mistakes, but could be viewed as a continuation of an experiment that had begun before the rise of Stalin.  His support of reforms made a lasting impact on many of the satellite countries surrounding Russia, and induced independence movements among many of them.  The people were definitely feeling a new freedom that they had not felt.  Unfortunately, it was this very thing that alienated most of his constituents, and conservatives in the party following the lead of Leonid Brezhnev eventually led to him being removed from office.  Surprisingly, he was not utterly destroyed though, or sent into exile, merely retirement in rural Russia.  It seems that his liberal mindedness had affected not just the population, but had softened many of the hard-liners in the party as well.  (CNN)

Leonid Brezhnev came to power, and though a hard-liner with Stalinist tendencies, he had been brought up in the ranks by the person he had succeeded.  This served to create a leader that was a bit more middle of the road.  His internal dealings with the populous were not quite as moderate as Nikita Krushchev, (MacKenzie, 275) but the people of Russia did enjoy a new level of living through all of this, higher than any had seen in years past.

However, persecution of ethnic groups and dissenters rose sharply, primarily in the interest of suppressing “bourgeois nationalism.”  This did not sit well with a populous that was still feeling the effects of N. Khrushchev’s liberal reforms, and dissent and revolt became commonplace in many of the satellite states.  Many did manage to break away, but not without fierce, almost excessive Russian intervention, which became known as the Brezhnev Doctrine, similar to the Monroe Doctrine of the United States. Repression of uprisings through intervention, in the case of Afghanistan and Czechoslovakia, dashed the hopes of many of progressive reforms, and his insistence on furthering a more formidable military-industrial base in direct confrontation and opposition to its competitor, the United States.  Unfortunately, this pursuit would impoverish the entire Soviet economy so far that he would be later criticized as having caused a horrible decrease in overall living standards and perpetuation of corruption of the Party.  (Kreis)

Despite a higher standard of living, stagnation was definitely on the rise.  During all of this time, the Communist Party had been in power for a very long time.  Many of them had never been anything but the party, and were aging considerably.  At 60 years old, he was as many of the older generation are, staunchly opposed to any sort of change that might disrupt his personal stability.  Indeed, the entire Communist Party of this time could be characterized in much the same way, until the last of the old men died off.

Once Leonid Brezhnev passed away, former KGB head Yuri Andropov assumed power, but his age and health were not in his favor.  Despite fears of a return to Stalinism, “tightening discipline for Russians… and ignoring the needs of the human spirit” (Burns), he actually managed to surprise everyone with moves towards a more progressive government.  Unfortunately, it was not too last.  Yuri Andropov only lasted a couple of years before succumbing to poor health, and was succeeded by Konstantin Chernenko, another aged Party diplomat, with strong ties to Leonid Brezhnev.  The world joined the people of Russia in wondering once again, what next.  Konstantin Chernenko was in no health to run the state, and actually assumed the role against his doctor’s advice.  He was the last of the aging bureaucratic machine, and his limited one-year term, he left very little impression on the world, much less the Russian people.  (Soviet-Empire)

 


Commonwealth of Independent States

What followed next had been a long time coming, and would change the face of Russia.  Succeeding K. Chernenko, Mikhail Gorbachev was not necessarily a liberal, but was definitely a progressive in every sense of the word, and his public, and the world, would hail him as the greatest thing to happen to Russia since the revolution.  He pushed for massive reforms, in the hopes of creating a more efficient system that persist in a more democratic way.  Recognizing that the arms race had nearly ruined the Russian economy, he moved to shift more and more resources to the citizens, and ultimately to dismantle the arms race between Russia and the United States completely.  The changes he implemented, and pushed hard for unsettled many in the party though, and he lost site of the what sort of disruption the reforms were causing, either that or he simply did not care.  It is likely that he believed as many of his predecessors had the faster push thing through, the more permanent they become.  So massive were the reforms, and far-reaching, that he became the first Russian leader to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, having been attributed with ending the Cold War.  Regardless, his reforms infuriated many of the hard-liners, and in August 1991 while he was on vacation, they attempted a coup.  It failed miserably though, because of Mikhail intense popularity.  Moscow neared revolution again. (Mikhail)

Mikhail Gorbachev was hard pressed to resume power for much longer, especially with the kind of change he had in mind after the attempted coup.  The Communist Party was dissolved; the Baltic states who had been clamoring for independence since World War II were allowed to succeed, and he pushed forward with the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, removing the Communists from any further power.  The end had come for Communism and Democracy was moving full steam ahead.  Mikhail Gorbachev had moved the state out of the dark ages, and on Christmas Day 1991, he resigned as president, replaced by Boris Yelstein, in the first truly democratic elections held in Russia. (Kreis-2)

Russia was still in a bit of a crisis though, and Boris Yelstein needed to move quickly, or he would lose control completely.  He did exactly that, and pushed harder and faster than his predecessor, instituting change at furious rate.  It seems that he knew what M. Gorbachev had realized, that despite everything, the USSR had fallen behind the rest of the world on all points, especially politically, and if they were to retain their position as a world power, they would need to get in line with the way the rest of the world was collectively operating.  (Kreis-3)

Overall, in the end, the changes had come too fast and furious for the old hard-liner communists, and there was very little that they could do once western views, ideas and technology began to stream into the state.  They were extremely hard-pressed to convince anyone, especially the populous that theirs was a better alternative.  It is highly unlikely that the Communist Party will ever enjoy the freedom of movement that they had throughout the 20th century.  Their oppression, repression, and totalitarian rule will never be accepted on such a grand scale again.  On the other hand, perhaps Vladimir Lenin was right saying that the Russian will become lazy, and in doing so allow the evil to seep back in.  There is already concern of this by many in the western world, when it comes to former KGB agent, and current two-term President Vladimir Putin.  There is concern that he will establish himself as Prime Minister and rather than allow free elections, will install a successor that he can manipulate.  Indeed, he has already barred his staunchest critic, Mikhail Kasyanov from running as an opposition candidate to President Putin’s handpicked successor, Dmitry Medvedev.  With an expected turnout of as much as 70% of the population, it will certainly be an election worth watching in the week left before this widely scrutinized election. (BBC-2) Will the hard-line return, or will Prime Minister Putin watch and direct from the background to ensure that the democratic process that he has helped to foster, remains in place?  I suppose that only time will tell, but the energy and the determination of the Russian people will prevail, regardless of the outcome.  They have emerged from the darkest of ages, and will likely catapult themselves to a status much greater than their old rival, the United States, and finally achieve the greatness they aspired to for so long.

References:

  1. Lowe, Charles.  Alexander III. New York: MacMillan and Co., 1895.
  2. MacKenzie, Davd. and Curran, Michael W.  Russia and the USSR in the Twentieth Centruy.  4th ed.  Belmont:  Wadsworth, 2002.
  3. “A Romanov Album:  Family History” (RAO). Russian Archives Online. http://www.abamedia.com/rao/gallery/romanoff/hist.html. (accessed 23 Feb 2008)
  4. de Schelking, Eugene.  Recollections of a Russian Diplomat:  The Suicide of Monarchies (William II and Nicholas II).  New York:  The Macmillan Company, 1918.
  5. Lenin, Vladimir I.  Stolypin and the Revolution.  Sotsial-Demokrat, No 24, October 31, 1911.
  6. “Notes of a Newspaer Reader.” Zvezda, No. 28.  Nov. 5, 1911.
  7. “Reply to Questions from Peasants.”  Izvestia  No. 219, Nov. 5, 1917.
  8. Machiavelli, Nicolo.  The Prince. 1515. Wellesley:  Dante University Press. 2003.
  9. “Joseph Stalin”.  BBC Historic Figures. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/stalin_joseph.shtml (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  10. “Nikita Sergeyevich Krushchev, Soviet Premier”.  CNN Interactive Knowledge Bank Profiles. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/khrushchev/ (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  11. Kreis, Steven.  “Leonid Brezhnev, 1906-1982.”  The History Guide: Lectures on Twentieth Century Europe. 2001.  http://www.historyguide.org/europe/brezhnev.html (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  12. Burns, John M.  The Emergence of Yuri Andropov.  The New York Times.  Nov. 6, 1983.  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DEED6133BF935A35752C1A965948260 (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  13. “Chernenko, Konstantin Ustinovich”.  Soveit-Empire.com http://www.soviet-empire.com/ussr/ussr_leaders/chernenko.php (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  14. “Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev:  Soviet Premier”.  CNN Interactive Knowledge Bank Profiles.  http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/gorbachev/ (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  15. Kreis, Steven.  “Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev” The History Guide: Lectures on Twentieth Century Europe. 2001.  http://www.historyguide.org/europe/gorbachev.html  (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  16. Kreis, Steven.  “The Walls Came Tumbling Down” The History Guide: Lectures on Twentieth Century Europe. 2001.  http://www.historyguide.org/europe/lecture16.html   (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  17. “The Putin Project”.  BBC World Serivce. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1112_putin_project/index.shtml . (accessed 24 Feb 2008)
  18. WikiMedia Commons. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 24 Feb 2008)


HI319 - Russia in the 20th Century

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