1. Political authority, opposition and the state of the Soviet Union in wartime Flashcards
1
Q
Great patriotic war
A
- 1941-45
- june ‘41, germans launched 3-pronged attacked (Operation Barbarossa)
- initially successful but FAILED to capture Moscow
- red army launched successful counter-offensive
- tank battle at Kursk ummer ‘43 confirmed inititive passed to soviets who drove germans back, finally reaching Berlin ‘45.
2
Q
wartime leadership
Immediate Response to Invasion
A
Upon learning of the German invasion, Stalin convened the Politburo immediately and issued orders to annihilate the invading forces and destroy the German air force.
3
Q
wartime leadership
Role of Vyacheslav Molotov
A
- Stalin delegated the public announcement of hostilities to Vyacheslav Molotov, possibly due to personal reluctance or emotional reasons.
- Molotov informed the nation through loudspeakers on the main streets of Soviet cities, declaring the justness of their cause and the inevitability of victory.
4
Q
wartime leadership
Establishment of Governmental and Military Authority
A
- The onset of war necessitated a clearly defined structure of governmental and military authority.
- Stalin took over a week to establish this structure, either due to strategic planning or potential emotional impact, such as depression.
5
Q
wartime events june/july 1941
23rd june
A
- Stavka est. (supreme miliatry command)
- respobible for all military planning = all marshalls, cheif of general staff, heads of military services.
5
Q
wartime events june/july 1941
27th june
A
- stalin withdraws to his Dacha (2nd home)
- creating confusion
- not seen or heard in public 10 days
6
Q
wartime events june/july 1941
30th june
A
- State defence committee (GKO) set up by Politburo = responsible for org and coordination, small group of 5.
- stalin agrees to return to Moscow and agrees to recontructing
7
Q
wartime events june/july 1941
1st july
A
- stalin ressumes authority as head of gov and leader in Stavka + GKO
8
Q
wartime events june/july 1941
3rd july
A
- stalin makes first public wartime address
- calls for unity
- ‘the issue is one of life and
death for the people of the USSR; the issue is
whether the peoples of the Soviet Union shall be
free or fall into slavery’
9
Q
wartime events june/july 1941
20th july
A
- stalin assumes overall military command
- becomes ‘supreme watrime leader’
10
Q
Stalins wartime leadership
A
- Immediate Response to Invasion: swiftly convened the Politburo and issued orders to counter the German invasion, demanding the destruction of the German air force and the annihilation of invading forces.
- Role of Vyacheslav Molotov: publicly announced the hostilities through loudspeakers, rallying the nation with assurances of victory.
- Establishment of Governmental and Military Authority: Stalin took over a week to establish a clear structure of governmental and military authority, either due to strategic planning or the emotional impact of the invasion
11
Q
wartime opp
Collaborationist Movements
A
- In national minority areas like Estonia, Lithuania, Belorussia, and Ukraine, thousands welcomed German soldiers as liberators, leading to collaborationist movements.
- For instance, the Russian Liberation Movement under Andrey Vlasov formed a division of the Waffen-SS, with around 50,000 soldiers at its peak.
12
Q
wartime opp
Extent of Collaboration
A
- Over million individuals, including 250,000 Cossacks, joined Hitler’s side. However, many Slavs were relegated to lesser roles.
- Collaborationist activities were notably high in these regions
13
Q
wartime opp
Continuation of Pre-War Terror Tactics
A
- To maintain discipline and prevent retreat, Stalin implemented harsh measures, such as Order 227 (“Not One Step Backwards”), leading to the execution of over 150,000 soldiers.
- Penal battalions, consisting of perceived “cowards,” were deployed for perilous tasks, with high casualty rates. Blocking units with machine guns were stationed to deter desertion or retreat.
14
Q
political impact
Suppression of Ethnic Groups
A
- Stalin feared political disintegration due to the multinational nature of the Empire.
- Consequently, dissolved autonomous republics like Volga German Republic
- deported suspect ethnic groups such as the Karachai, Kalmyks, Chechens, and Crimean Tartars.
- approx 1.5 million people forcibly relocated, often enduring brutal treatment and high mortality rates during the journey.
15
Q
political impact
Changes in Communist Party Composition
A
- To bolster military support, Stalin addressed grievances among army officers, downgrading the role of political commissars and emphasizing political education for troops.
- led to a surge in Communist Party membership, over 5 million candidate members + 3.6 million new members joining during the war.
- By 1945, a quarter of the armed forces were communists, compared to just 15% in 1941.
16
Q
political impact
Strengthening of Communist Belief
A
- Despite wartime emphasis on nationalism, Stalin declared victory as a triumph of the socialist system over fascism, reinforcing belief in communism.
- The war’s outcome was portrayed as a vindication of Stalin and his leadership, solidifying support for the Stalinist system.
17
Q
econ impact
Key Figures and Stats
A
- German-occupied Soviet territory held significant resources: 63% coal, 68% iron, 58% steel, 45% railways, and 41% arable land.
- 1,523 Soviet factories were relocated to eastern regions, boosting industrial capacity.
- Military expenditure rose from 29% to 57% of the budget by the end of 1942, with 76% of production focused on munitions.
- 3,500 new industrial enterprises were built during the war, notably in the Urals.
- Under the Lend-Lease scheme, the USA provided $11 billion in aid, supplying 6,430 planes, 3,734 tanks, 104 ships, 210,000 vehicles, and 5 million tonnes of food.
18
Q
econ impact
Positive Aspects
A
- Efficient Centralized Economy: The existing centralized, planned economy facilitated wartime production, with People’s Commissars overseeing various sectors and state orders ensuring rapid adjustments.
- Industrial Growth and Superior Weaponry: Industrial output surpassed Germany’s, producing high-quality weapons like the T-34 tank, Katyusha rocket launcher, and Yak-1 fighter aircraft.
19
Q
econ impact
Negative Aspects
A
- Food Shortages: 1942 grain harvest only 1/3 of pre-war levels, necessitating strict rationing and collective farm quotas.
- Reliance on Foreign Aid: highlighted limitations in domestic production, with 427,000 of 665,000 vehicles by war’s end coming from overseas sources.
20
Q
Social Impact on Soldiers and Workers
Mobilization and Labor Deployment
A
- Dec 1941, law mobilized all undrafted workers for war work.
- Men 16-55 + women 16-45 required
- White-collar workers, pensioners, + students redirected to wartime industries.
- Overtime became mandatory, holidays were suspended, working day extended to 12 hours.
21
Q
Social Impact on Soldiers and Workers
Harsh Working Conditions
A
- faced severe discipline, punishments for negligence, lateness, or absenteeism.
- Unauthorised absence classified as desertion, punishable by death.
- Factories operated under martial law, workers often slept in workplaces.
22
Q
Social Impact on Soldiers and Workers
Impact on Soldiers
A
- Discipline in army tightened, desertion punishable by death.
- Red Army soldiers endured tough conditions, 8.6 million killed between 1941-1945.
- Families suffered from the loss of breadwinners, exacerbating wartime hardships.
23
Q
Social Impact on Soldiers and Workers
Wartime Hardships
A
- Chronic food shortages, starvation, 1/4 deaths to hunger.
- Acute housing, fuel shortages worsened health problems, forced harsh living conditions.
- 1000s displaced, living in improvised shelters during the harsh winter of 1941-42.
24
# Social Impact on Soldiers and Workers
Utilization of Forced Labor
- Gulag labor was employed, with prisoners subjected to grueling conditions.
- Deported individuals, including prisoners of war and ethnic minorities, built vital infrastructure and produced war supplies.
- death rate in labor camps was high, slave labor was viewed as endlessly renewable.
25
# society - propaganda
Stalinist Propaganda
- Stalin leveraged patriotic sentiment of Great Patriotic War to mobilize society.
- Posters and slogans encouraged sacrifice for the defense of the Motherland against invaders.
- Anti-German sentiment heightened through publications and public messages.
26
# society - propaganda
Musical Contributions
- Musicians = Maria Yudina and Dmitri Shostakovich contributed significantly.
- Yudina performed in Leningrad during the siege, providing morale-boosting concerts and recitals.
- Shostakovich composed Symphony No.7 "Leningrad," performed during the siege, symbolizing resistance to fascism.
27
# wartime society impact
churches
- Temporary respite in Church persecution during wartime.
- Russian Patriarchate restored.
- Clergy released from camps, required to pledge loyalty to the state.
- Stalin utilized the Church for morale-boosting and patriotism.
- Attendance encouraged; services became patriotic gatherings.
- Priests praised Stalin, blessed troops and tanks.
- All Christian denominations placed under Orthodox Church control.
- Church lacked autonomy, operated under government influence.
28
# impact on woman and fam
Government Measures to Support Families
- July 1944 to combat falling birth rate and war-related deaths.
- Increased taxes for those with fewer than two children.
- Tightened restrictions on divorce and banned abortion.
- Re-established the right to inherit family property.
29
# impact woman and fam
Increased Role of Women in Society
- became essential members of the workforce during wartime.
- half of all Soviet workers and 4/5 land workers were female by 1945.
- recruited for local defense units.
- served in the Soviet armed forces
30
# impact woman and fam
Challenges and Inequities Faced by Women
- Despite crucial contributions, received little reward.
- pay rates fell between 1930 - 1945.
- Burdened with responsibilities of both workforce participation and raising large families.
- lack of recognition
31
# impact woman and fam
Key Statistics
- Over half a million women served in the Soviet armed forces.
- Lyudmila Pavlichenko recorded 309 kills before her death.
32
final stages of war
- Red Army pushed westwards 1944-45, liberated nations of central and eastern Europe from German control
- imposed its own authority instead, turning them into satellite states: a buffer against future invasion of USSR.
- Soviet armies occupied Czechoslovakia,
Hungary and Germany.
- May 1945, when the Soviets took Berlin, and the
Germans surrendered, the USSR had become the leading power in Europe.
33
# war impact on stalin
Stalin's Enhanced Reputation
- Stalin's image transformed into national hero and savior.
- Doubts about leadership faded as he was held in greater awe and reverence by the population.
- Paintings depicting him as the great wartime leader adorned public buildings across the Soviet Union.
34
# wartime impact on stalin
Increased Paranoia and Suspicion
- more paranoid than before.
- suspicions of real or imagined enemies intensified.
- viewed returning prisoners-of-war with suspicion, tainted by Western values.
- Collaborationist Soviet citizens = executed
- Cossacks suffered severe reprisals for their support of German armies.
35
# wartime impact on gov
Stalinist System's Triumph
- war viewed as triumph for Stalinist system, reinforcing perceived vitality.
- Stalin claimed Soviet gov demonstrated unquestionable strength and effectiveness.
- Internationally, USSR emerged with a reputation as a formidable military power.
36
# wartime impact on gov
Consolidation of Power
- wartime successes strengthened Soviet gov's position domestically + internationally.
- maintained authoritarian rule
- no inclination toward political reform or relaxation of internal discipline.
37
# wartime impact on gov
Continuity in Leadership
- Stalin retained key positions as Head of Government and Party Secretary.
- maintained same cadre of loyalists in Politburo, including Vyacheslav Molotov, Kliment Voroshilov, and Nikita Khrushchev.
38
# wartime impact on ppl
Suffering and Destruction
- people endured significant suffering, immense material damage and loss of life.
- millions in western provinces lived in wooden huts, many achievements of the 1930s were destroyed.
39
# wartime impact on ppl
Impact on Society
- camaraderie among soldiers and exposure to the West led to the spread of liberal thinking, challenging Soviet norms.
- opened Soviet society to Western influence, undermining the propaganda portrayal of the West as dismal.
- Western cultural elements such as Hollywood films, books, music (particularly jazz), and goods infiltrated Soviet life, desire for a more open society.
