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4. R: Stalinist dictatorship and reaction 1941-64 > 1. Political authority, opposition and the state of the Soviet Union in wartime > Flashcards

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.
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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.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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7
Q

wartime events june/july 1941

1st july

A
  • stalin ressumes authority as head of gov and leader in Stavka + GKO
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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’
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9
Q

wartime events june/july 1941

20th july

A
  • stalin assumes overall military command
  • becomes ‘supreme watrime leader’
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Q

Social Impact on Soldiers and Workers

Utilization of Forced Labor

A
  • 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
Q

society - propaganda

Stalinist Propaganda

A
  • 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
Q

society - propaganda

Musical Contributions

A
  • 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
Q

wartime society impact

churches

A
  • 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
Q

impact on woman and fam

Government Measures to Support Families

A
  • 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
Q

impact woman and fam

Increased Role of Women in Society

A
  • 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
Q

impact woman and fam

Challenges and Inequities Faced by Women

A
  • 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
Q

impact woman and fam

Key Statistics

A
  • Over half a million women served in the Soviet armed forces.
  • Lyudmila Pavlichenko recorded 309 kills before her death.
32
Q

final stages of war

A
  • 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
Q

war impact on stalin

Stalin’s Enhanced Reputation

A
  • 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
Q

wartime impact on stalin

Increased Paranoia and Suspicion

A
  • 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
Q

wartime impact on gov

Stalinist System’s Triumph

A
  • 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
Q

wartime impact on gov

Consolidation of Power

A
  • wartime successes strengthened Soviet gov’s position domestically + internationally.
  • maintained authoritarian rule
  • no inclination toward political reform or relaxation of internal discipline.
37
Q

wartime impact on gov

Continuity in Leadership

A
  • 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
Q

wartime impact on ppl

Suffering and Destruction

A
  • 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
Q

wartime impact on ppl

Impact on Society

A
  • 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.

4. R: Stalinist dictatorship and reaction 1941-64 (7 decks)

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