14.2 Development of Stalinist Dictatorship

Question 1

What political structures established by Lenin were extended by Stalin?

Answer 1

• Structures established by Lenin, one party rule and centralized control was used and extended by Stalin
• Control was used at all levels
• Position given to trusted members

Question 2

How often did the party meet and why?

Answer 2

• Stalin feared that the party would not reflect his wishes so congress was called less frequently

May 1924 = 8 days

1939-1952 = none were called

Question 3

What position did Stalin hold under Lenin and what power did this give him?

Answer 3

Stalin was General Secretary under Lenin which meant that Stalin controlled important appointments to the party apparat

(Apparat contolled Nomenklatura which meant Stalin was commanding vast patronage)

Question 4

What was Lenin enrolment?

Answer 4

Lenin enrolment 1924-1925 expanded the party in commemoration of his death - membership almost double to 1 million

1930 = 1.667 million

1933 = 3.55 million

Question 5

What did Trotsky write in 1936?

Answer 5

Trotsky wrote Revolution Betrayed in 1936 stating that Stalin’s power rested upon a vast ‘administrative pyramid’ of 5-6 million people

Question 6

What did the 1936 Constitution promise? (5)

+ who was it drafted by

Answer 6

1936 Constitution drafted by Nikolai Bukharin

• 11 soviet republics with its own ‘Supreme Soviet’
• Autonomy and rights for all national cultures and languages
• Four yearly elections and everyone over 18 could vote including ‘former people’ (redacted to over 23 in 1945)
• Freedom of speech and stopped unfair arrests

Question 7

Did the 1936 Constitution live up to its promises?

Answer 7

• Autonomy and rights X Party leaders in Georgia planned to withdraw from the party in 1951 they were killed
• Elections X not contested
• Freedom of speech X Supreme soviet only met for a few days twice a year. Didn’t present voter views only transmitted views back to voters

Question 8

What did Stalin say about the 1936 Constitution?

Answer 8

‘Most democratic in the world’

Question 9

How was the Cult of Stalin promoted and examples? (5)

Answer 9

• Stalin used the pre-existing strength and love of Marxism-Leninism
• Continual presence, propaganda was used everywhere
  - 70th birthday portait suspended over Red Square
  - Posters, rallies
• School text book History of the All Union Communist party, 34 million sold by 1948. Stalin assumed major role in foundation yet Trotsky and old Bolsheviks as ‘enemies of the people’, photos doctored to remove enemies and place Stalin next to Lenin
• Blind trust, many went starving in the hope conditions would improve
• Fear, When Stalin’s name was mentioned in congress everyone stood up, an old man got tired and sat down but was arrested the following day
  - 1936-39 there were approximately as many executions per day as there were 1855-1917
  - 20 million were sent to Gulags where 10 million are estimated to have died from Starvation