16. Stalinist dictatorship and terror Flashcards
Which structures established by Lenin were perpetuated by Stalin
Rule by one party and centralised control
What influence did Stalin assert
An increasingly dominant personal influence
What did the party contribute to predominate over
State institutions
What was control ensured through.
Parallel structures and most levels and the dual membership of party and gov offices held by trusted members of nomenklatura
What did Stalin grow increasingly concerned about and what did this lead to
The party reflecting his wishes- led to party congresses being called less frequently
What appointments did Stalin control through his position as general secretary
The more important appointments to the party apparat
What controlled the nomenklatura and what did this mean
The apparatchiki controlled the nomenklatura- meant Stalin commanded vast patronage over all important positions throughout soviet society
What did Stalin prefer to work with than the politburo
Personally selected commities
What did Stalin use his power of appointment to do
Build up the party memebership and develop an elaborate bureaucracy of loyal servants
How did an expansion in oarty membership begin
With the Lenin enrolment 1924-25 in commemoration of his death
By how much did party membership increase under the Lenin enrolment
Almost doubled to one million
Where did most new oarty members tend to be drawn from
Younger and less well educated urban workers and ex peasants who were less interested in ideological debate and more concerned with their own careers
What were New party memebers often attracted by
Stalin’s more nationalist energetic and sometimes brutal policies and knew that loyalty could bring benefits for themselves and their families
Who was the 1936 constitution drafted by
Bukharin
What did Stalin claim that the 1936 constitution was
The most democratic in the world
What did the 1936 constitution proclaim
The USSR to be a federation of eleven soviet republics
What was the all Russian congress of soviets replaced by under 1936 constitution
A new supreme soviet made up of the soviet of the union and the soviet of nationalities
What did each republic have if it’s own under the 1936 constitution
Supreme soviet
What did the 1936 constitution promise to ethnic groups
Local autonomy and support for national cultures and languages
What did 1936 constitutions promise (elections)
Four yearly elections with right to vote for all over 18 including former people
What statement of civil rights was the 1936 constitution accompanied with
Freedom from arbitrary arrest and right to free speech
What may the 1936 consitituonbs main intention have been
To impress foreigners
What did the verbal control exercised over the republics budgets unsure
The primacy of union laws and little real regional independence
What happened despite the consitituon acknowledging the right of any union republic to leave union
Party leaders in Georgia’s planned succession in 1951 purged
Why did the supreme soviet only meet for a few days twice a year
Said to be so that members could continue regular employment but it meant the body provided more of a sense of participation than any actual involvement in policy making
How was the supreme soviet viewed by the oarty
As a forum for imparting decisions back to localities rather than for electors to present their views to the centre
From when did Stalin consciously develop his own cult
December 1929, he’s 50th bday
What image of himself did Stalin oromote and why
An image that helped to noire confidence during a period of rapid change
How was Stalin universally portrayed
As Lenin’s true disciple and companion
What were produced to glorify Stalin’s role
Paintings and posters
In what years was Stalin’s cult fully established
1933-39
What was produced as the main historical textbook for all institutions in 1938
The all union communist Party
what did stalin assume a major role in the all union communist party
the October revolution, while Trotsky and other old Bolsheviks portrayed as enemies of the people
how were photographs doctored in the all union communist party
to remove stalins enemies and show stalin at the side of lenin
what did the adulation stalin received show
the strength of support he had acquired within soviet union
why did people praise stalin
because they benefiited from his rule or hoped to benefitted in the future and needed to be assured of his patronage
who was stalin seen as a father to
his people
what had stalin been referred to as
the red tsar and a god like figure
how was stalins rule different from lenins
stalins rule was personal, he was above the party and no longer depended on it
How did collectivisation strengthen Stalin’s position
The atmosphere of crisis brought about by Stalin’s enforced collectivisation and his new economic plans for industry helped increase his power
How did propaganda increase Stalin’s power
It celebrated his image
Who did he purge elites to replace them with
A new, younger group of officials
What placed a limitation on Stalin’s power
The inefficiency of the bureaucracy at local level
What did Stalins rise to the leadership position give him oppurtunity to do
show his skill in out-manouvering and defeating those who opposed him
why did stalin extend the use of terror and class warfare
to enforce collectivisation through the destruction of the kulaks and maintain his 5 year plans for industry
who did he send to labour campls
‘bourgeouis managers’. specialists and engineers who he accused of machine breaking and sabotage
when was the shakty show trial
1928
