19. Stalinism in wartime Flashcards
What is the ratio of people killed in WW2? (UK/US : German : Soviet)
1:20:85
1 Brit to every 20 Germans and 85 Soviets.
What was the GKO?
The State Defence Committee. A CIVILIAN body to direct wartime organisation.
What was Stavka?
A committee responsible for MILITARY planning. Made up of military leaders and experts.
What were Orders 227 and 270?
227 - Those who retreat will be shot (“Not One Step Backwards”)
270 - fight to the last
How many were executed under Order 227?
150,000 people
What were the Nazis planning to do to the Belarussians?
Kill 75% and enslave the rest.
These ideas led to the growth of partisan groups which used guerrilla tactics to fight the Nazis.
How many people were left living in wooden huts in 1945?
25 million
How many Soviet citizens (civilians & soldiers) died in total during WW2?
~28 million
How many towns and villages were destroyed during WW2?
1200 towns
70,000 villages
How many hospitals were destroyed during WW2?
40,000
How many kolkhozes were wasted because of WW2?
100,000
What was the Lend-Lease scheme?
A scheme under which the USA provided the Soviet Union with $11bn of aid during WW2.
Soviet citizens were exposed to Hollywood films, Western books and jazz music.
By 1945, what proportion of vehicles in the USSR came from abroad?
Roughly two-thirds.
How many entire factories (and their workforces) were moved from western Russia to further east (during WW2)?
1523
How many Party members were soldiers in 1945?
About half - up from 15% in 1941
What proportion of ammunitions were produced by gulag labour?
15%
How were working conditions during WW2?
- 12 hour days
- Overtime obligatory
- Discipline tightened. Unauthorised absence could result in death. Severe punishments for lateness.
What proportion of land workers were female by 1945?
Four fifths
How many partisans were there by 1943?
300,000
How many people from ‘suspect ethnic groups’ did Stalin deport during WW2?
1.5 million
How much of the budget was spent on defence by 1942?
57%
How many new industrial enterprises were built in the Urals during the war?
3500
What was the death rate in the gulags in 1942?
25%
How was the church used during WW2?
They were reopened but had to function as a tool of the government. Priests had to swear allegiance to the USSR, sermons praised Stalin and there were prayers for victory.
Effectively used as another tool for nationalist propaganda; not permitted any autonomy.
