19.1 Russia at war: political authority and opposition Flashcards
What day did German troops start to arrive and what was it called?
++ how many soldiers, guns, tanks and horses
22nd June 1941 - Operation Barbarossa
- 3 million German soldiers
- 7184 guns
- 3580 tanks
- 740,000 horses
supported by the Luftwaffe
Was Russia prepared for German advances?
- Stalin seemed shocked at this advance and thought it a ‘limited act of provocation’ and suggested that someone even call Hitler
- They were not prepared for the attack they were about to face
What did Stalin do upon hearing the news of the advance?
- Met Politburo and demanded german forces be annihilated
- did not announce the war leaving it to Vyacheslav Molotov
- took a week to make preliminary decisions
When was the Stavka established and what was its role?
23rd June 1941
- Responsible for all military planning
What did Stalin do on the 27th June 1941?
Goes to Dacha (2nd home) and is not seen for 10 days
What did the Politburo do on the 30th of June 1941?
State Defence Committee is set up by Politburo
- Small group of 5 (8 Feb 1942) that controlled all
Went to see Stalin to get him to come back to Moscow
What was the role of the State Defence Committee?
Absolute authority over
- Party
- State
- Military
- Anything to do with wartime economy
What is the GKO also known as?
State Defence Committee
What was interesting about Stalin’s speeches during wartime?
Interestingly appeals to patriotism rather than threat to socialism
- People were fighting for Russia not Communism
What was interesting about Stalin’s speeches during wartime?
- Met Politburo immediately
- First wartime order demanded that German air force be destroyed and invading forced annihilated
- Stalin made inspirational speeches that rekindled Russian patriotism
- Left military control to military commanders (though could still be removed if they did bad job)
- Called civil war Marshals Voroshilov and Budyenny from gulags
- Demanded evacuation of the government to Kuibyshev but that the traditional Red Square parade continue
- Stalin trusted Georgi Zhukov who had successfully defended Moscow in 1941 and led troupes to Berlin in 1945
What were negative aspects of Stalin as a war leader? (7)
- Left public announcement to Vyacheslav Molotov
- Took over a week to plan initial strategies
- Stalin withdraws to Dacha his 2nd home for 10 days
- Still applied ‘mass terror to those who wavered or lost heart’
- Stalin had killed a large proportion of senior officers in the 1937-38 purges
- In the first few weeks of WW2 Stalin had allowed the shooting of more officers who had failed to prevent German advances
What did Dmitri Volkogonov in The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire say about Stalin’s leadership in WW2?
- “Stalin was clearly unable to evaluate the various kinds of information arriving in the Kremlin”
- “He ruled like an absolute monarch”
- “Stalin exacerbated the already extreme violence of the war by pursuing his customary methods of ruling”
= Wasn’t very good
Who said “Stalin was clearly unable to evaluate the various kinds of information arriving in the Kremlin” ?
Dmitri Volkogonov in The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire
Who said “Stalin exacerbated the already extreme violence of the war by pursuing his customary methods of ruling”?
Dmitri Volkogonov in The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire
What was opposition to the Soviet state like during WW2?
++ What had Hitler hoped and did this happen?
No direct opposition to Stalin during WW2, but many were unsupportive
++ Hitler had hoped that the invasion in 1941 would trigger an anti-stalinist revolt. This did not happen BUT German invasion of minority areas like Estonia to Ukraine people welcomed German soldiers
