20. Political authority, 1945-53 Flashcards
What happened to war hero Zhukov after WW2?
He was demoted to Odessa and removed from the Central Committee.
How many meetings of the Central Committee were there between 1939 and 1952?
6
What was the Zhdanovshchina?
Cultural purge initiated by Zhdanov from 1946. Pro-Russian, anti-Western.
Those whose works were deemed to be anti-Soviet were suppressed. Only a few ‘approved’ Western books were permitted.
Condemned artists would have to publicly recant their ‘errors’.
Why was “The Adventures of a Monkey” by Mikhail Zoshchenko condemned?
The monkey was seen as anti-Soviet.
In what ways was the Zhdanovshchina anti-Semitic?
- Many Jewish literary critics disappeared.
- The last Jewish newspaper was closed down.
- Nazi atrocities were portrayed without mentioning Jews.
When were marriages to foreigners banned?
1947
How many war survivors were sent to ‘filtration camps’?
12 million
What was the NKVD split into after WW2?
MVD (domestic/gulags) and MGB (espionage)
What was the Leningrad affair?
Stalin purged several leaders of the local Leningrad party, which had always acted somewhat independently (and had also been a support base for Kamenev and Kirov).
When was the Georgian purge?
1951-52
What was the doctors’ plot of 1952?
- 9 doctors were accused of failing to treat Zhdanov in 1948.
- In 1952, Stalin reopened the file and arrested them, accusing them of a Zionist conspiracy.
- Hundreds of doctors forced into false confessions. Thousands of ordinary Jews deported to labour camps.
What was the Presidium?
A larger body which replaced the Politburo. All members nominated by Stalin. This diluted other people’s power and was seen as part of preparations for another purge.
