28 - Stalin, Political Authority And Opposition Flashcards
On what date did Nazi Germany invade the Soviet Union? Who was taken by surprise?
22nd June 1941
Stalin
Who was unprepared for war? Why?
Stalin’s government
Many senior officers were purged in the 1930s
How many Soviet aircrafts were destroyed in the first 24 hours of war?
1,200
How many Russian troops were killed after 3 weeks of war? How many were now living under German rule?
A million
20 million
What danger was posed to Stalin’s regime? What was feared?
It might collapse in defeat
It would mirror the fall of Tsarism
What happened once the Soviet Union was roused to war? Why?
It was ruthless
It was a highly centralised regime
What was an advantage of Stalin’s regime in wartime? What Committee conducted the war?
It was a highly effective government
State Defence Committee
Who was in charge of military command? Who did he leave alone to sort out military campaigns?
Stalin
Generals
Who did Stalin address in his first wartime speech? What land did Stalin appeal to?
“Brothers and sisters”
The “motherland”
What idea did Stalin appeal to over loyalty? What did the war become known as in Russia?
Russian nationalism
“Great Patriotic War”
What did Hitler hope that non-Russian national minorities would rise up against? What are 2 examples of national minorities?
Stalin’s regime
Ukrainians and Baltics
Who did thousands of national minorities collaborate with after suffering? How did Stalin respond to this?
German forces
To transfer a million minorities out of fear of disloyalty
What are 3 examples of national minorities that Stalin transferred East?
Ukrainians
Germans
Chechens
What Stalinist procedure continued in wartime? What else was also exploited in wartime?
Purges
Terror
What did Stalin order after Stalingrad was on the verge of defeat in 1942? How many people died as a result of these “crimes”?
Deserters and “cowards” were to be shot
13,000
