3- Religion

Question 1

How successful was communist suppression of religion USSR 1918 to 85?

Answer 1

P1- agree, p2- disagree Lenin and Khrushchev reversed under Stalin and brez due to war and foreign diplomacy, P3- Islam campaign unsuccessful

Question 2

Successful agree- statistic that shows was a success

Answer 2

A survey commissioned by the government during the 1980s found that only 25% of the population believed in God.

Question 3

P1- Lenin

Answer 3

1918 the decree on freedom of conscience separate the Orthodox Church on the state and lost its privileged status. Deprived of land without compensation, publication is outlawed and all religious education out of the home was banned. All monasteries closed. Red terror by 1923, 28 bishops and more than 1000 priests had been killed. 1929 the league of the militant godless propaganda campaign disproving, for example plane rides. Religious rituals attacked

Question 4

P1/ Lenin statistic

Answer 4

The scale of the attacks led many church leaders to seek an accommodation with the regime. By the end of 1930, 4 out of five of all village churches either no longer operated or destroyed

Question 5

P1- Stalin

Answer 5

Campaign of religious repression during collectivisation. Most churches were closed and village priests were labelled as kulaks and deported. Great purge 1936-39 only 12 out of the 163 bishops were still at liberty. The “Godless Five-Year Plan,” launched in 1928, gave local cells of the anti-religious organization, League of Militant Atheists, new tools to disestablish religion. Churches were closed and stripped of their property, as well as any educational or welfare activities that went beyond simple liturgy

Question 6

P1- Khrushchev

Answer 6

Anti-religious campaign- pursued a program of active oppression similar to that of Stalin. Parish councils were placed under the control of party officials who often dismissed priests. Within four years 10,000 of the existing churches were closed. Surviving priests often harassed by the secret police. Gagarin and Tereshkova went to heaven and didn’t see God.

Question 7

P2- disagree STALIN

Answer 7

Stalin reached a pragmatic alliance with the church during the 1941 invasion. More liberal approach, the patriarchate was reestablished, some churches reopened and new seminaries were set up to train priests.

Question 8

P2- Disagreee BREZHNEV

Answer 8

 After 1964, active persecution of the church declined due to the politically charged alliance. Brezhnev aware stories of religious persecution did not go down well in the West and had a damaging impact on foreign policy. Happy to allow the church to act within limits.

Question 9

P3- Islam

Answer 9

 while there was attempts to try and stamp Islamic beliefs out for example closing mosques condemning Ramadan and the campaign against revealing of women 1927 it was too ingrained into a distinct way of life and integrated within its community. Many Muslims tend to observe obedience to the state in public while Retaining Islamic customs in private. Others joined underground brotherhood is known as tariqat do you continue the fight for Islamic rights.

Question 10

P3- what did the suppression of Islamic beliefs lead to

Answer 10

A series of violent revolts 1928-29, during which the Chechens of Southern Russia with particularly active. Lenin procrastinated because he feared Islam’s links to national minorities are in the USSR threaten social cohesion and this was made reality with these results.

Question 11

Conclusion

Answer 11

For those who remained faithful, the actions of the government seem to have intensified their religious commitment. In underground network of support developed that often provided sustenance to those his needs are not being met by the government. Bolsheviks failure to stamp out influence – survey of the peasantry in the mid-1920s revealed 55% were still active Christians. Little to no reduction in actual belief does the extent to which it was openly practised. Most retained Christianity. Stalin pragmatic reasons and Brezhnev for personal/communist rhetoric reasons.

Question 12

Conclusion- Khrushchev limits

Answer 12

Once the grip of oppression had been released, the faith are returned to the church in the millions. Destalinisation meant that terror and force was not used.

Question 13

Attitudes to Islam initially

Answer 13

The Bolsheviks feared that Islam’s links to national minorities within the USSR might threaten the social cohesion of the state so made little attempt to reduce the influence of sharia law courts, schools and mullahs. It was not until the mid-1920s that the government felt confident enough to attack Islamic institutions and rituals

Question 14

How accurate is it to say that the Soviet government were consistently hostile to religion 1917-1985

Answer 14

Agree- each leader had violent policies towards them. Disagree- STALIN and Brez accommodation (pragmatic approach as WW2), disagree because Islam careful (can also be seen by policy towards women in Islamic communities)

Question 15

Brezhnev more on what he did

Answer 15

The government used the Council of Religious Affairs to monitor religious services and clergy were classified according to loyalty to socialism. The church expected to stick to formal church services and support Soviet policy where the Church could provide facilities, such as help for the poor

Question 16

Hostility under Brez

Answer 16

1976, a group of Orthodox priests set up the Christian Committee for the Defence of Believers’ Rights to draw attention to human rights abuses. Step too far for Brez- Father Yakunin, its leader, sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for anti-Soviet propaganda 1979. Religious groups, such as Jews and Baptists, who were more likely to be critical of the regime were treated with less tolerance. Their evangelical activities of preaching to gain converts were restricted. Prayer meeting broken up and members dismissed from their jobs.