3: WW2

Question 1

Psychological weaknesses

Answer 1

Army feared trying anything new
WW1 memories still strong
People expected to fight former allies suddenly

Question 2

Economic weaknesses

Answer 2

Food supply significantly reduced due to most investment directed to defence

Question 3

Military weakness

Answer 3

Purchase left top ranks of army bereft of talent (Tukhachevsky) and training became inadequate
Stalin did little to prepare for war, despite knowing that the Soviet-Nazi friendship was temporary
Poor quality and quantity of equipment and most models were outdated

Question 4

How did Stalin apease senior army officers in the wake of the purges?

Answer 4

He reintroduced special badges of rank

Question 5

What were the first two key policies of the wartime economy?

Answer 5

Use a scorched earth policy to deprive Nazis of critical farming land
Physically move over 1500 Soviet factories further east (2nd and 3rd plans had already started this)

Question 6

How did Soviet industrial production compare to German industrial production by 1943?

Answer 6

By 1943 Soviet industrial production was of higher quantity and quality

Question 7

During the war membership to the party…

Answer 7

Soared

Question 8

Food production in 1942

Answer 8

Struggle to keep pace with production in 1942 being 1/3 of what it had been in 1940

Question 9

When was lend-lease introduced?

Answer 9

1941

Question 10

How much aid in $ did the USA lend Soviet Union?

Answer 10

$11 billion

Question 11

By ____, ___ of all vehicles in the USSR overseas

Answer 11

By 1945, 2/3 of all vehicles in the USSR overseas

Question 12

How much food did the USA send the Soviet Union?

Answer 12

5 million tonnes

Question 13

Of all foreign aid sent to the Soviet Union, how much was from the USA?

Answer 13

94% of 17.5 million tonnes of supplies

Question 14

What’s were the Nazis’ territory gains by the end of 1941?

Answer 14

Over half of the USSR’s coal
Almost half of the USSR’s railways and arable land

Question 15

What were used to supervise the economy?

Answer 15

Peoples’ Commissars
(Efficient)

Question 16

In 1941 all ____ were mobilised for war work

Answer 16

Undrafted workers

Question 17

What happened to discipline in the army and workplace?

Answer 17

Overtime became obligatory
Absence was seen as desertion and punishable by death

Question 18

How many deaths suffered by the USSR were caused by starvation?

Answer 18

Over 1/4

Question 19

What did Stalin do to lift morale?

Answer 19

Reopened churches

Question 20

Name one of the partisan groups

Answer 20

Belski Triad

Question 21

What was the war called in the USSR?

Answer 21

The Great Patriotic War

Question 22

How was playing on people’s nationalism pragmatic?

Answer 22

Stalin knew that people would rather fight for Russia than communism

Question 23

What was the name of the invasion into the USSR?

Answer 23

Operation Barbarossa

Question 24

What did Stalin do immediately after the invasion?

Answer 24

Retired to his dacha and was not seen until 10 days later

Question 25

What demonstrated Stalin’s unpopularity?

Answer 25

The Nazis were frequently welcomed as liberators in part of Belorussia and Ukraine
Russian Liberation Movement was formed to fight alongside the Nazis - at its peak 50,000 troops

Question 26

How many collaborated with the Nazis?

Answer 26

Over 1 million

Question 27

What was the ‘Not one step backwards’ order?

Answer 27

Terror policy
Any soldier fleeing shot on sight
Over 150,000 killed under this

Question 28

Stalin’s speeches proved…

Answer 28

Crucial to morale

Question 29

Which general proved crucial to repelling advancing Nazis from Moscow?

Answer 29

General Zhukov

Question 30

What did Stalin do that Hitler did not?

Answer 30

He recognised the need to let his military commanders lead, he accepted advice, and he knew his tactical limitations

Question 31

What did Stalin do after the war, fearing his authority?

Answer 31

Demoted General Zhukov

Question 32

What impact did the war have on Stalin’s reputation?

Answer 32

He was seen as a national superhero and any question over his suitability to rule disappeared.
The era of high Stalinism had begun.

Question 33

How did the Soviet government use this new reputation as a great military power?

Answer 33

To maintain influence in the Baltic states and expand into eastern Europe

Question 34

How did Stalin treat many returning POWs?

Answer 34

He suspected they had been tainted with western values and many were sent straight to labour camps.

Question 35

How many people in the western provinces were left with nothing?

Answer 35

Over 25 million

Question 36

What impact did the war have on soviet citizens’ view on the West?

Answer 36

The isolation of the pre-war years had been shattered.
Lend lease and the experience of soldiers opened the eyes of Soviet citizens to the realities of the West

Question 37

Which group was virtually wiped out for their support of the Nazis?

Answer 37

The Cossacks

Question 38

How much of the industry had been destroyed?

Answer 38

70%

Question 39

Why did the defence budget increase after the war?

Answer 39

To cover the cost of
New soviet satellite states
The Arms Race
Abrupt end of Lend Lease

Question 40

Agriculture destruction by scorched earth policy

Answer 40

1945 harvest was less than 60% of 1940
2/3 farmers had gone
Only 1/3 farms left operational in west