Chapter 2 - Stalin's USSR Flashcards
1
Q
Explain how Stalin rose to power through favourable circumstances.
A
- Non-disclosure of Lenin’s Testament
- Testament criticised many of the Politburo members, some of which were potential successors of Lenin like Stalin, Kamanev and Zinoviev etc
- Wanted Stalin removed as Sec-Gen and complimented Trotsky
- Politburo did not disclose the Testament to the rest of the Party as only Trotsky benefits and not the rest of the Politburo members
- Stalin hence retained his position as Sec-Gen
- As Sec-Gen, he could replace oppo in his party with his allies and gained control of the CHEKA
- Party members owed positions to Stalin –> gave their support - Trotsky’s Weaknesses
- Arrogant, outspoken, critical, argued w/ Lenin’s and Party’s ideas - criticised NEP (weakened USSR by allowing priv sectors to gain impt position in economy), criticised Politburo had too much power
- Position was a threat - Leader of Red Army and led them to victory in civil war - had the support of army and great personal abilities
- Ideas too radical - Permanent Revolution (communist revolutions around the world) vs Stalin’s Socialism in One Country (focus on strengthening USSR)
- All made Trotsky discredited, seem disloyal, unpopular, so they give support to Stalin - Trotsky fell ill
- Unable to organise his supporters, chose to remain silent on Lenin’s criticism of Stalin in testament, unable to deal w Party politics, excluded from decision making processes (Stalin eliminated Trotsky as a threat)
2
Q
Explain how Stalin rose to power through his manipulations.
A
- Took advantage of Party’s divisions
- Stalin was a Moderate who followed Lenin’s ideas closely, Trotsky was a Radical who challenged the system
- Trotsky criticised NEP (weakened USSR by allowing priv sectors to gain impt position in economy), criticised Politburo had too much power
- Stalin formed 1st Troika Alliance w/ Kamanev and Zinoviev to attack Trotsky for being disloyal to Lenin - discredited and unpopular within Politburo - Trotsky expelled from the Party - Stalin eliminated political oppo (biggest threat)
- Stalin convinced Moderates Kamanev and Zinoviev plotting w Trotsky to overthrow government - they lost popularity - eliminated political oppo
- Stalin formed 2nd Troika Alliance w Bukharin and Rykov. They wanted to go back to Lenin’s NEP, but Stalin switched alliances to win the support of Radicals and wanted modernisation and industrialisation. Party members sided w Stalin (gain support) and Bukharin and Rykov eliminated as threats (removed from Politburo) - Pretended to be close to Lenin
- Organised Lenin’s funeral and made himself chief mourner
- Ordered for Lenin’s body to be embalmed and Petrograd –> Leningrad
- Told Trotsky wrong date - he didnt show up - seen as disloyal, lost supporters (eliminate oppo)
- Public and Party had impression Lenin favoured and trusted Stalin and Stalin was natural successor of Lenin (gain support)
3
Q
Explain why Stalin implemented industrialisation.
A
- USSR was economically backward
- USSR greatly weakened from constant fighting during Feb & Oct Revolutions, WWI, Civil War
- Lacked heavy industries and highly dependent on the West who outproduced them
- Small businesses and market stalls during NEP not much labour –> many unemployed
+ve o/c: transform USSR into modernised and industrialised nation, catch up with the west and eventually outproduce them, achieve economic self-sufficiency - Needed machines for farming
- Wanted to modernise farming and replace outdated farming methods (by hand, manual labour)
- Peasants channeled to cities to ensure success of industrialisation = less grain
+ve o/c: more machines = more grain produced, free up labour for industrialisation, increased farming efficiency - Fear of an attack by hostile countries
- Through Civil War, Stalin realised USSR was surrounded by countries whose govs were hostile towards Communism and feared an attack, since he knew USSR will be defeated unless USSR had a modernised industry.
- USSR lacked heavy industries and highly dependent on the West who outproduced them
- These industries essential for automated industry for tanks planes and ammunition
+ve o/c: increase defence of USSR to be able to fight against aggressors, less dependent on other countries (self-sufficiency)
FEATURES OF INDUSTRIALISATION:
1st 5YP: emphasised heavy industries w unrealistic targets (coal and iron output X2, electric power prod X3)
2nd 5YP: emphasised heavy industries, esp communications such as railways to link industrial cities and farms
3rd 5YP: emphasised arms production - tanks, planes, ammunition
4
Q
Explain why Stalin implemented collectivisation.
A
- Lenin’s NEP was too capitalist (1)
- NEP encouraged farmers to behave as capitalists as they owned individual land, worked on their own with their own resources, sold grain for profit and employed landless labourers to work on their land
+ve o/c: move USSR towards Communism and gain control of the peasants, countryside and grain - Lenin’s NEP was too capitalist (2)
- Created a class system, there were peasants who became rich (Kulaks) and others stayed poor.
+ve o/c: move USSR from class system to classless society and eliminate Capitalism and encourage Communism - Grain shortage (1)
- Kulaks went on grain strike, held onto / consumed grains so shortage of grain will drive prices up
+ve o/c: gain control of peasants, countryside and grain to supply to workers in cities to feed them and pay for industrialisation abroad - Grain shortage (2)
- Farming methods were outdated and inefficient (by hand), so Stalin wanted to modernise farming methods for more grain
+ve o/c: more grain produced to supply to workers in cities to feed them and pay for industrialisation abroad to ensure its success, labour freed up for industrialisation - Labour needed for farming
- Farming was labour intensive, but peasants were channeled to cities to help in industrialisation, so no more labour on farms for grain
+ve o/c: more machines produced = more grain to supply to workers in cities to feed them and pay for industrialisation abroad, labour freed up for industrialisation
FEATURES OF COLLECTIVISATION:
- Peasants were forced to give up their individually owned land and join large collective farms (Kolkhoz), where there was collective ownership of land and state controlled farming and production
- Dekulakisation - removal of Kulaks as a class and labelled them as enemies to the state and blamed for grain shortages
- State provided more machines to farms like tractors for more efficient farming for more grain, free up labour in farms for industrialisation
5
Q
Explain the economic impacts of Stalin’s industrialisation.
A
- USSR became an industrial giant
- more heavy industries produced and industrial developments, and big advances made in heavy & chemical industries
+ve o/c: became largest industrial power in the world after USA, increase in expansion of energy production, increase in industrial cities eg Magnitogorsk, better communication - USSR’s centrally planned economy was inefficient
- 5YP targets were unrealistically high - factory owners under high pressure to meet the targets as failure = persecution/punishment
- emphasis on quantity, not quality = poor quality of goods produced
- inefficient and poor communication = over/under production
- ve o/c: poor quality of goods produced, more wastage, inefficient factories and industries, machines wrecked
6
Q
Explain the military impacts of Stalin’s industrialisation.
A
- USSR became a strong country with good defence
- increase in production of heavy industries and raw materials that was important for an arms industry
- government invested heavily in this area
+ve o/c: increase in defence, less dependent on other countries, powerful arms industry, can fight a long war later, eventually defeated Germany in WWII
7
Q
Explain the social impacts of Stalin’s industrialisation.
A
- Some Improvement in Working Conditions
- Peasants channeled to cities to help in industrialisation and ensure its success
- Stakhanovite Movement: rewarded workers who exceed targets with higher wages etc.
- Women encouraged to enter the workforce (abortion made legal, more childcare centers)
- ‘New Soviet Man’ - an ideal citizen who was willing to serve enthusiastically and be proud to be part of a modernised, industrialised nation
+ve o/c: more jobs, more employment, more women in workforce, more incentive to work hard - Some Improvement in Living Conditions
- School attendance made compulsory
- Each child entitled to at least 9 yrs of free education
- Education focused more on technical subjects to serve industrialisation
+ve o/c: increase in social services (eg. cheap meals, free uniforms), increased literacy - Poor Working Conditions
- 5YP targets unrealistically high –> factory owners under high pressure to meet targets –> many faked production figures as failure to meet targets = persecution/punishment
- state decided long working hours with low wages
- ve o/c: long working hours with low wages, discontentment among workers who were under great pressure to meet targets, fear among workers as failure to meet targets = persecution, intimidation, death - Poor Living Conditions
- Peasants channeled to cities for industrialisation = overcrowding
- 5YP neglected production of consumer goods
- Education full of propaganda and anti-religion to serve interests of state and not the people
- ve o/c: lacked basic amenities, lacked consumer goods, interests of people not taken into consideration
8
Q
Explain the economic impacts of Stalin’s collectivisation.
A
- Stalin gained control over the countryside and created a Communist economy
- State gained control over the countryside and grain supply to feed workers in industrial cities and sell abroad for industrialisation
- Those who opposed were sent to Gulags and subject to torture, suffering, death
- Command economy established: State controlled and decided everything
- Shared facilities in collective farms
+ve o/c: gained control over farms, peasants, grain supply, eliminated opposition, development of community outlook, gained control over economy - Increase in production of agricultural goods and food supply
- State provided machinery and chemical fertilisers to increase amount of grain produced
- State took most of the grain and paid peasants little for their grain
+ve o/c: increased farming efficiency, more grain to supply to workers in cities to feed them and pay for industrialisation abroad, labour freed up for industrialisation
9
Q
Explain the social impacts of Stalin’s collectivisation.
A
- Poor Standard of Life
- Dekulakisation
- Use of NKVD to remove opposition
- Those who supported collectivisation stationed in farms to report on those who opposed
- 3rd 5YP promise to provide land was not met
- ve o/c: peasants lost land ownership, kulaks who opposed collectivisation subject to gulags, use of force = atmosphere of fear - Great Famine, Starvation, Death
- Peasants hid grains and set fire to farms
- State took all the grain by force but did not distribute any
- Machines provided to farms were of poor quality
- ve o/c: peasants lost land ownership, many died during the famine, lack of effort = low production of grain
10
Q
Explain the political impacts of Stalin’s rule.
A
- The Great Terror
- Purges used to remove opposition
- Mass execution of skilled workers and intellectuals
- Political oppo put on show trials and forced to confess to crimes they did not commit
- Arrested many Red Army officers
- NKVD used to remove opposition
- replaced the members in his party with young and inexperienced but loyal members
- ve o/c: lack of experienced generals during WWII, poorer workers = poorer quality of goods produced = poorer efficiency, many faced death and execution = atmosphere of fear - The Great Propaganda Machine
- Films and artworks must praise Stalin and portray him as responsible for all the successes and achievements of the USSR
- Boosts Stalin’s status and discredit rivals
- Photographs edited to remove political opponents
- Full of propaganda, emphasised Communism
+ve o/c to Stalin: Cult of Personality - an ideal, heroic image of a leader, seen as rightful successor to Lenin
-ve o/c: writers and artists lost freedom of expression, youths constantly indoc. with communism, people were oppressed - Atmosphere of Fear
- The Great Terror
- Kulaks who opposed collectivisation sent to Gulags
- Used NKVD to remove opposition
- Offend Stalin’s generals in the cities = ineligible for jobs, houses and holidays
- ve o/c: low SOL, atmosphere of fear, those who opposed suffered in Gulags - Loss of Autonomy
- Minority republican states absorbed by USSR as satellite states
- Stalin felt modernisation and industrialisation was more important than cultural traditions
- Ukraine targeted during Great Famine as they desired self governance
- ve o/c: no self governance, no cultural traditions, those who wanted self governance were subject to the Great Terror
