Communism in Russia Flashcards
What year does Stalin become leader of the USSR?
1928
Communist Party grew how much between 1928 and 1933?
From 1.3 million in 1928 to 3.3 million in 1933
Between what years was the first five year plan and what were it’s aims?
1928-1932
It focused on Industry. Coal, oil, steel and electricity production.
What were the results of the first five year plan?
The production of coal doubled and of electricity tripled. The workforce rose rom 11 million to 22 million.
Between what years was the second five year plan and what were it’s aims?
1933-1937
Maintain industry, focus on consumer goods and Transportation. increase spending on armaments
What were the results of the second five year plan?
Moscow Underground, canal and rail links capital and countryside built.
Between what years was the third five year plan and what were it’s aims?
1988-1941
Cutback on Consumer goods, Focus on armament
What were the results of the third five year plan?
Spending on armaments went from 16 percent to 33 percent. Interrupted by the German Invasion in 1941
Results of Economic plans
- Internal passport system keep people in places of most need
- Gulag labour used to subsidise in undesirable areas
- Unemployment eradicated
- 90percent of population deemed literate
- Bad working conditions unrealistic targets, tool broken or day missed, fired or imprisoned
- lying about output figures
What was Collectivisation?
Individual farms combined to larger state farms in order to improve grain output and get rid of Kulaks.
What year was Collectivisation made compulsory?
1929
What was the response to Collectivisation?
Farmers burn crops slaughter animals. Red Army destroy villages and arrest farmers, execute rebels. Dekulakisation. Army between 1932-1933. 97 percent of farms collectivised. 10 million dead from police and famine.
How were children exposed to Propaganda?
Groups such as Young Communists and Little Octobrists. Curriculums edited, Communism taught. Stalin giving larger role in 1917 revolution.
Forms of Propaganda
- Censorship of art and writing
- Only newspapers promote communism and Stalin denounce opposition, Pravda, Izvestia
- Depict compliant happy workforce
What was the Cult of personality?
- Stalin represented as Godlike Figure
- 1929, 50th birthday big celebration
- Statues and posters
- Volgograd renamed Stalingrad, he fought there during war.
Who was assainated by who that led to the show trials?
Sergei Kirov, (communist leader in Leningrad, threat to Stalin) by Leonid Nikolaev.
The first show trial
1936, Trial of 16
- Zinoviev and Kamenev
- Plotting with Trotsky and the Gestapo to assassinate Kirov and overthrow government.
- Yagoda(head of nkvd) led torture
- scripted
- Andrey Vyshinsky prosecutor provided no evidence
- All were excecuted
- World Press invited
the second show trial
1937, Trial of 17
- Radek implicates Bukarhin and Rykov
- 13 killed, 4 sent to Gulag, Rykov killed in Gulag
the third show trial
1938, Trail of 21
- Bukharin Rykov and Yagoda
- Accused of plotting to kill Lenin and Stalin. Yagoda of spying for Germany
- Bukharin resisted torture until family brought in, dnied knowledge of chrages but pleaded guilty
- Members Trotskys famiy brought in and executed.
- All found guilty and executed
Purges other than show trials
1937, 35,000 soldiers shot or jailed.
-NKVD had quota of people to imprison, toture and execute so civilians suffered.
