Extra detail: The Great Patriotic War and its impact on the Soviet Union, 1941-45 Flashcards

1
Q

What saved Stalin from intial defeat in the Great Patriotic war?

A
  • The USSR’s size
    • huge population
    • massive distances
  • The severity of the Russian winter
  • The patriotism of the Soviet people
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2
Q

What was the Stavka?

A

The top-level military command of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War

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3
Q

When was the Stavka formed?

A

23 June 1941

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4
Q

Who comprised the Stavka?

A

Key generals e.g. Timoshenko and Zhukov and key politicians e.g Molotov and Voroshilov

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5
Q

When did the Grand Alliance with Great Britain start?

A

June 1941 after the German invasion

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6
Q

When did the Grand Alliance with the US start?

A

December 1942 after Pearl Harbour

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7
Q

When did the German retreat from Caucasus start?

A

22 December 1942

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8
Q

When was Rostov liberated by the Red Army?

A

24 February 1943

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9
Q

When was the delayed launch of Operation Citadel?

A

4 July 1943

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10
Q

What was Operation Citadel?

A

An offensive near Kursk in July

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11
Q

Why was the T-34 tank so good?

A

Had a less sophisticated design and engineering than the most advanced German tanks but it was very durable and easy to maintain and repair

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12
Q

When was the Peninsula liberated by the Red Army?

A

13 May 1944

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13
Q

When was Vilnius (Lithuania) captured by the Red Army?

A

13 July 1944

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14
Q

When did the Soviet siege of Budapest begin?

A

29 December 1944

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15
Q

How many times did Kharkiv (Ukraine) change hands and when?

A

4
First overrun Oct 1941, recaptured Feb 1942, lost March 1942, scene of massive battle in May 1942, liberated August 1943

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16
Q

In what ways was normal life changed for civilians?

A
  • The displacement effect of the German invasion
  • Mobilisation for the armed forces/work in munitions factories
  • Mass deportations
  • Attrocities by the German occupiers
  • Repressive measures by the Soviet dictatorship against its own people
17
Q

Why were the Germans welcomed in some parts of the Ukraine and the Baltic States?

A

The Nazi leaders had talked about ‘liberating’ the subject nationalities from a communist system

18
Q

Why were trains so important to the war effort?

A

They made the movement of factories possible:
- 3000 wagons per day took steel factory equipment from the Dnieper area
- 3000 per day the electrical industry
- 25,000 wagons a week shifted factories from Ukraine
- 80,000 wagons moved 500 factories from Moscow