Great Patriotic War Flashcards
what was the perception of the USSR’s role in WW2?
-63% of russians felt russia could’ve been successful in the war without any help from allies
-Stalin disguised how many casualties there really were (he said there were only 7.5mil)
-they didn’t want to acknowledge the immense help from the allies - in reality the Lend Lease contributed majorly to Russia - 17.5bn tonnes of goods were sent from US?
-for the soviet people, the victory was sacred and victory wasn’t questioned
how did the war impact the economy?
-there was destruction to soviet infrastructure
-industry was destroyed but not awful affected due to how some factories were moved behind the urals
-gov. prioritised rapid reconstruction
-by 1950s industrial output had reached pre-war levels
-post war economy prioritised heavy industry to compete with the US in the cold war
-led to advancements in military technology
-but consumer goods were neglected
how did the war impact agriculture?
-suffered heavily due to scorched earth policy
-collectivisation destabilised the agricultural sector
-reduced labour force meant production decreased
-famine conditions persisted in some areas for years
-agricultural recovery was slow compared to industry
what was the perception of the USSR’s role in WW2?
-60ish% of russians felt russia could’ve won the war without any help from allies
-stalin lied about civilian death count
-he didn’t want to acknowledge help from allies (e.g. lend lease) - in reality the US sent 17.5bn tonnes of goods
-for the soviet people, victory was sacred and it couldn’t be questioned
how did the war impact the economy?
-enormous destruction of infrastructure
-not too much disruption to industry as many factories had been moved behind the Urals
-gov. prioritised industrial output - by 1950s industrial output had returned to pre-war levels
-prioritised heavy industry to keep up with US in cold war
-led to advancements in military technology but consumer goods remained scarce
how did the war impact agriculture?
-suffered heavily due to scorched earth policy
-collectivisation destabilised the agricultural sector
-reduced labour force meant production decreased
-famine conditions persisted in some areas for years
-recovery was slow compared to industry
how did Stalin’s leadership change during the war?
-it increased his authoritarianism
-gained the reputation of wartime hero which helped him to justify his repressive policies
-he intensified his purges and targeted returning prisoners of war who he saw as potential traitors
-fear became a significant aspect of soviet governance
-the party strengthened its control over all aspects of soviet life which allowed Stalin to maintain a high level of political conformity
-post war, central gov. cracked down on expressions of nationalism
-regime emphasised collective recovery over individual needs
-intensified ideological education to emphasise the people’s role in the victory, which reinforced loyalty to the state
how did the perception of Stalin change during the war?
-enhanced his domestic and international reputation
-initially he faced criticism for early defeats but once the red army started achieving victories he was celebrated
-his cult of personality grew significantly and he was portrayed as the defender of the soviet people
-among elites his reputation became associated with fear
what was the impact of the war on the soviet people?
-immense loss of life - estimated 27 million casualties
-high citizen involvement e.g. having to build anti-tank ditches
-left a significant social and psychological impact
-large parts of the population were displaced
-thousands of villages ceased to exist
-the demographic impact affected family structures, birth rates and the workforce
-BUT it fostered a sense of resilience and pride amongst the people
-victory day became one of the most popular holidays in the union
-the collective memory of sacrifice and triumph solidified a soviet identity
