Gulags Flashcards
Main problem by 1929?
Who’s approach to solving this problem did Stalin favour?
Who’s idea was this approach?
What was the approach?
too many people for prison / gulag system to handle
Yagoda’s approach
Nataly Frenkel’s idea
to develop industrial resources in the far North of Siberia through use of ‘experimental camps’ each with around 50,000 prisoners
By 1934, how many people were in the camps?
1 million
What was the first major Gulag project? how many prisoners were working on this project by 1932? Role of Naftaly Frenkel? What was doen to save money? Result? Who decided to do this? How many prisoners died?
White Sea Canal employed 100,000 by 1932 Frenkel in charge of construction depth of the canal reduced from 22ft to 12ft canal = virtually useless Frenkel 25,000 prisoners died
By the early 1950s, how many camp complexes existed?
at least 476
by the time Stalin died, how many people is it estimated passed through the Gulag system?
8 million
Within days of Stalin’s death, what happened?
camp system dismantled
What % of Gulag prisoners died during WW2?
nearly 25%
Example of work of Gulag prisoners - what did prisoners in a camp in central Moscow do?
built apartment blocks
Who were the majority of prisoners?
peasants
How may years would you be sentenced to in a gulag for stealing 1 ear of corn?
7 years
conditions and diet?
conditions poor
disease common, particularly scurvy
1 meal per day of bread made from flour and water
What would often happen to those in Gulags that were no longer useful due to pregnancy, illness or old age?
Why?
What would otherwise happen?
often released
did not want to waste resources on them
otherwise left in Gulag to die
