High Stalinism

Question 1

When did the Presidium replace the Politburo?

Answer 1

1952- after the 19th Party Congress

Question 2

What was the GKO?

Answer 2

A structure which, during the war, had power over all existing party and state bodies. It supervised the military, political and economic life of the country, and formally brought back centralised control.

Question 3

When was the GKO dismantled?

Answer 3

4th September 1945, due to fear that the military had become too politically powerful.

Question 4

When did the Cult of Personality reach its height?

Answer 4

1940s

Question 5

How did Stalin re-assert centralised control after the war?

Answer 5

He played major figures off against each other eg. Zhadonov Vs Melankov in relation to the Berlin blockade

Question 6

How much had party membership grown during the war?

Answer 6

Grown from 4 to 6 million members, with a large number under the age of 45

Question 7

Who were the “faceless bureaucrats”?

Answer 7

The new party intake who had little knowledge of life outside the USSR, old revolutionary history or cultural traditions. They tended to follow orders without question, giving Stalin more control than ever.

Question 8

How was industry mobilised during the war?

Answer 8

. Up to 1.5 million railway wagon-loads of plant and machinery, and hundreds of thousands of workers, up to 10% of the USSR’s productive capacity, were moved away from major cities.

Question 9

How many new factories were built during the war?

Answer 9

3,500

Question 10

What was “Scorched Earth Policy”

Answer 10

A policy of burning invaded land so that it could be of no use to the enemy- destroyed agriculture

Question 11

How reliant was the USSR on “lend-lease programmes” from the Allies?

Answer 11

Lend-lease made up 10% of the USSR’s GDP in 1943-44

Question 12

What successes did industry have during the war?

Answer 12

In 1942-43, Soviet factories were producing aircraft and weaponry faster than German factories

Question 13

What was the state of agriculture like after the war?

Answer 13

Nearly 100,000 collective farms had stopped functioning

Question 14

How much of the USSR’s total investment was put into heavy industry?

Answer 14

85%- the target was to exceed pre-war industrial levels

Question 15

How was the population mobilised into industry after the war?

Answer 15

In Leningrad, workers had to contribute an extra 30 hours a month on top of their 8 hour working days. Citizens out of work had to contribute 60 hours, and students 10 hours.

Question 16

What was the output of industry after the war?

Answer 16

Production of coal and steel passes pre-war levels and industrial production in general exceeded 1940s levels.

Question 17

What was life like for the peasants?

Answer 17

. Grain procurement to feed the people in towns and cities took up 70% of a much reduced yield, leaving barely enough to feed the peasants and livestock.
. In 1946-7, up to 1.5 million peasants died from starvation
. During 1947, delivery targets and taxes on peasants were raised to new heights. eg. a tax on every fruit tree owned by a peasant.
. by 1952, the number of Kolkhoz’ reduced to 94,800 to increase production and government control

Question 18

What was the Zhadanovschina?

Answer 18

Cultural purges launched in 1946 fearing increased Westernisation after the war

Question 19

How was society mobilised during the war?

Answer 19

In December 1941, a new law was introduced which stated that all men aged 16-55 and women ages 16-45 had to dedicate themselves to the war effort.
Overtime became obligatory, holiday was suspended and the working day was increased to 12 hours.

Question 20

How many soldiers were killed between 1941-45?

Answer 20

8.6 million

Question 21

How many total casualties did the USSR suffer during the war?

Answer 21

25 million (over a quarter from starvation)

Question 22

How many women were employed in agriculture by the end of the war?

Answer 22

80% of the agricultural workforce

Question 23

How did women help on the frontline?

Answer 23

40% of doctors and 100% of the nurses working on the frontline were women

Question 24

what was the “Central Women’s School For Sniping Training”?

Answer 24

A school which trained female snipers. It turned out 1,061 snipers and 407 instructors, its graduated killed 12,000 German soldiers.

Question 25

Which poet was purged under the Zhadanovschina?

Answer 25

Anna Akhomatova

Question 26

What did Lysenko incorrectly theorise in 1948?

Answer 26

Imposed the incorrect theory that heritable changes in plants could be achieved by changes in environment rather than genetics along eg. grain seeds that had been refrigerated would grow in colder climates

Question 27

What was the Doctors Plot?

Answer 27

13 doctors were accused of conspiring with the USA to kill off Soviet Officials, following the death of Zhadanov. 2 died under torture but Stalin died before the rest could be killed.

Question 28

What was the Leningrad Affair?

Answer 28

A severe purge of the Leningrad party

Question 29

What were the Mingrelian Purges

Answer 29

Stalin instructed Beria, who was Mingrelian, to purge a large number of the Mingrelian Party as a test of loyalty

Question 30

How many women were in the workforce during the war?

Answer 30

Between 1942-45, women made up 53% of the workforce