High Stalinism Flashcards
Why did Stalin target Polina Molotova
She was Jewish and had been to welcoming to the Israeli ambassador
When did Stalin vote to expel Polina from the party
December 1948
What was Molotov’s reaction to Stalin’s treatment of his wife
Divorced her under Stalin’s orders
Apologised for not voting for her expulsion
When was Polina arrested
January 1949
How did Politburo’s describe meetings with Stalin
Uncertainty over whether they would be allowed to leave or they would be arrested
How many doctors where accused of colluding with the US to kill high ranking Soviets
13
What happened to the doctors accused of being involved in the plot
2 killed during torture
Remaining sentenced to be executed but Stalin died prior to this and the plot was declared a fabrication
Who was Zhdanov
Stalin’s favourite member of the Politburo
Had led the defence of Stalingrad in WWII
Died in 1948 sparking the doctors plot conspiracy
What happened to the Leningrad wing of the party following the death of Zhdanov
Purged high ranking members (Kunetsov & Voznesensky) who may have risen to rival Stalin
Why was the Leningrad purge committed
Politburo members wanted to show loyalty to Stalin who himself wanted to show his ruthlessness
Who were the Mingrelians
Ethnic group in Georgia
What was the NKVD renamed to in 1946
MVD
Why was Stalin’s decision to pick Beria to purge the Mingrelian party members so serious
Beria himself was a Mingrelian and it is theorised that the purge was a precursor to an attack on Beria
When was the Politburo abolished
19th Party Congress (1952)
How long did Stalin’s 70th birthday celebrations last
1 year 8 months (December 1949 – August 1951)
How much had party membership increased through WWII
Increase of 2 million (mainly under 45s)
What replaced the Politburo
Presidium (25 members as opposed to 11)
Who’s music was banned for being too western
Shostakovich
When did the USSR first get atomic weapons
1949
Who was Lysenko
A biologist who claimed that changes in a plants environment could lead to changes in its DNA. He claimed refrigerating seeds would mean they’d grow in cold climates. This was false and held back progress as genetic scientists who disagreed were arrested.
How many people were deported 1945-49
142,000
In 1952 what percentage of gulag inmates were not completing their work
32%
How many died from starvation 1946-47
1.5 million
What did Stalin do to Zhukov
Accused of plotting against Stalin, sent to Odessa
How many extra hours of work a month did workers in Leningrad have to do
30 hours
What percentage of grain was taken from peasants in 1946 (poor harvest year)
70%
