History Stalin And Hitler Flashcards
Causes of war MAIN
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism/ expansionism
Nationalism
Lack of action by LON
Causes of outbreak of war?
-agressiveness
-military strength to wage war
-tensions, fear from worsening relations
-invasions to gain territories/ resources
-confidence to wage war
-viewing France and Britain as weak
militarism
The belief that a county should have strong military capability, prepared to use it to defend/ promote national interest
Militarism in Europe example
Naval arms race
1900, whoever conquered the waves ruled the world
Britain had most powerful navy
Germany wanted to be more
Built super battleships: dreadnoughts
1914:
Britain: 34
Germany: 22
Communism vs democracy
Single political party vs many parties, elections
Owned by state vs owned by individual
Russian civil war 1918-1922
(After oct revolution)
Red army for Lenin’s Bolshevik govt
White army for loosely allies forces
Bolsheviks took control of factories mines workshops and railways, took grain by force : war communism
End: Lenin’s red army victors, established USSR
No war communism, intro NEP (new economic policy) - temporary
Lenin’s new economic policy (NEP)
Indivs can own small businesses
Small scale tradin: market stalls, small businesses
Peasants owned land, can plant crops for profit/ use
Class of wealthy peasants: kulaks
- held onto grains to make more profit/ used it (grain strike)
Lenin’s Soviet Union
Authoritarian govt
All opp parties banned
Party selects leaders, not people
Politburo makes important decisions
Cheka (secret police) monitor and eliminate opponents
State controlled all media
Content concepts: Stalin’s rise to power
- gain broad-based support
- eliminate political opponents
Nom disclosure of Lenin’s testament
Leading communist party members decided not to disclose to other party members
Criticism of Stalin and other leaders including potential successors
Wanted Stalin removed as Secretary General
Stalin retained position: gained support from party
Trotskys weaknesses: position
Position was a threat:
leader of red army
Seen as Lenin’s successor
Led red army to victory against white army
Has army’s support
Unpopular with politburo: seen as bigger threat
- eliminate trotsky as a threat
Trotskys weaknesses: attitude
Arrogant outspoken critical argued with party and Lenin:
- criticised Lenin’s NEP
- criticised politburo for too much control/power
Seen as disloyal - gave support to Stalin, eliminate trotsky as threat
Trotskys weaknesses: ideas
Ideas were too radical from party’s:
Idea of permenant revolution went against Stalin’s socialism in one country
Lost credibility, party supported Stalin’s ideas
- gave support to Stalin, eliminate trotsky as a threat
First troika alliance
Kamanev and zinoviev: moderates
Attacked trotsky:
Criticised NEP : wanted industrialisation
Criticised party organisations
Trotsky was expelled
Stalin: gain support, eliminate threat
Breaking of first troika alliance
Convinced moderates that Kamanev and zinoviev plotted with trotsky to overthrow govt
They were discredited, lost popularity
Stalin: eliminate opponents as threat
Troika alliance: switch from moderates to radicals
Rykov and bukharin: wanted to return to Lenin’s NEP (moderates)
Stalin switched to radicals - wanted industrialisation and central control of econ
Party sided w Stalin, removed them from politburo
- gain support
- eliminate opponents as threats
Stalin’s role of Secretary General
Can appoint and reassign party members
- replaced opponents w allies: owed Stalin- gained support
- gained control of Cheka: less support of trotsky (resigned expelled and assassinated) - eliminate opponents
Stalin pretend to be close to Lenin
- organised Lenin’s funeral, was chief mourner
- ordered body to be embalmed
- city of Petrograd to Leningrad
- gave trotsky wrong date
Party mems and public: impression that Lenin favoured and trusted Stalin - look like natural successor
- gain mass support
Content concept: reasons for policy implementation
To achieve pos outcomes
: for country / ppl
: for Stalin / communism
Move from disadvantage to advantage position
Rapid industrialisation reasons : economic
A series of 5 year plans
USSR was economicly backwards
Weakened by constant fighting
Lacked heavy industries
Many were unemployed
Wanted ussr to be modernised, powerful industrialised nation
Catch up with west, be less dependent, economic self sufficiency
The 3 5 year plans
1:
emphasised heavy industries
Unrealistic high targets
Coal & iron output x2 ; electric power prod x3
Built 1.5k new industrial plants and cities
2:
emphasised heavy industries and communications, esp. railways to link places tgt
3:
Resources into dev of arms tanks planes and weapons
Rapid industrialisation reasons : economy 2
Needed to make machines for farming
Improve industry impt to industrialisation- modernise farming
Peasants can move to city for industries
Incr grain supply to feed cities
1-2 5y plans focus on heavy industries
Large industrial cities created- needed many workers
More grain
More workers for cities - faster industrialisation
Industrialisation reasons military
Fear of hostile attack from other countries
Russian civil war: showed surrounding countries were hostile to communism (Britain France USA on side of white army)
Believed likely to be attacked and defeated unless have a modernised industry
Lacked heavy industries, depended on west (out produced ussr) - essential for arms
Collectivisation reasons: political
Lenin’s NEP was too capitalist
Peasant owned land, sold grains for profit : kulaks
Merged small farms into larger collective farms
Collective land ownership, state controlled
Dekulakisation: removing rich peasants as a class- labelled as state enemies, blamed for grain shortage
Move towards communism, state control- more efficient
Move to classless society
