★ Role of Women, Men and Youth

Question 1

★ What was the Role of Women under Lenin?

Answer 1

★ Lenin regarded the traditional Bourgeois marriage as akin to slavery
★ Wanted to create large-scale provisions of facilities such as kindergartens, creches, canteens and laundries but this was unavailable due to Russia’s economy
★ Laws made divorce easiers and abortions were allowed
★ However, this also meant that men would leave women after getting them pregnant, 70% of divorces were initiated by men
★ By 1927, 2/3 of marriages in Moscow ended in divorce

Question 2

★ What is the Great Retreat?

Answer 2

★ Has been used to describe Stalin’s policy on women and family. It was a conscious rejection of the social experiments of the post revolutionary period

Question 3

★ What was the Role of Women under Stalin?

Answer 3

★ Abortion outlawed except when there was a threat to a woman’s life
★ Divorce made harder
★ Child support payments were fixed at a quarter of wages or salery for one child, a third for two and 50-60% for three or more children
★ Mothers with 6 children were to receive cash payments of 2000 roubles a year
★ 1930s saw a move to pro-family, pro-discipline and anti-abortion policies

Question 4

★ What was the Role of Men under Lenin?

Answer 4

★ Soldiers and fighters, was brought about in a time of instability in Russia (Civil war, Revolution)

Question 5

★ What was the Role of Men under Stalin

Answer 5

★ A new ‘ Soviet man ‘ who were the perfect Socialist and working man, with one example being Magnitogorsk
★ Socialism reinforced in education in Magnitogorsk, compulsory courses on Marxism-Leninism were mandatory at a young age
★ Barracks in Magnitogorsk would have ‘ Red Corners ‘
★ Public holidays on the anniversaries of the October Revolution and May Day
★ Would refer to eachother as fellow Soviets
★ Campaigns to improve behaviour by improving Men’s behaviour towards women and discouraging alcohol consumption
★ Cinemas in Magnitogorsk used to spread propaganda

Question 6

★ What was the Role of Youth under Stalin?

Answer 6

★ Role of Pavlik Morozov: Hailed as a Good Soviet and was admired in songs, stories and statues. Was a young boy who denounced his village and father as kulaks for hiding grain and was killed for it

★ Role of Komsomol:

Under Lenin: Set up in 1918 and were used to impose labour discipline, create shock brigades, enforce collectivisation, collect state procurement of grain, lead the campaign against religion and keep an eye on bureaucracy

Under Stalin: Taught communist values, smoking, drinking and religion were discouraged, members took an oath to live, study and fight for the Fatherland and helped to carry out party campaigns

★ Changes in Education: Move from the Quota system which placed Working-class students in Secondary Schools to Selection where all able children were given a good education
★ Emphasis put on the training of specialists who could help in the industrial drive, with courses in science, maths and technology
★ Teachers and lecturers closely watched by Government and could be arrested