Russia 10

Question 1

who were the 4 potential successors of Stalin?

Answer 1

Malenkov, Molotov, Beria, Kruschev

Question 2

why was Malenkov a potential successor or Stalin?

Answer 2

-close associate of Stalin.
-had been appointed by Stalin as deputy PM
-firm believer in communist dictatorship
-after Stalin’s death, he started to advocate for some reform (reducing burden on collective farms and increasing consumer goods production

Question 3

why was Molotov a potential successor of Stalin?

Answer 3

-one of Stalin’s closest associates
-staunch believer in Stalin’s system
-made a name for himself during the Soviet Unions invasion of Finland in 1939
-opposed any significant chnage in Soviet politics

Question 4

why was Beria a potential successor of Stalin?

Answer 4

-head of NKVD and oversaw mass terror in late 1930s
-terrified other members of communist elite
-suprisingly, publicly advocated moderate political policies and change to foreign relations

Question 5

why was Krushchev a potential successor of Stalin?

Answer 5

-former peasant
-risen to prominence under Stalin and reputation as an efficient worker
-after Stalin’s death, appointed first secretary of the communist party
-quickly advocated significant reform, greater social freedom and condemned Stalins COP

Question 6

how did Krushchev increase his power within the communist party after Stalin’s death?

Answer 6

through patronage by appointing supporters to party posts

Question 7

who, at first, emerged as the clearest frontrunner for power following Stalin’s death?

Answer 7

Beria- moderate policies were popular with the Soviet public, released gulag prisoners and denounced purges

Question 8

how was Beria removed as a potential successor to Stalin?

Answer 8

Krushchev, Malenkov and Molotov conspired against him and he was arrested and an anti-Beria campaign launched in press, accusing him of ‘criminal anti-state and anti-party activities’. Dec 1953, secretly tried and executed

Question 9

how did splits emerge between Molotov + Malenkov and Krushchev in 1954?

Answer 9

M + M- launched a ‘New course’ to reduce peasant taxes, reform collective farms, invest more in consumer goods
K- more ambitious, advocated simultaneous expansion of light and heavy industry + agriculture through ‘virgin lands’ project

Question 10

how was Malenkov removed as a potential successor of Stalin in 1955?

Answer 10

he was isolated and lacked support from rest of party. forced to step down as chairman of the council of ministers an exiled to Kazhakstan. replaced by Bulganin (appointed by Krushchev)

Question 11

how did Kruschev boost his own credibility to succeed Stalin in 1956?

Answer 11

he stole the show at the 20th communist party congress where he denounced Stalin in his ‘secret speech’ and established himself as leading figure for succession and reform

Question 12

how did Krushchev’s use of patronage prove useful in 1957?

Answer 12

1957- majority in the communist party presidium voted to dismiss Krushchev but were overruled by the central committee (full of his supporters)

Question 13

how did krushchev manage to remove Malenkov and Molotov?

Answer 13

they were denouned as the ‘Anti-party group’ accused of conservatism and supporting Stalin’s purges, expelled from communist party central committee

Question 14

how did Krushchev consolidate his succession of Stalin?

Answer 14

he began to expel other leading communists who might oppose him, including Zhukov

Question 15

what year did Krushchev become Soviet leader?

Answer 15

1958

Question 16

when was the 20th party congress?

Answer 16

25th Feb 1956

Question 17

how did Krushchev denounce Stalin during his ‘secret speech’?

Answer 17

accused Stalin of bearing responsibility for the purges of 1930s. attacking Stalin’s “personality cult”, suggested Stalin had deviated from Lenin’s own ideas + caused tremendous harm to the cause of socialist progress”

Question 18

how did Krushchev avoid implicating himself in any of Stalin’s crimes?

Answer 18

-steered the speech away from discussing the punishing of Stalin’s supporters.
-deliberately avoided questioning the party’s right to rule alone

Question 19

how was destalinisation apparent with the police state under Stalin?

Answer 19

-was gradually dismantled
-after Beria arrested + executed police services under control of party
-secret police reduced in size

Question 20

how was destalinisation limited with the police state?

Answer 20

still a crime to conspire and organise against the communist party

Question 21

how did destalination occur within the party itself?

Answer 21

-democratisation + decentralisation by encouraging ordinary people to get involved
-more W-C members
-split into rural and urban sections

Question 22

what did the party membership increase from and to under Krushchev?

Answer 22

1956- 7 mill
1964- 11 mill

Question 23

how did destalinisation occur withing the govt?

Answer 23

-less dictatorial + more open
-new rules introduced:
1. limited time officials could be in power
2.local organisations like Soviets given more power over local issues
3.non-party members allowed to take part in some govt work + attend some congresses
-economic decentralisation

Question 24

what was economic decentralisation?

Answer 24

some powers taken from central economic organisations and given to local ones

Question 25

what was the reality of the extent of destalinisation?

Answer 25

-Krushchev + supporters remained in charge -his political opponents like Molotov and Malenkov removed from party showing unwillingness to accept any opposition -one party rule

Question 26

What opposition occurred in Eastern Germany?

Answer 26

June 1953, people in East Germany rose up demanding end to dictatorship and for German reunification

Question 27

what opposition occurred in Hungary?

Answer 27

1956, rose up in support of a more Liberal form of socialist rule

Question 28

how did Krushchev deal with the opposition in Germany and Hungary?

Answer 28

ordered tanks to be sent to crush protests and threw support heavily behind Stalinist leaders of the countries

Question 29

when was the fourth five year plan?

Answer 29

1946-50

Question 30

what were the aims of the fourth five year plan?

Answer 30

-"catch up with the USA" -rebuild heavy industry -revive Ukraine after Nazi occupation

Question 31

what were the successes of the fourth five year plan? (6)

Answer 31

-no. of "grand projects" like canals and hydroelectric plants -by 1950, USSR 2nd largest industrial producer -most heavy industry targets met -production x2 -urban workforce increased from 67 to 77 mill -by end of 1947, Dnieper Dam power station in action again

Question 32

what were the failures of the fourth five year plan?

Answer 32

heavy controls on labour: -long working hours -low wages -high targets -high female employment

Question 33

when was the fifth five year plan?

Answer 33

1951-55

Question 34

what were the aims of the fifth five year plan?

Answer 34

-continue development of heavy industry + transport -after 1953, expand consumer goods, housing + services

Question 35

what were the successes of the fifth five year plan? (3)

Answer 35

-most targets for growth were met -national income increased by 71% -more focus on consumer goods due to Malenkov's policies

Question 36

what were the failures of the fifth five year plan? (2)

Answer 36

-much funding diverted to arms during the Korean war -Malenkov's policies faced opposition within the party + contributed to his downfall after 1955

Question 37

what were the problems with Soviet economy that Krushchev realised?

Answer 37

1. central control of the economy was too complicated (ministers set specific targets but knew little about factories + too few administrators) 2.enterprise and factory managers knew how to play the system (hid realities of production to avoid an increase in quotas + measured by weight instead of quality)

Question 38

what did Krushchev launch in 1956 which was unsuccessful?

Answer 38

his own sixth five year plan which was too ambitious and abandoned after 2 years

Question 39

how did economic decentralisation occur under krushchev?

Answer 39

the ministries that tried to run industry centrally from moscow were abolished and the USSR was divided into 105 economic regions each with an economic council

Question 40

how was economic decentralisation limited under Stalin?

Answer 40

still needed a degree of economic central control. state comittees + a supreme economic council set up

Question 41

what year was the seven year plan?

Answer 41

1959

Question 42

what did the seven year plan change?

Answer 42

emphasis on improving living standards: -working week reduced to 40 hours -Krushchev promised to increase wages by 40% by 1965

Question 43

when was the seventh five year plan?

Answer 43

1961-65

Question 44

what did the seventh five year plan change?

Answer 44

-slight shift from heavy to new technologically advanced industries -production of chemicals like plastics expanded hugely -new affordable housing -consumer goods increased -exploitation of raw materials like gas and oil expanded

Question 45

how were communications and transport changed under Krushchev?

Answer 45

-railway lines electrifies + expanded -air transport increased and airline (aeroflot) subsidised for cheaper travel -1959, first nuclear- powered civilian ship, the icebreaker Lenin

Question 46

what developments in the space race occurred under Krushchev?

Answer 46

-1957, Sputnik, the first artificial satellite -1957, Sputnik II took a dog, Laika into space -1959, Soviet rocket landed on the moon 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space

Question 47

what were the realities of krushchev's policies in terms of living standards?

Answer 47

-standard of living improved but didnt reach USA or Western Europe levels -heavy spending on space race and weapons distorted the economy + limited impact of Krushchev's policies to improve living standards

Question 48

how were the limitations of Krushchev's policies apparent in Soviet supermarkets?

Answer 48

so lacking in tech that attendants used abacuses rather than tills to count money

Question 49

what were the limitations of Krushchev's policies in terms of industrial growth?

Answer 49

-from 1958- industrial growth began to slow down significantly -1950s: economic growth of 10% each year by 1964: rate of growth 2% per year

Question 50

what were the realities of Krushchev's policies surrounding the space race?

Answer 50

-Soviet space tech relatively primitive and extraordinarily dangerous -rumoured that a no. of astronauts had died in flights and tests

Question 51

what were the agricultural aims of the fourth five year plan?

Answer 51

-force kolkhozy to deliver products -revise wheat fields of Ukraine -'transform nature'

Question 52

what were the agricultural successes of the fourth five year plan?

Answer 52

-trees planted + canals + irrigation ditches dug to make land more productive -output of kolkhozy increased -rationing ended in 1947

Question 53

what were the agricultural limitations of the fourth five year plan?

Answer 53

-high quotas and low peasant wages -many ideas inspired by bogus scientific theories of Lysenko -> held back production -food production still below 1930s -incentives for peasants were low

Question 54

what were the agricultural aims of the fifth five year plan?

Answer 54

-continue policies of fourth -being Krushchev's Virgin lands and agrocities policies

Question 55

what were the agricultural limitations of the fifth five year plan?

Answer 55

-high procurements levels maintained on kolkhozy continuing to strain production + left peasants with little -agricultural production lagged behind industry -food production still lower than 1940

Question 56

what were krushchev's agricultural policies? (7)

Answer 56

-grain prices rose by 25% for greater incentive -state procurement quotas and taxes reduced, relieving pressure (also on private plots) -kolkhozy allowed to set own production targets and how to use their land -more farms connected to electricity grid boosting production -by 1962, campaign to increase use of chemical fertiliser -tractors serviced in new repair stations -kolkhozy encouraged to merge

Question 57

what was Krushchev's main agricultural policy initiative?

Answer 57

the virgin lands scheme, 1953, aimed to start farming on previously unfarmed land in western siberia + Kazakhstan, sought to encourage farmers to migrate + made use of Komsomol members

Question 58

what was the name of Krushchev's collective farming towns and what did they aim to improve?

Answer 58

agrocities, aimed to provide benefits of urban living to farmers in the countryside to make farming more efficient

Question 59

what was the impact of Krushchev's virgin land scheme at first?

Answer 59

at first hug success, by 1956, 35.9 million hectares of 'virgin land' ploughed for wheat

Question 60

what were the limitations of Krushchev's agricultural policies?

Answer 60

-new policies failed to encourage policies to produce much more on either collective farms or state farms -private plots provided around 30% total produce even though only accounted for 3% of total farm land -new prices failed to make much difference as state officials kept changing them -machinery not used as effectively as it could have been

Question 61

what were the limitations of the virgin lands scheme?

Answer 61

Krushchev had not taken into account the climatic conditions meaning often hard to grow crops -1963, a bad harvest meant that the USSR had to import grain form its competitor, USA

Question 62

how were agrocities a failure?

Answer 62

remained a dream- proved impossible to create and never established

Question 63

how did Krushchev's policy of encouraging growth of maize fail?

Answer 63

didnt take into account climatic conditions so was grown on unsuitable soil and produced much less than anticipated krushchev encouraged eating of cornflakes but people didnt like them

Question 64

what was life like for peasants under High Stalinism?

Answer 64

were squeezed by the quota system and lived on incomes less than 20% that of industrial workers

Question 65

how was life for ordinary people under high Stalinism?

Answer 65

diets and housing remained poor. working week remianed at extremely high wartime levels wages much higher for some especially high up in C party but remained low for most

Question 66

how had household income changed during High Stalinism?

Answer 66

by 1950, only 1/10th higher than in 1928

Question 67

what year, during high stalinism, was the rouble devalued and by how much and what affect?

Answer 67

1947, by 90%, wiped out many people's savings

Question 68

how did consumers' lives improve under Krushchev?

Answer 68

-consumer goods like radios, refrigerators and Tvs much more readily available -disposable income increased and taxes decreased -pensions rose in value and peasants offered a state pension -housing improved with new prefabricated housing units and blocks to alleviate overcrowding

Question 69

how was improvement to consumers' lives limited under Krushchev?

Answer 69

whilst there was significant improvement, never provided a level of consumer satisfaction or goods comparable to the USA or Western Europe

Question 70

how did workers lives improve under Krushchev?

Answer 70

-working week fell to 40 hours and wage differentials fell -TUs given more power -food quotas fell along with taxes -education, welfare + medicine improved and tech advancements improved transport to work

Question 71

how were the improvements to workers lives limited under Krushchev?

Answer 71

-agricultural workers remained worse off than industrial workers -still privileges kept by small elite of workers like access to scarce goods, healthcare and holidays undermining Krushchev's claims to be building more equal society

Question 72

how did the lives of young people improve under Krushchev?

Answer 72

-more entertainment and access to international art + culture -period known as the 'thaw' -Krushchev established 'Intourist'- a state company that brought Western tourists to USSR

Question 73

what did the cultural 'thaw' allow?

Answer 73

American and European culture and people could come more freely to USSR

Question 74

what cultural event did Krushchev hold for the youth?

Answer 74

1957, world festival of youth in Moscow, attended by 34,000 people from 131 diff countries. ironically made young people more dissatisfies as access to western culture was limited

Question 75

how were the improvements to young people's lives limited under Krushchev?

Answer 75

soviet authorities complained about an increase in hooliganism and vandalism amongst young people. many students chose to boycott uni lectures in protest to communist control

Question 76

how were the lives of artists improved under Krushchev?

Answer 76

cultural restrictions of 'high stalinism' fell away. -composer Shostakovich allowed to produce music -many writers published more critical + varied works -no. of foreign works published -regime now allowed some work that openly criticised communist policies of the past -artists tested boundaries of what was allowed

Question 77

give 2 examples of foreign authors that had their works published in Russia

Answer 77

Ernest Hemmingway and Graham Greene

Question 78

give an example of a book published that openly criticised communist policies of the past

Answer 78

One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich

Question 79

how did the lives of ethnic minorities repressed under Krushchev?

Answer 79

cultural freedoms didnt extend to greater freedoms for non-Russian nationalities -Krushchev wanted greater unity of peoples in USSR and wanted to eliminate ethnic distinctions -wanted 1 common language

Question 80

how did Krushchev repress the lives of Jews in particular?

Answer 80

although vehemently opposed to antisemitism, he refused to allow Jewish migration to Israel and stereotypes Jews as preferring intellectual work to the "mass occupations" like building and industry

Question 81

how was religion repressed under Krushchev?

Answer 81

socialist campaign against religion restarted -atheism taught to children in schools -children banned from church services- 1961 -forbidden for parents to teach kids about religion -religious buildings closed down -seminaries closed down and pilgrimages banned

Question 82

how many religious buildings were shut down under Krushchev?

Answer 82

1959- 22,000 1965- 8,000

Question 83

why did the protest of Novocherkassk happen?

Answer 83

workers had already experienced pay cuts of 30-35% on Jan 1st 1962 and the management saw no reason to fudge these changes like had happened everywhere else

Question 84

what happened during the protest of Novocherkassk and what year?

Answer 84

1962- evening of June 1st, workers assembled in main factory courtyard and demanded "meat, milk and higher wages".no serious negotiations took place and the factory director commented "nevermind, youll have to go over to pies with liver sausage"

Question 85

what was the outcome of the Novocherkassk protest?

Answer 85

the next day 10,000 workers marhced to the centre of town behind red banners with a portrait of Lenin to Lenin square. led to troops opening fire and ultimately between 50 vand 100 killed

Question 86

what opposition occurred in literature?

Answer 86

-tamizdat- publishing work abroad by smuggling it out -samizdat- self-publishing- copied out texts multiple times and illegally distributed copies, very rare -literature distributed through secret cultural socities

Question 87

give an example of Tamizdat

Answer 87

Pasternak who wrote Dr Zhivago but this limited his work to being read by foreign audience but it did become an international hit

Question 88

give and example of literature distributed through secret cultural societies

Answer 88

the journal of the 'youngest society of geniuses' with its own journal, The Sphinxes. being a part of teh group very rare and dangerous

Question 89

how did a public gathering oppose Krushchev?

Answer 89

a monument for the Soviet poet Mayakovsky, who had criticised soviet politics before suicide in 1930. became a place of poetry readings expressing critical ideas. but by 1961, some regular members arrested for political subversion

Question 90

how did official publications oppose Krushchev?

Answer 90

some legally published newspapers and magazines showed some opposition. -e.g. Novy mir famous for publishing 'One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich'

Question 91

how was opposition through legal publication limited?

Answer 91

only possible with the agreement of the govt so highly critical ideas blocked. also could lead to punishment or repression with 130,000 people being identified as leading an "anti-social, parasitic way of life"

Question 92

how were recordings used to oppose Krushchev?

Answer 92

-more people began to spread unofficial music through home magnetic tapes known as magnitizdat -in reality recordings stayed mostly within close groups of friends

Question 93

how did artwork oppose Krushchev?

Answer 93

-no. of artists engaged in non-conformist art often allowed due to the cultural "thaw" -1962- Krushchev visited a non- conformist art exhibition where he became engaged in a heated discussion but his opposition only strengthened artists' belief in their work

Question 94

how was opposition through artwork limited?

Answer 94

often harder to interpret than stories or critical words so many ideas remained inaccessible to public

Question 95

how was defection used to oppose Krushchev?

Answer 95

there were opportunities to go abroad for cultural figures and artists so they had the opportunity to defect e.g. Nureyev a ballet dancer defected whilst on tour in Paris with the Kirov Ballet in 1961

Question 96

how was opposition to Krushchev more of a threat to his power than it was to previous leaders?

Answer 96

he was far less brutal than Stalin as under to Stalin anyone suspected of opposition was shot but under Krushchev, opposers were simply exiled to minor jobs

Question 97

what did Krushchev's criticisms of Stalin in his 1956 secret speech and changed to politics and society encourage?

Answer 97

encouraged ordinary people to speak out more. cultural dissidents + intelligentsia tried to bring new ideas into art and society, encouraging human rights and free elections

Question 98

what opposition to Krushchev occurred within the party in 1964?

Answer 98

no. of leading members turning on him. leader was Brezhnev who gave a speech celebrating Krushchev's seventieth birthday presenting him as the "Hero of the Soviet Union". then just a few months later, Brezhnev, with other leaders launched a coup to get rid of Krushchev

Question 99

how did Brezhnev and the other leaders manage to get rid of Krushchev?

Answer 99

while Krushchev was away on holiday (Oct 1964) he was summoned to a meeting of the party presidium and was genuinely surprised at the level of opposition to him at the top of the party. denied access to soviet media + couldnt rally supporters. the next day, presented with a resignation letter which he reluctantly signed

Question 100

what were the political reasons for Krushchev's fall in 1964?

Answer 100

-accused of "one- man rule" and not considering views of others, "personality cult" -many part leaders unhappy that he had tried to decentralise power which would decrease their control -K tried to weaken influence of other party leader by replacing 1/4 of central committee each election -K promoted own son in law to be editor of newspaper Izvestiia (corruption)

Question 101

what were the reasons associated with international affairs for Krushchev's fall in 1964?

Answer 101

-1962- cuban missile crisis K ordered nuclear missiles to be based on Cuba, close to the USA -embarrassing moments during his leadership e.g. banging his shoe on the table whilst speaking at the UN-1960

Question 102

what were the economic/ military reasons for Krushchev's fall in 1964?

Answer 102

-USSR refocused military spending from conventional to nuclear weapons, threatening the power of military leaders -schemes like virgin lands and agrocities failed to achieve their aims -Old Stalinist hard-liners offended by his focus on consumer goods over heavy industry