Russia 1900 - 1940 Flashcards
1
Q
How much space does Russia take up
A
1/6 of the earth’s landmass
2
Q
When did Russia start t industrialise
A
Only a lot later than the rest of the world, which pit Russia behind the rest of Europe
3
Q
What was Russia’s most significant achievement
A
The Trans-Siberian Railway
4
Q
From where does the Trans-Siberian Railway run to
A
From Moscow the Vladivostok
5
Q
What was the population of Russia
A
Over 25 million
6
Q
How many ethnic groups were there
A
Over 56 ethnic groups
7
Q
What was Russian society like
A
It ways hierarchical
8
Q
What was the name of a ruler of Russia
A
An autocratic emperor or Tsar
9
Q
What was a the social structure oftendepicted as
A
A ‘Russian wedding cake’. It is shown as a feudal pyramid
10
Q
What group made up the biggest group
A
The poor peasantry and small industrial working class made up more that 4/5 of the population.
11
Q
What class was very small compared to britain or France
A
The educated and professional middle class
12
Q
Who was at the top
A
The royal family
13
Q
Who was below the royal family
A
The government minister
14
Q
Who were below the government ministers
A
The church/clergy
15
Q
Who were elbow the church/clergy
A
The army
16
Q
Who were below the army
A
The capitalists
17
Q
Who wer at the bottom
A
The workers
18
Q
What was another name for the workers
A
Proletariats
19
Q
Who was Russia ruled bu
A
Tsar Nicholas II
20
Q
What was the name of the Russian royal family
A
The Romanovs
21
Q
Since when had the Russian royal family been in power
A
Since 1613
22
Q
Why was the Tsar not a good leader despite being well educated and widely travelled
A
He was easily influenced by his wife and other public servants
23
Q
Who was the tsar especially influenced by
A
Rasputin
24
Q
Who was the Tsar’s wife
A
Tsarina Alexandra
25
Who was the tsarina’s grandmother
Queen Victoria
26
What was the tsarina’s original name
Alix of Hesse
27
What happened to the country when the tsar went to war
The tsar left the running of the country up to the tsarina
28
What did the tsarina not allow when she was in power
She did not allow the duma to make policy decisions. She continued to make autocratic rulings
29
Who did the tsarina take advise from
From Rasputin
30
Why did the tsarina take advise from Rasputin
He claimed he could heal their only son of haemophilia
31
What was the son’s name
Alexei
32
What is haemophilia
A rare blood disease whereby blood is unable to clot
33
What was Rasputin seen as
A mysterious holy man, a drunkard, a womaniser
34
How did Rasputin gain significant influence over political decisions
Through his relationship with the tsarina
35
Why made the tsarina even more unpopular
The scandals the surrounded Rasputin and their close relationship
36
When did the 1905 revolution breakout
When soldiers fired on workers who marched to the winter palace to present a petition to the tsar.
37
How many workers were there in 905 revolution
20 000
38
What is the capital
St Petersburg
39
Who led the crowd in the 1905 revolution
Father Gapon
40
What was the crowd asking for in the 1905 revolution
They wanted improved working conditions and basic human rights.
41
How many were killed/injured during the 1905 revolution
130 were killed and 200 wounded
42
What is the 1905 revolution known as
The Bloody Sunday Massacre
43
What did the 1905 revolution spark
It sparked demonstrations, riots and mutinies
44
What did the tsar do to stop the revolt
He recalled his army from japan
45
What were the long term causes of the revolution
Poverty, lack of democracy, ineptitude of the tsar and terrible working conditions
46
What were the short term cause of the 1905 revolt
The war with china and the humiliating defeat with japan
47
What were the results of the 1905 revolt
First soviet was formed
Lenin and Trotsky returned from exile
A duma was established
Duma was dismissed
Showed that mass participation was a powerful force for change
Showed Tsarist government still strong enough to hold power
48
Why did t estate dismiss the first two Dumas
Because he felt the requests were too radical. He returned to his autocratic type rule
49
What led to the downfall of the Romanov dynasty
World War One
50
What side did Russia join the army on
The allied side
51
How was Russia badly prepared for war
It lacked obey to manufacture weapons and to feed, clothe, arm and train the soldiers.
52
Who was Russia defeated by several times during the 1st world war
Germany
53
Who led the Russian armies
Aristocratic generals who felt nothing for their troops.
54
What happened when the tsar took control of the army in September
He was held responsible for all the hardships
55
Why was the tsarina hated
Because of her german origins
56
What city’s name was changed because it sounded too german
St Petersburg was changed to Petrograd
57
Who fought on the allied side
Britain, France, the US and Russia
58
Who lost the most men in the 1st world war
Russia
59
Who ere the tsar opponent
```
The liberal
Social revolutionaries
The Democratic Party:
-Mensheviks
-Bolsheviks
```
60
Who were the liners
They were the group that wanted the tsar to introduce a constitutional monarchy
61
Who were the social revolutionaries
They wanted to forcibly seize land from the upper classes
62
Who were the Mensheviks
They wanted a change to socialism but without an immediate revolution
63
Who were the bolsheviks
They were led by Lenin, followers of Marxism and whanted a revolution.
64
What was Karl Marx’s profession
He was a philosopher who lived most of his life in exile in London
65
What happened in London while Marx was living in exile there
The industrial revolution was creating many social inequalities
66
What did Marx believe was morally wrong
Capitalism, whereby a few wealthy individuals exploited the masses
67
Who did the proletariats rise up against
The capitalists
68
What happened as a result of this revolt against the capitalists
All factories, land and banks were nationalised so all the wealth could be redistributed
69
What did Marx think would happen if all the wealth was divided equally
That there would be no need for government and that all would be free and equal, a utopia and a perfect communist society
70
What was Marx’s most famous book
‘The Communist Manifesto’ and ‘Das Kapital ‘
71
Where did Marx think a revolution would start first
In a more industrialised society such a great britain, but it was actually Russia
72
What was Lenin’s profession
He was a brilliant scholar who qualified as a lawyer
73
When did Lenin become involved in revolutionary activities
In university. He was frequently arrested and exiled to Siberia.
74
How was his early life influenced
By the arrest and execution of his brother
75
Who was Lenin’s brother executed by
The tsarist authorities
76
Where did Lenin go to exile in 1900
Europe
77
What happened when he went to exile in Europe
He became a follower of Marxism and thrived to spread Marx’s teaching in Russia through newspapers
78
What are two examples of newspapers Lenin used o spread Marxism
Iskra and Pravda
79
When did Lenin return to Russia
After the fail of the 1905 revolt
80
What party was Lenin the founder of
The bolsheviks
81
What did he inspire and lead
The Russian revolution
82
How was Lenin involved in the soviet state
He was the architect, builder and first head of the soviet state
83
What organisation did Lenin found
Comintern
84
What doctrine did Russia follow
Marxist-Leninism. This became the communist world view
85
What is the definition of communism
A system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed. The theory advocates the elimination of private property and ownership. The doctrine is based in the revolutionary Marxian socialism and marxist-Leninism that was the official ideology of the USSR
86
What is the definition of socialism
A system of society or group living in which their is no private property, the means on production are owned and controlled by the state. It is a stage of society in Marxist theory transitioning between capitalism and communism
87
What led to repeated defeats and severe problems in the Russian army during the first world war
Shortages in food and equipment
88
What led to demonstrations in Petrograd
Unemployment, rising food prices, food and fuel shortages
89
Who was part of the riots in Petrograd and what did the call for
Steel workers as well as thousands of women joined in. They called for provision of bread.
90
Why did the army not fire on the demonstrators when the tsarina called them
Because the members in the riots were family members and friends. They also sympathised with the
91
What did the soldiers and workers set up
The Petrograd soviet
92
What did the duma set up
A provisional government
93
Who led the provisional government
Kerensky
94
What did the tsar try to do, but fail
He tried to get on a train and leave, but was arrested and forced to abdicate
95
What were the reforms introduced by the provisional government
```
Political prisoners were freed
Political exiles were allowed to return to Russia
Freedom of speech and press was allowed
No redistribution of land occurred
War against Germany continued
```
96
Who allowed Lenin to cross their country to get back to Russia
Germany helped him return from exile in Switzerland to Russia
97
What were the two groups hat people in Russia followed in October 1917
The Petrograd soviet and the provisional government
98
What did the provisional government feel in regards to the war
They felt it should stay true to the alliance with France and Britain. Majority of people wanted out.
99
What did Lenin on its return home
He drew up an ‘April thesis’
100
What was in the ’april thesis‘
It was ten directives issued by Lenin which offered the majority of people what they seemed to want.
101
What did people seem to want that was in Lenin’s ‘April thesis’
He demanded an immediate end to the war with Germany
| Redistribution of land to the peasants
102
What were the slogans of the Bolsheviks
‘Peace, bread and land’ and ‘all power to the soviets’
103
Who was kornilov
Commander in Cherie of the Russian army
104
What did kornilov do
He staged an attempted right-winged coup
105
What was the provisional government forced to do
Go to the Bolsheviks’ red army for help
106
What did Lenin persuade his comrades to do
To stage a second revolution and to seize power
107
What happened as a result of the october revolution
Lenin and his comrades overthrew the provisional government and Lenin announced the establishment of the soviet of people’s commissars.
108
What was the soviet of people’s commissars
A new government to establish communism in Russia
109
What did the Bolsheviks choke their name to
The communist party and they established a system referred to as Marxist-Leninism
110
What were the reforms /improvements
```
Russia’s role in the world war ended
Private ownership of land was abolished
Land redistributed
Working conditions were improved
8 hour day and workers insurance
Divorce was allowed
Free education: adult literacy
Equality for women encouraged
USSR formed
```
111
What treaty was signed, and with who, to end Russia’s role in the word war
The treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed with Germany
112
What was the downside to Russia withdrawing from the world war
Terms were harsh
113
What does USSR stand for
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
114
How many republics formed the USSR
5 republics
115
Which was the largest republic
Russia
116
What were the repressive measures introduced
```
Lost industrial land
Economy weakened
Little debate was allowed
Censorship introduced
Land was taken without compensation
Cheka set up
Lenin established a dictatorship of the proletariats
USSR became a totalitarian, one-party state with a powerful leader
```
117
Why did Russia loose industrial land
Due to the treaty with Germany
118
What happed because there was very little debate allowed
All opposition parties and newspapers were banned
119
Who was the Cheka
A ruthless secret police
120
What was the Cheka’s job
To seek out and destroy the enemy
121
Why did Lenin established a dictatorship over the proletariats
Elections were held for the promised constituent assembly, but when the Bolsheviks won less than 1/4 of the votes, Lenin shut down the assembly and established a dictatorship
122
Wat does the communist symbol represent
A workers’ revolution
123
What did the flag of the USSR look like
it was red with a hammer, sickle, and a star
124
What does the hammer represent
It represents the industrial workers
125
What does the sickle represent
The agricultural workers
126
What does the star on the new flag represent
The ultimate goal if global communist victory and the role of the communist party
127
Who took part in the civil war
The reds and the whites
128
Who were the reds
The communist forces
129
Who were the whites
Groups who opposed the communist party dictatorship
130
How were the whites weakened
They were weakened because not all the leaders agreed on a future plan for Russia
131
Who assisted the whites
Armed forces from the US and Britain
132
Why did britain and the USA assist the white
They were afraid of the spread f communism
133
Who won the civil war
The reds
134
Why did the reds win
Trotsky was in charge
They were determined to win (if they lost the revolution would have meant nothing )
Effective propaganda and terror
Whites were not a united force war communism
135
Who introduce war communism
Lenin
136
What were the key feature
Nationalisation or entire economy and central landing
137
Why did the government forcibly requisition grain
To feed the red army and urban population
138
What were the consequences of the requisitioning of grain
Production fell ad there was no incentive to grow crops. This led to food shortages and famine
139
Who did the people blame for the famine and food shortages
The government. Peasant rebellions broke out
140
What did the sailors at Kronstadt demand
Free elections, press freedom, an end to requisitioning and an end to the communist dictatorship
141
Who were some of Lenin’s strongest supporters what was
The sailors at Kronstadt
142
What was Lenin’s reaction to these riots
To have them brutally crushed
143
What does NEP stand for
The new economic policy
144
Why was NEP introduced
To get the economy going again
145
What did NEP allow
It allowed limited free enterprise: people could have their own small and medium sized businesses
146
Who were the NEPMEN
A wealthier class of business men
147
Who were the KULAKS and why did they emerge
They were a wealthy group of farmers that emerged because they were able to sell their produce for profit.
148
What was established during the NEP
A state bank
149
What were people in minority groups mor allowed to do
Use their own language and practice religion
150
Who were trade links established with during the NEP
Britain, France and Germany
151
What was the NEP and who were the people who were unhappy with it
The strict communist were unhappy because the NEP was a temporary compromise with capitalism
152
How did Lenin die
He suffered a series of strokes
153
What followed Lenin’s death
Sm intense leadership struggle
154
Who did people expect to become th new leader
Trotsky
155
What were people afraid of in Trotsky
He was too radical
156
Which three leaders were chosen to lead the party
Kamenov, Zinoviev and stalin
157
What did Stalin use to ensure his success and to appoint his supporters to key positions
He used devisions amongst rivals and his position as General
158
What did Stalin cause Trotsky, Kaminov and Zenoviev of
Of plotting to overthrow the government. He had them expelled from the party
159
How did Trotsky die
He was exiled and was murdered with an ice pick in Mexico
160
What disease did Stalin have as a child
Smallpox
161
How was Stalin introduced to the writings of Karl Marx and Lenin
While he was at a seminar he came into contact with a secret organisation that supported Georgian independence from Russia
162
What happened to Stalin when Lenin died
He became the dictator
163
What did Stalin force
Rapid industrialisation and collectivisation of agricultural land
164
What did his red army do in WWII
Defeated Nazi Germany
165
What did Stalin believe in
‘Socialism in one country’
166
How did Stalin plan to grow the USSR into a major world power
By rapid urbanisation
167
What would the USSR be a great example of
The benefits of communism opposed to capitalism
168
What did Stalin need for rapid urbanisation
he needed more workers in factories producing more goods. Therefore urbanisation was essential
169
What would happen if too many peasants moved into the cities
There would not be enough food production, so he needed to control the agricultural process ny collectivisation
170
Who was GOSPLAN and what did they draw up
They were a state planning committee. They drew up plans for each state, religion, mine, factory and workers in order to achieve targets
171
What was the name of the plans drawn up
The five year plan
172
What was the first stage of the five year plan
Development of heavy industry. New towns were also built
173
What are some examples of heavy industry
Steel, coal, iron and electricity
174
What was the second stage of the five year plan
Mining of lead, tin and zinc. Improvements in transport and communication networks
175
What was the third stage of the five year plan
Produce consumer gods, but this was disrupted by WWII and the need to produce weapons
176
What does collectivisation men
The joint ownership of large, mechanised farms
177
What were peasants encouraged to do
To combine all their small farms into larger, more viable Kolkhoz
178
What were Kolkhoz
Scientifically farmed using fertiliser and machinery
179
What would the government be providing
Houses and schools
180
Where the farmers allowed to keep all the produce
No, a percentage was handed over to the government
181
What were the successes of the five year plans
Russia became an industrial giant and world power
Economy able to withstand Great Depression
Illiteracy eliminated
Women encouraged to work
Many architectural achievements
Enabled success in resisting Hitler in WWII
182
What were the architectural achievements
Dniep Dam, the Trans-Siberian railway, the Belomor Canal and the Moscow Underground
183
What were the failures of the 5 year plan
```
Targets were unrealistic
Goods produced were poor quality
No creativity / innovation
Slave labour used
Gulags set up
Wages decreased and conditions in industrial towns were appalling
```
184
Why was it bad that the targets were unrealistic
It meant that managers falsified figures to avoid punishment
185
What were Gulags and hey were they set up
Labour camps set up to punish lazy/ unsatisfactory workers
186
What were the successes of collectivisation
Agriculture was modernised
Lots of grain was produced as well as crops for export
Communist party increased control over countryside
Kulaks were eliminated as a class
187
Why were the kulaks eliminated
Because they were a threat to the socialist state
188
What were the failures of collectivisation
Peasants resisted collectivisation
Stalin ordered elimination of Kulaks
Most successful farmers were eliminated which led to starvation and famine
189
What did peasants do to resist collectivisation
They burnt their crops and killed their livestock rather than hand it over. The kulaks resisted fiercely
190
How did Stalin eliminate the Kulaks
5 to 10 million people were deported to remote areas of russia like Siberia,or shot
191
How did Stalin keep control
By purges, show trials, educational and the cult of personality
192
Who did Stalin feel threatened by
Imaginary and real enemies
193
What did he use great terror/ purges for
To eliminate many political opponents
194
Where did Stalin send people
They were executed, sent to gulags of they vanished
195
Who rounded up the opponents
The OGPU
196
Who were the OGPU
They were the secret police
197
What did the OGPU late became known as
The NKVD
198
Howe many people were sent to labour camps
About 18 million people
199
What happened at the public trials
The bolsheviks were forced to confess their “crimes” and then they were punished accordingly
200
What did Stalin do as he became increasingly paranoid
He created a cult of personality
201
In what ways did Stalin appear everywhere
Endless propaganda, portraits, photographs and statues
202
What was forbidden
Religion
203
What were people encouraged to do instead of worshiping a god
Worship Stalin
204
What was the policy of socialist realism
All art, literature and music had to reflect the glory of Stalin and the communist rule
205
What did Stalin do in the 1930’s
He started to rewrite the history of russia and the Soviet Union. He showed himself as playing a vital role in the revolution
206
Why were photographs fixed to show Lenin and Stalin together
To show that Stalin was the natural successor
207
When did the Soviet Union join WWII
When Germany invaded the USSR
208
Why did war break out between the USSR and Germany
Prior to the war hitler and Stalin had signed the Nazi-Soviet pact. It said that they would split Poland between them. Hitler continued marching into the USSR and disregarded the pact
209
What pact did Stalin and hitler sign
The Nazi-Soviet
210
What did the war enable the USSR to do
Th extent its influence over Eastern Europe
211
What are the Baltic states
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
212
What states were annexed by the USSR
Latvia
Estonia
Lithuania
213
What did the red army take form the Nazi’s
They liberated Eastern Europe
214
Why did the Russian troops and officials remain after the war
To assis communist parties to come to power
215
What countries did the Russian troops and officials help
Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and east Germany
216
What did these countries do
They were legally independent, but became a one part communist dictatorship who took orders for Moscow and Stalin
217
Who did the USSR challenge after WWII
The western powers as a rival economic system and a military power
218
Why did the relations between the USSR and the Western powers became tense
Because they both sought to expand their influence
219
What ended after the war
The war-time alliance against nazi Germany
220
What was the iron curtain
A thing Winston Churchill spoke of that separate communist and non-communist Europe
221
What was the time period from 1945 onward known as
The Cold War
222
How did Stalin die
A massive stroke
