Russia 2 - Communist Government 1941-85

Question 1

When was WWII?

Answer 1

1941-1945

Question 2

When did Stalin become chair of the Sovnarkom?

Answer 2

1941

Question 3

When was Molotov’s wife expelled from the party?

Answer 3

1948

Question 4

When was the Leningrad affair?

Answer 4

1949

Question 5

When did Stalin die?

Answer 5

1953

Question 6

When was the power struggle?

Answer 6

1953-55

Question 7

When was amnesty for political prisoners?

Answer 7

1953

Question 8

Who was in the Duumvirate and what did they achieve?

Answer 8

Khrushchev and Malenkov and they caused the fall of Beria

Question 9

When was the Duumvirate?

Answer 9

1953

Question 10

When did Malenkov lose the premiership?

Answer 10

1955

Question 11

When was the Secret Speech?

Answer 11

25 February 1956

Question 12

When was the Anti-Party group?

Answer 12

1957

Question 13

When was Khrushchev forced to resign?

Answer 13

1964

Question 14

Who ruled from 1964-70?

Answer 14

Brezhnev and Kosygin

Question 15

When did Kosygin lose the premiership?

Answer 15

1970

Question 16

When was the New Soviet Constitution?

Answer 16

1977

Question 17

When did Brezhnev die?

Answer 17

1982

Question 18

When did Andropov die?

Answer 18

1984

Question 19

When did Chernenko die?

Answer 19

1985

Question 20

Where was the Secret Speech published?

Answer 20

On the front page of the New York Times by the CIA

Question 21

How did some delegates react to the Secret Speech?

Answer 21

They had heart attacks or committed suicide

Question 22

Who was put in charge of electricity?

Answer 22

Molotov

Question 23

Who became ambassador to Mongolia?

Answer 23

Molotov

Question 24

What did Khrushchev do in 1960?

Answer 24

Repeatedly banged his shoe on the desk in a debate at the UN

Question 25

What was the nickname of the 1966 congress?

Answer 25

The Congress of Silences due to the stagnation

Question 26

Who was Brezhnev's daughter's lover and what did he do?

Answer 26

Boris the gypsy - he smuggled diamonds out of the USSR

Question 27

What prizes did Brezhnev give himself?

Answer 27

Lenin Peace Prize and the Lenin Prize for Literature

Question 28

Which rivals did Stalin play off against each other?

Answer 28

Zhdanov and Beria

Question 29

How many were imprisoned and killed in the Leningrad affair?

Answer 29

100 shot and 2000 arrested

Question 30

Who was involved in the 1953 power struggle?

Answer 30

Khrushchev, Malenkov and Beria

Question 31

How did Beria die?

Answer 31

He was tried for treason and executed

Question 32

How much did the Gulag population decrease from 1953-64?

Answer 32

From 2.4 million to 1.6 million

Question 33

How many ministries were reduced during de-centralisation?

Answer 33

From 55 to 25

Question 34

How much did central control decrease during de-centralisation?

Answer 34

From 68% to 44%

Question 35

How much of the central committee was replaced by Khrushchev during the cadre change?

Answer 35

44%

Question 36

What changes were made to the republics during de-centralisation?

Answer 36

Senior officials had to speak the language of the republics and publications had to made in the republic language as well as Russian

Question 37

When was Stalin's body removed from the Red Square?

Answer 37

1961

Question 38

What was in Khrushchev's secret speech?

Answer 38

Criticised Stalin and quoted criticisms of Stalin from Lenin's testament

Question 39

How much did party membership increase from 1954 to 1964?

Answer 39

From 6.9 million to 11 million

Question 40

How did Khrushchev make changes to terms of officials during democratisation?

Answer 40

Set fixed terms for all party jobs and 2/3 of regional secretaries

Question 41

Who led the anti-party group and how were they defeated?

Answer 41

Malenkov - defeated by the central committee

Question 42

What did Brezhnev do to assure party superiority over state?

Answer 42

Article 6 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution

Question 43

What policies did Andropov introduce?

Answer 43

He ended stability in cadres and began an anti-corruption campaign

Question 44

How was the government a gerontocracy from 1964-71?

Answer 44

Only 2 promotions to the politburo and the average age was 60+

Question 45

Why was the gerontocracy criticised?

Answer 45

There was no incentive for officials to work because there were no promotions

Question 46

What policy did Brezhnev introduce to reverse Khrushchev's cadre change?

Answer 46

Stability in cadres