Russia 2 - Communist Government 1941-85 Flashcards
When was WWII?
1941-1945
When did Stalin become chair of the Sovnarkom?
1941
When was Molotov’s wife expelled from the party?
1948
When was the Leningrad affair?
1949
When did Stalin die?
1953
When was the power struggle?
1953-55
When was amnesty for political prisoners?
1953
Who was in the Duumvirate and what did they achieve?
Khrushchev and Malenkov and they caused the fall of Beria
When was the Duumvirate?
1953
When did Malenkov lose the premiership?
1955
When was the Secret Speech?
25 February 1956
When was the Anti-Party group?
1957
When was Khrushchev forced to resign?
1964
Who ruled from 1964-70?
Brezhnev and Kosygin
When did Kosygin lose the premiership?
1970
When was the New Soviet Constitution?
1977
When did Brezhnev die?
1982
When did Andropov die?
1984
When did Chernenko die?
1985
Where was the Secret Speech published?
On the front page of the New York Times by the CIA
How did some delegates react to the Secret Speech?
They had heart attacks or committed suicide
Who was put in charge of electricity?
Molotov
Who became ambassador to Mongolia?
Molotov
What did Khrushchev do in 1960?
Repeatedly banged his shoe on the desk in a debate at the UN
What was the nickname of the 1966 congress?
The Congress of Silences due to the stagnation
Who was Brezhnev’s daughter’s lover and what did he do?
Boris the gypsy - he smuggled diamonds out of the USSR
What prizes did Brezhnev give himself?
Lenin Peace Prize and the Lenin Prize for Literature
Which rivals did Stalin play off against each other?
Zhdanov and Beria
How many were imprisoned and killed in the Leningrad affair?
100 shot and 2000 arrested
Who was involved in the 1953 power struggle?
Khrushchev, Malenkov and Beria
How did Beria die?
He was tried for treason and executed
How much did the Gulag population decrease from 1953-64?
From 2.4 million to 1.6 million
How many ministries were reduced during de-centralisation?
From 55 to 25
How much did central control decrease during de-centralisation?
From 68% to 44%
How much of the central committee was replaced by Khrushchev during the cadre change?
44%
What changes were made to the republics during de-centralisation?
Senior officials had to speak the language of the republics and publications had to made in the republic language as well as Russian
When was Stalin’s body removed from the Red Square?
1961
What was in Khrushchev’s secret speech?
Criticised Stalin and quoted criticisms of Stalin from Lenin’s testament
How much did party membership increase from 1954 to 1964?
From 6.9 million to 11 million
How did Khrushchev make changes to terms of officials during democratisation?
Set fixed terms for all party jobs and 2/3 of regional secretaries
Who led the anti-party group and how were they defeated?
Malenkov - defeated by the central committee
What did Brezhnev do to assure party superiority over state?
Article 6 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution
What policies did Andropov introduce?
He ended stability in cadres and began an anti-corruption campaign
How was the government a gerontocracy from 1964-71?
Only 2 promotions to the politburo and the average age was 60+
Why was the gerontocracy criticised?
There was no incentive for officials to work because there were no promotions
What policy did Brezhnev introduce to reverse Khrushchev’s cadre change?
Stability in cadres
