Russia and Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) Flashcards
What was the situation in Russia during the interwar period different from?
The situation in Russia in the interwar period was very different from that of the other European countries
Compared to Western Europe, what was Russia still?
Compared with Western Europe, Russia was still socially and economically backwards
While Russia suffered from the scars of the First World War like other European powers, why did it suffer the same kinds of wounds from the Great Depression as most of the other European powers?
Like the other European powers, Russia suffered from the scars of the First World War, but because of its economic isolation from 1917, it did not suffer the same kinds of wounds from the Great Depression as most of other European powers
Before the Bolshevik revolution, what had Russia been dominated by?
Before the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, Russian society had been dominated by a few extremely wealthy, landowning aristocratic families
Was there a middle or working class?
There was a small middle class and a small, urban industrial working class
What were the vast majority of the population?
However, the vast majority → (over ⅔ of the population) were poor peasants
When was the social order overthrown?
The social order had been overthrown by the removal of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917 (and the subsequent assassination of his whole family in 1918)
What key features dominated the period following the Tsar’s assassination?
The period that followed came to be dominated by the following key features:
- The impact of the political revolution that ended the
autocratic rule of the Tsar - The consequences of the seizure of power by the
Bolshevik Party (later known as the Communist Party) - The rise of Stalin’s dictatorship
- The rapid transformation of the Russian economy and
social structure through the rapid industrialisation and
collectivisation of all land under government control
When did Stalin come to power?
Stalin came to power after the death of Lenin in 1924
What did Stalin prove to be? and who is he often compared with?
Stalin proved to be one of the most ruthless and brutal dictators of the 20th C and is often compared with Adolf Hitler
What did the Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union and Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship prompt sociologist Hannah Arendt to do in her 1951 book ‘The Origins of Totalitarianism’?
The Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union and Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship prompted the great SOCIOLIGIST HANNAH ARENDT TO LINK THE TWO IN HER FAMOUS 1951 BOOK → ‘The Origins of Totalitarianism’
What would other sociologists and political scientists do?
Other sociologists and political scientists would follow Arendt’s lead in describing Hitler and Stalin as ‘totalitarian dictators’
How is this approach of linking the two dictators seen by 21 C historians?
This approach, however, is no longer seen as useful by 21 C historians, who prefer to study each of these dictatorships as a separate phenomena
When Stalin came to power, what were the two things his authority was based on?
When Stalin came to power he based his authority on two things:
- He claimed to be Lenin’s chosen successor & a loyal
servant of the Communist Party - He claimed to be the new prophet of Marxist
(communist) ideology
Was Stalin always the natural leader of the party?
But Stalin was not always the natural leader of the party
After Lenin’s death in 1924, what had Stalin already reached this position after?
Rather, after Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin had already reached this position after a brief power struggle within the Communist Party with Leon Trotsky
Unlike the charismatic Trotsky who had lead the original Bolshevik seizure of power & then the Russian Red Army during the Civil War, what did Stalin present himself as?
Unlike the charismatic Trotsky → who had lead the original Bolshevik seizure of power & then the Russian Red Army during the Civil War, Stalin presented himself as solid, humble and a loyal party member
What did Stalin suggest to his fellow party members about Trotsky?
Stalin suggested to his fellow party members that Trotsky would be likely to make himself a dictator & dominate the party if he were to be made leader
What did Stalin use his position as General Secretary of the Communist Party to do?
Stalin also skilfully used his position as General Secretary of the Communist Party to build support
What did Stalin offer party members?
It was Stalin who would offer party members better jobs, better houses (so-called dachas) and improve their quality of life
What did historian Sheila Fitzpatrick call Stalin offering party members jobs, houses and etc?
HISTORIAN SHEILA FITZPATRICK → called this ‘patronage’, meaning that in the first stages of his dictatorship Stalin sued rewards for fellow party members
What was reward under the Soviet system linked to?
Reward under the soviet was linked to patronage, favours and benefits that came with party membership and loyalty
Where was the terror or fear during this patronage?
The terror, or fear, would come later
Did Stalin’s campaign work? Where did he gain the greatets support from? and what happened to Trotsky?
Stalin’s campaign worked and he ultimately gained the greatest support among party members, while Trotsky was expelled from the party and exiled from Russia
Soon after securing the leadership, who did Stalin create a ‘cult of personality’ around?
Soon after securing the leadership, Stalin started to create a ‘cult of personality’ around the dead former leader, Lenin
When Stalin delivered the Euology at Lenin’s funeral in 1924, what did he proclaim himself as? and what did he declare about Lenin?
When Stalin delivered the Eulogy at Lenin’s funeral in 1924, he proclaimed himself as Lenin’s chosen successor & declared that Lenin should be revered as some kind of communist god
What was the city of Petrograd renamed? and what happened to Lenin’s body?
The city of Petrograd was renamed Leningrad, & Lenin’s body was mummified and entombed in a huge mausoleum in Moscow
What happened to Stalin’s authority as Lenin became greater in the public memory?
The greater Lenin became in the public memory, the more authority Stalin inherited as Lenin’s successor
What did Stalin gain access to? and what did he make himself in rgeards to communist ideology?
Stalin gained access to Lenin’s papers & made himself the governing voice and authority in determining communist ideology
What did Stalin gradually inherit?
Stalin gradually inherited Lenin’s status and the cult of personality
What did it become clear that Stalin ahd inherited the ‘cult of personality’?
This became clear in 1929 where there was an official celebration of Stalin’s 50th birthday
For Stalin’s birthday, what did the Soviet Press do?
The Soviet Press, completely controlled by the Communist Party, printed hundreds of letters that they claimed were sent in by loyal followers
What did the letters call Stalin?
The letters called Stalin ‘all knowing’, ‘all good’, ‘all just’ and even ‘all powerful’
Was Stalin mentioned in the national anthem?
Stalin was now mentioned by name in the national anthem (Not even Hitler of Mussolini had gone this far)
When was Stalin’s cult of personality taken even further? With the publication of what?
This Stalinist cult of personality was taken even further in 1938 with the publication of Stalin’s version of Soviet History in a book entitled ‘History of all the All-Union Communist Party: Short Course’
What occured in Stalin’s version of the history of the Communist Party?
In Stalin’s version, the history of the party and the revolution were rewritten, with Stalin as the hero of the story
What did Stalin use films and art to depict himself as?
Stalin also made use of films and art to depict himself as above anyone else in the party, and in the Soviet Union
What was Stalin’s personal dictatorship?
Stalin’s personal dictatorship was to completely control the Soviet Union until his death in 1953
In this time, who did Stalin transform his country more than? When did the transformation begin?
In this time, Stalin transformed Soviet society far more than Hitler, Mussolini or Tojo ever did in Germany, Italy or Japan
- This transformation began shortly after Stalin came to power
Prior to this transformation how had peasants lived?
Prior to this, peasants had been independent
Where had peasants lived? Did this change?
They lived in remote communities, a long way from the centres of power, and they had access to food supplies as they could harvest the produce on their own small landholdings
- This was to change under Stalin’s rule
From 1927, what was peasants land increasingly brought under and through what?
From 1927 → peasant land was increasingly brought under direct government control through the so-called ‘collectivisation initiative’ → where individual farms were consolidated into collective landholdings
In 1928, what percentage of agricultural land in the Soviet Union was under peasant control?
In 1928 → more than 97% of agricultural land in the Soviet Union was under private peasant control
In less than a decade, what percentage of land had been collectivised?
In less than a decade 93% of land had been collectivised
What were the collective farms known as?
The collective farms were known as kolhozy
What was the aim of Stalin’s program?
Aim of the program → to solve in the crisis in the agricultural industry that had developed since the mid 1920s
What were collective farms thought to do?
Collective farms, it was thought, would increase food supply to urban areas
Why did this plan fail?
This plan failed spectacularly as many peasants refused to work under the new conditions
What happened to the number of livestock? and by the 1940s what did collectivisation prove to be?
The number of livestock soon started to fall dramatically, & by the 1940s collectivisation had proved a complete failure as the losses suffered in the Second World War had further hampered agricultural production
What did several provinces suffer from in 1946? what did this result in?
On top of this, several provinces had suffered a severe drought in 1946, resulting in a famine that historians estimated killed over 1 million people
Who did Stalin blame for the failure of his agricultural plan? and what did he declare them?
Stalin blamed some of the wealthier peasants, who he called kulaks, for the failure of his agricultural plan, & declared them enemies of the people and traitors to the revolution
What were kulaks subject to?
They were subject to arrest and either exile, imprisonment or execution
From the 1930s, what were gulags used as?
From the 1930s → special prison camps, called gulags, were increasingly used as instruments to punish opponents of the Stalinist regime
What was the key reason for Stalin’s success in the power struggle after Lenin’s death?
Key reason for Stalin success in the power struggle after Lenin’s death → his ability to provide rewards
What system became institutionalised? What did patronage become a part of?
This system of offering rewards to officials loyal to Stalin eventually became institutionalised → patronage became part of the way the Stalinist government operated
What did patronage extend to include?
It soon extended to include party members and workers who could receive rewards for meeting production targets
What did some receive? and what were a few granted?
Some received lavish bonuses and a few were granted celebrity status such as Alexei Stakhanov
Simultaneously, what was also a key element in the power structure of Stalinism?
Simultaneously, fear was a key element in the power structure of Stalinism
What was Stalin’s approach to eliminating opponents?
Stalin had a ruthless approach to eliminating opponents and the infamous ‘purges’- especially the mass purges of 1937 & 1938, have become synonymous with his rule
By this time, what had Stalin done to the peasants independence? and what were the urban population like to control?
By this time, Stalin had shattered the independence of the peasants & the urban population were easy to control → as they unlike peasants, relied on the government for food, water & power
How could they be watched? & What could be done to peasants/urban population if they appeared to oppose the Stalinist line?
They could also be easily watched & rounded up by the police if they appeared to oppose the Stalinist line
From 1937, who did Stalin extend the purges to include?
From 1937 → Stalin extended the purges to include leading figures in the army, engineers & other educated citizens who might become potential rivals
Who did Stalin also turn on?
Stalin also turned on the older members of his own party
Who did Stalin remove from the party?
The so-called ‘Old Bolsheviks’ → who were members of the Bolshevik Party prior to the revolution & hence might be able to remember the past and challenge the Stalinist version of communist history - were removed
In the Central Committe of the Communist Party, how many did not fall victim to the purges?
The political party surge became so extensive that 139 members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (elected in 1934) → all but 41 fell victim to the purges
Who did Stalin replace the ‘Old Bolshevik’s with? What were they untainted by? and what were they loyal to?
To replace them, Stalin brought in a new generation of party officials, untainted by personal experience & loyal to the idea of the party favoured by the Stalinist versions of communist ideology and history
What did the fear of challenge from old party members lead Stalin to become?
The fear of challenge from old party members also led Stalin to become increasingly obsessed with having Trotsky killed
Even though Stalin had defeated Trotsky in the power struggle & Trotsky had fled the country, what was Stalin determined to make happen?
Even though Stalin had defeated Trotsky in the power struggle & Trotsky had fled the country- living in Mexico by 1940, Stalin was determined that Trotsky be assassinated (Trotsky was murdered on 20 August 1940)
Alongside terror, what did Stalin do to the Soviet Union & its society?
Alongside the terror, Stalin also modernised the Soviet Union & transformed its society
How was Stalin’s modernisation of the Soviet Union achieved?
This was achieved through the collectivisation of land
& by a series of Five-Year-Plans to modernise and
industrialise the Soviet economy
How did Stalin trasnform society?
The rates of literacy increased under his rule & electricity became available in many parts of the
country, along with improved transport & roads
What did Stalin help transform a backward society into?
Stalin helped transform a backward society into a global superpower → but it all came at a huge cost in human life
