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Russia and the Soviet Union 1917-1941 Flashcards

1
Q

When did Bolshevism rise to power?

A

1917

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2
Q

What is Bolshevism based on?

A

Marxism

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3
Q

Bolshevism believed Russia could skip a capitalist state and move straight to communism. What is this called?

A

Top Down

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4
Q

What is the opposite of top down?

A

A state going through capitalism to then get to communism. Working through all stages

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5
Q

Who led the Bolsheviks?

A

Lenin

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6
Q

What did the October Revolution achieve?

A
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7
Q

What did Lenin’s peace treaty with Germany do?

A

-Stop Russia’s activity in WWI against Germany
-Enabled consolidation of Bolsheviks

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8
Q

Who were the Mensheviks?

A

The opposing side of the Bolsheviks

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9
Q

Mensheviks was also based on…

A

Marxism

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10
Q

Did Mensheviks believe in a top down or bottom up state?

A

Bottom Up
- Capitalist state before communism

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11
Q

What does NEP stand for?

A

New Economic Policy

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12
Q

When was NEP introduced?

A

March 1921

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13
Q

Why was the NEP introduced?

A

Because the first attempt to introduce communism into the context of Civil War failed
- economic production dropped + millions dead from starvation

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14
Q

The NEP had aspects of what in it?

A

Capitalism
- reluctantly introduce by Lenin

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15
Q

What were the aspects of the NEP?

A
  • small businesses were able to operate again (state still controlled major industries)
  • traders opened business for profit
  • growing class of people became wealthy
  • had to pay certain amount of production grain - could sell excess for profit
  • introduced incentive back into system
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16
Q

The NEP created a two-tier system. A growing disparity was forming between two groups, what were those groups?

A

Industrial workers - did not benefit from NEP

Farmers and traders - benefited from NEP

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17
Q

When did Lenin die?

A

1924

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18
Q

When Lenin died, who became the people next in line for potential leaders?

A

The Politburo

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19
Q

What was the Politburo

A

The highest policy-making authority within the communist party

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20
Q

What challenges did Stalin face as he started to lead the USSR?
- Western powers….

A

Western powers would crush them if they could not build a modern army

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21
Q

What challenges did Stalin face as he started to lead the USSR?
- Agriculture

A

Sell agriculture surplus overseas for foreign currency to buy machinery

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22
Q

What challenges did Stalin face as he started to lead the USSR?
- Propaganda and Nationalism

A

Use propaganda and nationalism to provide incentive, educate children, have rewards for hard efforts and work, and fear to work hard and produce more when there is not profit motive

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23
Q

What challenges did Stalin face as he started to lead the USSR?
- resistors

A

Resistors were put into prison, exiled, sent to labour camps

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24
Q

What challenges did Stalin face as he started to lead the USSR?
- Support networks etc…

A

Alternative sources of leadership/influence/guidance - break support networks down until there’s only one left

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25
Scissors crisis: What was it?
Caused by the NEP. Drastic separation between the increase of grain production and decrease of agricultural prices.
26
Scissors crisis: What did it do to farmers?
Farmers capacity to buy the limited goods in the market was reduced
27
Scissors crisis: What did Trotsky say would happen with the NEP?
That the NEP would eventually fail as the factories wouldn't be able to keep up with the steady stream of luxury goods for the peasants to buy their surplus grain
28
Scissors crisis: Who abandoned the NEP
Stalin
29
What new plan did Stalin introduce?
The 5-year plan
30
What was the 5-year plan?
An plan to initiate rapid and large-scale industrialisation across the USSR
31
What was a part of the 5-year plan?
Increase in factory work Production of industrial resources Collectivisation of agriculture
32
How was the 5-year plan successful?
Industrialisation was increased
33
When was the 5-year plan put in motion?
1928
34
When did the second 5-year plan start?
1933
35
What was collectivisation?
Peasant farms were no longer individual and forced to join large collective farms with the intention to increase agriculture
36
What were collective farms called?
Kolkhoz
36
Did the peasants like collective farms?
NO deeply resentful towards them
37
Why were farms collectivised?
- To remove capacity for individualistic farmers to shape the output of their land - Farmers became employees on their land like factory workers in a factory - Farmers could no longer expect to share the benefits from increased output
38
What were the farmers who became wealthy due to the NEP labelled by Stalin
Kulaks - a class that needed liquidisation
39
What were the 3 categories of Kulaks?
1. Counter-revolutionary Kulaks - shot or exiled 2. Wealthy Kulaks - deported to Siberia 3. Other Kulaks - moved to another Kolkhoz
40
How did Kolkhoz decrease agricultural output?
Cattle: 1928 = 60.1% 1934 = 33.95%
41
Who were the OGPU?
The secret police
42
What are some Foreign policies Russia made?
Peace Treaty with Germany - October 1917 Comintern - March 1919 Treaty of Paris - march 1921 Nazi-Soviet Pact - 1939-41 Non-aggression Pact with Japan - April 1941
43
How did Stalin rise in power?
Propaganda Destruction of support networks Assassination + exilement
44
What type of propaganda did Stalin use?
Posters, photos, public appearance, soviet realism paintings
45
How did Stalin present his personality in poropaganda?
strong, caring, reliable communism = wonderful
46
Give an example of a poster that Stalin used for propaganda?
Stalin positioned next to Lenin representing himself as Lenin's heir and true disciple (Webb, 2018)
47
What was Lenin's opinion of Stalin that he wrote in his letters about all the politburo? Quote
That he didn't like Stalin very much, saying Stalin should be replaced with someone more, "tolerant, more loyal, less capricious and so forth" Williams (2004)
48
Give an example of photos Stalin used for propaganda
Photo with little girl called Gelya Markizova being held by Stalin (1939). Called 'Children's Friend' - Stalin 'cared' about the youth (Yegorov, 2018)
49
Describe soviet realism paintings
- Bright colours - Big happy communities - Cannot be interpreted another way
50
What is an example of a support network Stalin destroyed?
The Russian Orthodox Church
50
Why did Stalin destroy support networks?
So that he became the only figure people were to rely on To be worshiped as if a god
51
How did Stalin destroy support networks?
- Priests were beheaded, left outside to freeze, put in prison, shot or buried alive (Chistyakov, 2010) - Churches destroyed - Bishops imprisoned and exiled - Anti-religious propaganda permitted - teaching religion in school became punishable by law
52
Who did Stalin Assassinate and exile?
The who opposed him or his politics
53
When was Trotsky exiled?
1929
54
Who was Sergei Kirov?
Long -stranding Bolshevik who became apart of the Politburo in 1930 while being a supporter of Stalin
55
Was Kirov a rival to Stalin?
Yes
56
Who assassinated Kirov in 1934?
The NKVD
57
Who did Stalin blame for Kirov's assassination?
Trotskyists and older Bolsheviks
58
Were the trials about Kirov's assassination fair? Why or why not?
No The accused were forced to confess and were shot
59
What were the show trials?
Elaborate trials of fabricated crimes
60
How many party members, centrals committee members and military leaders were eliminated due to the show trials?
1. Over a third 2. Over half 3. 81 (University of Washington, 2017)
61
How did the show trials impact the public?
Public blamed anyone they held a grudge against - friends, co-workers and family members

Modern History (3 decks)

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