Russia: Stalin Flashcards
What views did Lenin express in his Testament?
He warned against Stalin becoming his successor as he thought that Stalin might not be capable of using his authority with caution and was too rude and ambitious
He said that Trotsky was distinguished with outstanding ability and capability but was arrogant
Why was there a struggle for power after Lenin’s death?
When Lenin died in 1924, there were several leading communists who were possible candidates to take his place.
There were Kamenev and Zinoviev, leading Bolsheviks who had played important parts in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. They were left-wingers who agreed with Trotsky’s ideas about state control of land and continuing revolution. They were determined to stop Trotsky from becoming party leader.
The main struggle was between Stalin and Trotsky.
What were Trotsky’s positive qualities?
He was the most able, well-known and popular with the army and Party members.
He had lead the Red Army brilliantly during the civil war
He had planned the November Revolution
Why were some Bolshevik suspicious of Trotsky?
Trotsky frightened many people in the USSR - many older party members distrusted Trotsky, fearing that he might become a dictator, especially as he could count on the Red Army to follow him
They doubted his loyalty to the party as he had not joined the Bolsheviks until 1917
Many people were worried that Trotsky would involve the USSR in new conflicts and that his radical policies might split the party
What were Trotsky’s negative qualities?
He often offended senior party members
He failed to take opposition seriously
He made little effort to build up any support in the ranks of the party and make alliances
He seriously underestimated Stalin
He did not inspire affection the way Lenin did - he was arrogant and did not have a lot of time for those he considered stupid
What were Stalin’s negative qualities?
He was not an intellectual or an inspiring speaker
He was regarded as dull, mediocre and humourless by other leading communists
What were Stalin’s positive qualities?
He was politically cunning - playing off different groups in the party against each other
He kept in the shadows, not taking a clear position and seeming to be the friend and ally of different groups - this allowed him to become steadily powerful without the others realising it
He had been a loyal member of the party for over 20 years
He did not hold extreme views that would be likely to split the party
He appeared to be a straightforward Georgian peasant - more of a man of the people than his intellectual rivals
What did Stalin do that allowed him to succeed over Trotsky?
He had a very powerful position as General Secretary of the Communist Party
He could control membership of the party - between 1922 and 1924 he put more of his own supporters into important party positions and expelled the younger, wilder and more radical members from the party who were more likely to support Trotsky
He made great efforts to associate himself with Lenin wherever possible - he tricked Trotsky and told him the wrong date for Lenin’s funeral so that he didn’t show up
He allied himself with Zinoviev and Kamenev to push out Trotsky. Then allied himself with Bukharin to defeat Zinoviev and Kamenev and along with Trotsky, got them expelled from the party. Finally, he turned on Bukharin and his supporters, removing them from powerful positions.
By 1929, he was the unchallenged leader.
How was luck a factor in Stalin’s success over Trotsky?
Trotsky fell ill in 1923, just when Lenin was dying and when Trotsky needed to be his most active
Lenin’s testament - in which he warned against Stalin and could have greatly affected Stalin’s chance at becoming leader - was never published because it criticised other leading communists as well
What methods did Stalin use to maintain total control of Russia?/ How was the Cult of Stalin implemented?
Propaganda incl rewriting history, changing education and censorship
Terror incl the Purges, show trials and persecution
How did Stalin use propaganda to maintain control over Russia?
Stalin’s name and picture was everywhere
Streets and cities were named after him
Huge parades in the Red Square in Moscow, films, statues and paintings - showed the Soviet people how fortunate they were to have such a great, caring leader whose genius had saved the USSR from its enemies and made it the envy of the world
Party members, such as Audienko were forever praising his achievements
How did Stalin rewrite history to maintain control over Russia?
He rewrote history to glorify his own past especially in the Bolshevik Revolution and remove that of ‘enemies’ like Trotsky
Photographs were doctored to remove images of people such as Bukharin, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky
New photographs and histories were crated, emphasising Stalin’s role, especially his apparent close links with Lenin, who was still treated as a god in Soviet society. He faked photographs that showed him with Stalin.
How did Stalin change education to maintain control over Russia?
Children were taught that Stalin was the ‘Great Leader’ and learnt his version of history
In 1932, a rigid programme of education was introduced. Discipline was strict and examinations were brought back
He had a new book, ‘A Short History of the USSR’ written for school students, which gave him a more important role in the revolution
Stalin chose the subjects and information that children should learn
How did Stalin use censorship to maintain control over Russia?
Writers, artists, film-makers and composers had to support the government by following the policy of ‘social realism’.
Their work had to deal with ordinary working people, show how communism was developing and give clear, simple, optimistic messages
All their work was carefully censored and had to be submitted to committees before it was published
How did Stalin use persecution to maintain control over Russia?
Stalin believed religious groups posed a threat as they owed their allegiance to a different god and not Stalin
Christian leaders were imprisoned and their churches closed down
The ‘League of the Godless’ smashed churches and burned religious pictures
Mosques and Muslim schools were closed and pilgrimages to Mecca banned.
Why did Stalin want to modernise agriculture?
1) Having fewer, larger farms would make it easier to introduce new technology, which would increase food production
2) Most farms were still very small and used old traditional methods: strip farms with wooden ploughs
3) Mechanisation of agriculture would release farm labourers to work in industry
4) In 1928-9, another food crisis hit. Bread and meat had to be rationed in the cities
Why did Stalin want to modernise industry?
1) To make Russia less dependent on the West for industrial goods
2) Industrialisation would guarantee the survival of the communist revolution by creating more members of the proletariat
3) In the 1920s, Soviet production of coal and steel lagged behind that of France
4) To provide the machinery, especially tractors, needed to mechanise farming and produce more food
5) To rival the economies of the USA and other capitalist countries
6) The right-wing members of the party, such as Bukharin, Tomsky and Rykov, remained in favour of the NEP - by launching more left wing policies, Stalin would be able to discredit and remove them, thus consolidating his control
Why did Stalin want to modernise agriculture and industry?
1) To transform the country from a backward society into a modern one
2) By creating and sharing wealth Stalin hoped to create a strong state based on communist principles, where the state controlled economic activity
3) To improve the USSR’s military strength - Stalin feared an attack from the West, especially given Britain, France and the US’s help to the Whites in the civil war
How did Stalin modernise industry?
He introduced much greater state control through a series of Five Year Plans - targets for key industries which had to met within five years
How did Stalin modernise agriculture?
Small farms were merged into much larger ones where farmers would work together and share everything, including tools, animals and produce - this was known as collectivisation
Who were the Komsomol?
A youth organisation controlled by the Communist Party
What was a kolkhoz?
A collective farm - lots of small farms combined into one big farm which shares everything on the land
What was a kulak?
A wealthy or prosperous peasant, generally characterised as one who owned a relatively large farm and who was financially capable of employing hired labour and leasing land
