- Poor background/ priest - Active Bolshevik revolutionary - Editor of Pravda - Commissar of Nationalities, then General Secretary

- Organised oct rev - key in civil war - smart boi - lenin support - ppl thought he was arrogant - used to be menshevik - opposed NEP

- initially opposed oct rev - opposed NEP - leader of Moscow party

- supported NEP - prev disagreed w some of Lenin's stuff - favourite of party - lenin liked him but wasn't sure if he was really a bolshevik

- also opposed oct rev - Petrograd party leader - opposed NEP - ppl didn't like him - incompetent

- for NEP - drunkard - Chairman of People's Commissars - outspoken

Russia- Stalin’s Rise To Power + Dictatorships Flashcards by Imaya A

What year did Lenin die?

1924

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Who were the 7 contenders for leadership?

Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin
Lev Kamanev
Gregory Zinoviev
Nikolai Bukharin
Alexei Rykov
Mikhail Tomsky

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Who was Stalin?

Poor background/ priest
Active Bolshevik revolutionary
Editor of Pravda
Commissar of Nationalities, then General Secretary

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Who was Trotsky?

Organised oct rev
key in civil war
smart boi
lenin support
ppl thought he was arrogant
used to be menshevik
opposed NEP

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Who was Kamenev?

initially opposed oct rev
opposed NEP
leader of Moscow party

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Who was Bukharin?

supported NEP
prev disagreed w some of Lenin’s stuff
favourite of party
lenin liked him but wasn’t sure if he was really a bolshevik

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Who was Zinoviev?

also opposed oct rev
Petrograd party leader
opposed NEP
ppl didn’t like him - incompetent

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Who was Rykov?

for NEP
drunkard
Chairman of People’s Commissars
outspoken

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Who was Tomsky?

-G.S of Red International Trade
- For NEP
- Opposed Lenin in maj. political debates

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What was in Lenin’s will and testament that made Stalin worried?

Support for Trotsky
Against Stalin

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How did Stalin get past Lenin’s will?

Persuaded Kamenev and Zinoviev to keep it shush
Said it also criticised them

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How did Stalin manipulate Lenin’s funeral into his favour?

told Trotsky it was a day after
Trotsky didn’t show up
presented himself as chief mourner

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What did Stalin do with whom to bring Trotsky down from his position?

Zinoviev and Kamenev
forced him to resign as commissar of war
no red army for Trotsky :(

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What policy did Stalin have? How did he increase support for it?

stuffed his supporters in Congress of Soviets
Socialism in one country

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How did Stalin remove Trotsky, Kamanev and Zinoviev? What year were they kicked out?

Worked w Bukharin
1927

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When and why did Stalin turn on Bukharin? What happened to him?

wanted to end NEP
1928
forced to resign and executed in purges

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How did Tomsky and Rykov get kicked out?

Tomsky dismissed from post
committed suicide before arrest
Rykov gradually arrested

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What happened to Trotsky?

exiled in ‘29
went to Mexico
lover of Frida Kahlo?? bish what
wrote A LOT of anti Stalin articles
assassinated by hired hit man
ice pick thru head :(

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What was Stalin’s position? Why was this a reason for his success?

General Secretary of Communist Party
Appointed officials who supported him
Kicked out ones who didn’t

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Why was Stalin successful?

dominated new members of party
pretended he was close to Lenin (photoshop)
played rivals against each other

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What was the Triumvirate?

three contenders opposing Trotsky
Stalin, Kamanev, Zinoviev

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Which of the contenders supported NEP? Who opposed?

For: Bukharin
Against: Trotsky, Kamanev, Zinoviev
Changed his mind repeatedly: Stalin

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What were some of Trotsky’s weaknesses?

outsider - jewish, menshevik
outmanoeuvred by Stalin
preferred intellect over sneaking around
underestimated Stalin

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What was the key difference between Stalin and Trotsky’s policies?

Permanent Revolution: spread communism to other countries

Socialism in one country: keep comm. in country/ protect ideology

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When did the purges begin?

1932

What was the name of the Secret Police used by Stalin?

NKVD

What kinda ppl were purged?

- anybody who opposed Stalin's economic ideas - party members/ incorrect attitudes - artists, scientists/ acts against state - managers and workers/ against 5 yr plans

Important people who were purged:

Trotsky (ice pick) Commander in Chief of Red Army senior communists leader of NKVD??

Why was the Commander of the Red Army purged?

- disagreements during Civil War - technically powerful enough to overthrow Stalin

Who was Kirov? How did he prompt a purge of Party members?

Close friend and rival got murdered (probably by Stalin...) excuse to kill half the Party

How did the Secret Police's name change?

Okhrana -> Cheka -> OGPU -> NKVD

What were the purges known as?

The Great Terror of the 1930s

What were show trials? Give two examples of ppl put on show trials?

- people pleaded guilty to crimes they didn't do - Kamanev, Zinoviev

Why was Stalin not totally responsible for the purges?

- snowballed out of control - exploited by people

What happened to the ordinary ppl during the purges?

- terrified of NKVD - 20 mil. sent to gulags half died

Why were threats to his position a reason for the purges?

enemies would overthrow

Why was a persecution complex a reason for the purges?

feared everyone was plotting against him

What was the terrorist decree?

ppl could be arrested w out trial 😱

What were gulags?

- labour camps - hard manual labour - 13 million died

Why were links with economic policies a reason for the purges?

- gulags for mass forced labour - project failures blamed on sabotage/ excusing setbacks

What was the NKVD mostly used for?

- Hunting down opponents - Obedience - Informers/ spies

How were people tortured?

- conveyor belt system - family threatened - psychological threatening

What year was the Cheka initially introduced?

1917

How were the show trials and purges useful for Stalin?

- only Bolshevik from Oct Rev - no potential rivals left

What were the military consequences of the purges?

- lots of officers removed from army - almost led to defeat in Hitler's Barbarossa

What were the consequences of imprisoning all scientists, administrators, engineers?

- weakened Stalins work on building industry - affecte quality of production

What was needed to get a job? What consequences did this have?

- Party card - families forced to live on streets

What did Stalin cultivate to ensure his control over a totalitarian state?

Cult of personality

How did he achieve this? (cult)

pictures, statues, songs, poems, books

What skill helped Stalin propaganda?

Working as editor of Pravda

What did Stalin stand for?

Man of Steel

How did Stalin change history?

- glorified role in Oct Rev - removed photos/ mention of Trotsky, kamanev etc. - fake photographs of lenin and stalin - new paintings and histories

How did media censorship to help Stalin?

- no knowledge of outside world

What was socialist realism?

- art glorifying proletariat

What was the aim of all art and culture under Stalin?

- show progress of communism - ordinary people

Why did religious groups pose a threat to the cult of Stalin?

- devoted to dif god

How was Stalin portrayed?

- taller and fitter than he actually was - genius of everything - god of everything - 'next Lenin'

Why was perceived treachery a reason for the purges?

suspected leading officers were spying for Germany and Japan

Which three main religions did Stalin have to deal with?

Orthodox Russian, Muslim, Jewish

What did Stalin do to stop religion

- imprison religious leaders - melt bells for industrialisation - anti religious committees set up - Muslim schools banned

How did Stalin manage the remains of religious belief?

' freedom of conscience' foster unity against Germany

How was communist revolution successful?

94% of urban dwellers literate 86% of rural dwellers literate high no. engineers, doctors, scientists

What political youth groups were set up for children?

Octobrists (8-10) Young Pioneers (10-16) Komsomnal (16-28)

What kind of things did children learn at school?

Stalin is 'great leader' revised ver of Oct Rev glorifying Stalin communist ideology

What was the government of the USSR based on in 1936?

Soviet of the Union Soviet of the Nationalities

What was the purpose of Stalins 1936 constitution?

persuade world and citizens that USSR was a free society

How did Stalin describe the constitution?

Most democratic in the world?

What were the key features of the constitution?

- secret ballots - elections - voting rights above 18 - civil rights

Despite the constitution, what acc happened in the USSR?

- only communist party in USSR - only candidate for elections

What happened to teachers that weren't part of the Party?

replaced by 'Red Specialists'

What were the reasons behind the purges?

- threats to position - not j stalin - economic policies - perceived treachery - persecution complex