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Russia 1855 -1964 > Stalin (1941-1953) > Flashcards

Stalin (1941-1953) Flashcards

1
Q

Was Stalin a continuation of Lenin?

A

Some of the foundations were certainly laid out by Lenin and Stalin not only continued these, he went further than Lenin had ever done, extending one-party domination and redifining centralisation

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2
Q

When were the Internal passports introduced under Stalin and what did they do?

A

1932 and they restricted freedom of moment - similarly to the ex-serfs from 1961 who had to remain within their commune/Mir

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3
Q

What was the % of defence spending in 1940?

A

32.6%

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4
Q

Why was Stalin taken by surprise when the Nazi’s invaded on 22nd June?

A

Due to the previous Nazi-Soviet pact signed as well as Stalin’s ignorance towards intelligence reports and he seemed to miscalculate when the Germans would turn East

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5
Q

Why was Stalin’s army disadvantaged upon arrival of war? (Soviet Union)

A

> Due to the purges of the Red Army between 1936 and 1938 which had removed most senior officers and sapped the strength of the army.
Soviet fighting capacity had also been affected by inadequate training.
Stalin had also re-established the ‘dual command’ of military units - bringing back political commissars which had been abandoned in the late 1930s. This increased Party control but hindered combat capabilities

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6
Q

By 1941, how many rifles were the Soviet Union producing per month?

A

100,000 rifles

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7
Q

Why was the Soviet Union not economically ready for war?

A

Despite the move towards rearmament in the Third Five Year Plan, there were deficiencies in the quantity and quality of equipment. Due to increased expenditure on the military, there had been insufficient investment in the collective and state farm system, which was still not producing enough to feed population.

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8
Q

How did Stalin’s terror continue even during the war?

A

In the first weeks of the Second World War, Stalin authorised the shootings of more officers for ‘cowardice’ when they failed to prevent the advance of the Germans

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9
Q

Why is Stalin argued to be an ‘absolute monarch’ by Volkogonov?

A

As he wielded unrestricted political power over the Stater and its people

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10
Q

What was the invasion of the Germans on 22nd June 1941 known as?

A

Operation Barbarossa

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11
Q

Who did Stalin leave the public announcement of war to?

A

Molotov - ‘our cause is just, the enemy will be smashed, victory will be ours’

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12
Q

What was the Stavka established in 1941?

A

Supreme Military demand responsible for all military planning

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13
Q

What was the ‘dacha’ and when was it withdrawn by Stalin?

A

A second home in the country, often used by Russians in the summer and on 27th June 1941

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14
Q

What Committee was set up by the Politburo after the announcement of war?

A

State Defence Committee (GKO)

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15
Q

What was the State Defence Committee in control of?

A

Absolute authority over the Party, state, military and other organisations and directs the wartime economy = a small group of five

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16
Q

Who did Stalin heavily rely on to organise military forces?

A

Zhukov, deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army, who successfully defended Moscow in November 1941 and ultimately led the Soviet Troops to Berlin in April 1945

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17
Q

What did Stalin issue in 1942 when Germans threatened Stalingrad?

A

Order 227 = ‘Not One Step Backwards’
> Any soldier who fell behind or tried top retreat was to be shot on sight, and more than 150,000 people were sent to death under this order
> The NKVD gained ‘blocking units’ equipped with machine guns in the rear action, to prevent desertion or retreat

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18
Q

Partisan…

A

is a member of a military force behind the front line opposing the control of the area by the enemy

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19
Q

What action did Stalin take to prevent political disintegration in 1941?

A

He dissolved the Volga German autonomous republic in 1941 and sent its people to the East. He also relied on the deportation of ‘suspect’ ethnic groups such as the Karacahi, the Chechens and the Crimean Tartars < argued to be an extension of the purges as they were brutally treated

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20
Q

Which ethnic groups were deported by Stalin on terms of being ‘suspicious’?

A 
The Karachai
The Chechens
The Ingushi
The Crimean Tartars
^ around 1.5 million people
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21
Q

How many people were deported by Stalin away from their homeland during the war?

A

1.5 million > argued as an extension of the purges as they were treated brutally and only two thirds survived the journey to Siberia

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22
Q

What was the result of Stalin putting an emphasis on the political education of troops?

A

Increasing numbers chose to join the Party and over the war, 3.6 million new members joined the Party of which 2.5 million of these were from the amry

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23
Q

What did the war help to strengthen politically?

A

The belief in the communist system and Stalin, by 1945, declared the war had shown superiority and resilience of the socialist system. It was a victory for communism over fascism.

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24
Q

What was the ‘scorched earth policy’?

A

Destroying anything useful to the enemy before retreating. Stalin ordered both soldiers and civilians to deny the German troops basic supplies as they moved Eastwards

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25
How many entire factories together with workers were moved from western Russia and the Ukraine to area's in the East?
1523
26
What other changes were made to benefit the war? (WW2)
New railways were built or redirected and the industrial bases rapidly linked to the front line
27
Why were People's Commissars established?
To supervise the different sections of wartime production such as tanks, aircraft and guns
28
What did compulsory State Orders allow?
For changes to take place in a very short time frame > full control
29
How many new industrial enterprises were built during the war in the Urals (mountains)?
3500
30
How was the food problem controlled?
Strict rationing and demanding quotas on collective farms
31
How was the morale and incentive of peasants kept high?
Peasants were allowed to keep private plots and to sell their produce
32
What foreign aid did the Soviet Union benefit from that the kept hidden from the people of Russia?
- The UK and the USA supplied essential war materials - In total, 17.5 million tons of military equipment, vehicles, industrial supplies, and food were shipped from the West to the USSR - 94% coming from the USA - Lend-Lease scheme in 1941, $11 billion of aid from USA
33
How many tons of military equipment was provided to the USSR from the west?
17.5 million tons
34
How many $ did the Lend-Lease scheme in 1941 provide for the USSR?
$11 billion
35
How many Soviets initially signed up after the announcement of war in Moscow?
120,000 to fight for the 'Motherland'
36
Where were the White Collar Workers sent?
To munition factories
37
What was the impact of war fro workers?
> 12 hour day > Became normal for workers to sleep in their factories > Factories were under martial law and discipline was tightened so severe punishments for negligence, lateness or absenteeism. > Unauthorised absences were punishable by death
38
How was soldiers families who were taken captive affected?
They had their military ration cards confiscated.
39
How many soldiers were killed from 1941 and 1945?
8.6 million
40
How many deaths were there during the war due to starvation?
25 million deaths
41
What social problems did the Soviet Union face during the war?
> A pathetic rationing system that led to mass starvation > Acute housing and fuel shortages, causing health problems to escalate > Poor living conditions and working conditions
42
What role did the Gulag 'slave-labour' camps have?
Used to produce around 15% of all Soviet ammunition, as well as extracting coal and oil - mostly fro Arctic regions
43
What propaganda tactics did Stalin use to boost morale?
> People were encouraged top sacrifice themselves int he interest of 'Holy Mother Russia' against the godless invaders > 'Everything for Victory' > Deeply patriotic and anti-German letters were published in Pravda, to inspire heroism and self-sacrifice
44
What other cultural group enjoyed more freedoms due to the war?
Artists - in the interest of fostering an atmosphere of national reconciliation, and previously banned individuals were allowed to work again, so long as they avoided direct criticism of Marxist-Leninism
45
Which poet broadcasted a patriotic verse on the radio?
Anna Akhmatova
46
What other type of entertainment was sued to boost morale during the war?
Music - musicians gave concerts such as Maria Yudina, a concert pianist > they were given extra rations
47
How was the Church affected by war?
There was a respite in the persecution of the Churches, which were reopened. The Russian patriarch, abolished by the Tsars, was restored and clergy were released from camps. It lofted morale and people were encouraged to attend as it praised the greatest leader, Stalin.
48
How were women affected by war?
> Reaffirmation of the importance of family > Mothers with tow or mode children were made 'heroines of the Soviet Union' > Became essential members of the workforce and were expected to raise large families > More than four fifths of land workers were female > Over half a million women fought in the Soviet armed forces as pilots, snipers and even tank commanders > 47% increase in employment for women
49
How was the importance of family shown during the war?
New measures were introduced to try combat the falling birth rate and deaths brought by the war. Taxes were increased for those with fewer than two children, restrictions on divorce were tightened, abortion was forbidden, the right to inherit family property was reestablished, and mothers of more than two were made 'heroines of the Soviet Union'
50
How many women served in the armed forces?
500,000
51
What reward did women receive for their war effort which was crucial for Soviet victory?
Little: in fact women's pay rates fell between 1930 and 1945
52
What tactics did partisan groups use?
Guerrilla tactics to harass the enemy and sabotage operations
53
By 1945, how many partisans were there?
1 million > many of them were women
54
What effect did the war have on Stalin as a leader?
He was seen as a 'national superhero' and paintings portraying him as the glorious wartime leader were seen put up in all public buildings
55
What effect did the war have on Stalin as a person?
He became much more paranoid and his suspicion of real or imagined enemies had grown. This was shown in his treatment of prisoners-of-war, whom Stalin regarded as tainted with Western values causing many of them to be transferred directly to Soviet labour camps
56
What happened to any collaborationist Soviet citizens who had fought for Germany against the USSR?
They were immediately executed | E.g. the Cossack's were virtually wiped out in retribution for their support of German armies
57
How was victory portrayed by Stalin?
a victory for the socialist system, not the people
58
How many people by the end of the war in the Western provinces had nothing but wooden huts to live in?
25 million people
59
What benefits did the wear bring for society/ordinary people?
> More opportunity for individual initiative and helped to bring State and people closer. > The sense of collective endeavour for the country, their government and Stalin, gave new hope of change when the war was over. > The comradeship among soldiers helped to spread new liberal thinking > Soviet society was opened to Western influence through the lend-lease scheme and movement of soldiers .
60
How was the USSR impacted by the Western influences post war?
Hollywood films, Western books, Western music (e..g Jazz), Western goods found their way into the USSR
61
How many civilians deaths were they due to the war?
19 million
62
How many hospitals were destroyed due to the war?
40,000
63
How many towns were destroyed due to the war?
1200
64
What are the years from 1945 to 1953 known as?
'High Stalinism'
65
What was Stalin's approach to post-war government?
'back to the future'
66
When was the GKO (State Defence Committee) dissolved?
September 1945
67
Why was Zhukov demoted by Stalin?
As he was seen as a potential rival for popular adulation. He was sent to the military command at Odessa, losing his postilion on the Central Committee of the Party
68
Who became Stalin's closest advisor?
Zhdanov - Zhdanovschina
69
When was a new Politburo elected and what changes were made to it?
March 1946 by the Central Committee and it was reduced to an advisory body, which awaited instruction on the 'official' line from Stalin
70
How many members did the Komsomol have by 1952?
16 million
71
Who launched a cultural purge in 1946 and what did this become known as?
Zhdanov and Zhdanovschina - he did this as there was a growing fear of the increased Westernisation of the war years so instead the movement stressed conformity in socialism and promoted the cult of Stalin
72
Why was the Zhdanovschina movement introduced and what did it do?
Why? was a growing fear of the increased Westernisation of the war years What? instead the movement stressed conformity in socialism and promoted the cult of Stalin. It brought an intense persecution of artists and intellectuals
73
What did the Zhdanovschina begin with?
The purges of two literary journals published in Leningrad which were condemned for being 'anti-soviet'
74
Soviet writers who were deemed to be ....................... were sent to .................E.g........................
1. anti-soviet 2. gulags 3. Olga Ivinskaya
75
How was western influence completely blocked?
> Non-communist foreign papers were unobtainable > Foreign radio transmissions were jammed > Only a few 'approved' foreign books were translated into Russian > Only pro-soviet foreign writers and artists were allowed to visit the USSR > Very few Soviets were allowed to go to the West
76
Name a renownded international composer?
Dmitry Shostakovich
77
Who was deputy Prime Minister, a full member of the Politburo as well as the head of security apparatus?
Beria
78
What was Beria largely responsible for during High Stalinism?
The expansion of the gulag system and his dreary personality which cast a long shadow over the USSR
79
What two ministries was the reorganised NKVD split into?
1. MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) = controlled domestic security and the gulags 2. MGB (Ministry of State Security) took charge of counter-intelligence and espionage
80
How many wartime survivors were sent to the labour camps, suffering appalling conditions?
12 million
81
How did Stalin deal with those who had already fallen?
By removing them from history using airbrush to alter images and altering documents/history books
82
What was the Leningrad Case in 1949?
Stalin took a stand against the 'Leningrad Party' on the basis of false evidence causing several leading officials to be arrested, including the head of Gosplan and Voznesensky, an economic reformer who held a position in the Politburo
83
Why did Stalin revert to his former anti-Semitic stance?
In fear that all Jews within the USSR were potential rivals and enemies
84
What was the Mingrealian Case (Georgian purge) in 1951-52?
A purge was launched in Georgia, directed against the followers of Beria, the head of the NKVD as they were accused of collaboration with Western powers - this was aimed at weakening the authority of Beria
85
What was the Doctors Plot in 1952?
A 'conspiracy' was discovered where nine doctors failed to diagnose and treat Zhdanov professionally causing them to be arrested. This escalated and led to Stalin threatening execution if confessions were not made, and hundreds of doctors were arrested and tortured. Stalin blamed the Jews and this led to Anti-Jewish hysteria in the press
86
What led to Stalin's increasing paranoia post-war?
He suffered a mild stroke in 1946
87
How was Stalin portrayed as a 'man of the people'?
> Her hadn't visited a peasant village or kolkhoz for 25 years and spent most of his later years at his dacha (country house) meaning he mainly relied on films and written papers for his knowledge and was probably misled by hos own propagandists
88
How was Stalin's cult of personality expressed further after WW2?
> Giant portraits and statues were made in copper > Towns were named after him (e.g. Stalingrad) > Stalin prizes were introduced for artistic or scientific work > Monuments of him appeared all over the USSR
89
When did Stalin die?
March 1953
90
When did Stalin request to relieve his position as Party Secretary because of his advanced age?
October 1952
91
After the party congress in 1952, what did Khrushchev announce?
The abolition of the Orgburo (Central Committee) and the Politburo replace by an enlarged Presidium > this was s hint of preparations for another purge
92
What was the impact of Stalin's death?
Hysterical public displays of grief, and crowds queued to see his embalmed body which was laid in the hall of Columns within the Party Congress Hall in Moscow.
93
Negative impact on industry of the war?
- Consumer goods still in short supply - Stakhanovite programme maintained and wage differentials remained - Rations maintained long after the war - Working week and 12 hour days remained post-war
94
By ........ production had exceeded pre-war levels
1950
95
How did Stalin deal with agriculture post-war?
1948 Plan for "The Transformation of Nature" - called for tree planting to prevent soil erosion
96
How was Agriculture affected by the war?
- 100,000 farms destroyed along with livestock and machinery - The 'scorched earth' policy caused Western regions to suffer - The strongest workers, who formed backbone of the Red Army, had be eliminated due to the war
97
How was Agriculture affected by the war?
- 100,000 farms destroyed along with livestock and machinery - The 'scorched earth' policy caused Western regions to suffer - The strongest workers, who formed backbone of the Red Army, had be eliminated due to the war
98
What effect did the German siege of Leningrad have?
3 million Russians causalities in its 900 days
99
How many factories did the USSR lose due to war?
32,000 factories
100
What % increase on employment was there for women during the war?
47% increase
101
Lenin and Stalin: continuation ( +)or not (-) ?
+ Strong State, a monopolistic communist party and a desire to transform society according to policy agreed at the top and imposed on society + Use of terror via secret police + Origins of the Great purges in 1930s lay in Marxist Leninism + Both used extensive/influential propaganda techniques - However, Stalin's highly conservative policies of the 1940s and unlimited personal dictatorship was a change
102
What does Tucker refer to the Stalinist area as?
A 'revolution from above' with the aim to achieve modernisation. An example of this is the collectivisation and industrial drives which together formed the building blocks for 'Socialism in one country' starting with the economic Five Year Plans
103
How can support from the peasants be seen through Stalin's era even with collectivisation according to proposed by Maurice Hindus in the 'Red Bread' published in 1931?
Support among the younger peasants as they saw what the regime was trying to achieve and many peasant were keen to learn new methods of farming - as proposed by Maurice Hindus in the 'Red Bread' published in 1931

Russia 1855 -1964 (7 decks)

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