Stalin in Power, 1928 - 1953

Question 1

5 reasons for stalins victory

Answer 1

General-Secretary – gained controlling share of votes; appoint/dismiss anyone
Excellent administrator – realised power now lay with Party; others overlooked this
Pragmatic – made political alliances
Political intrigue – tricked Trotsky and turned on Bukharin
Ban on Factions – ultimate power
Policies – supported popular policies, such as ‘Socialism in One Country

Question 2

Origins of the purges 4

Answer 2

Stalin’s personality – paranoia/jealousy
Ryutin Platform – document criticising Stalin
Congress of Victors – attempt to remove Stalin
The murder of Kirov – member of Politburo assassinated

Question 3

Ryutin Platform

Answer 3

In 1930 Martemyan Ryutin circulated a document around the Communist Party which was openly critical of Stalin’s policies. Ryutin was quickly arrested and his supporters expelled from the party
However they were cleared of their crimes and re-admitted into the party
In 1932 Ryutin urged Stalin’s overthrow as leader; was again arrested; and in 1937 was tried and sentenced to death

Question 4

Congress of Victors

Answer 4

17th Party Congress in 1934 ‘Congress of Victors’ to vote new members
Sergei Kirov, member of the Politburo, gained more votes than Stalin for position on the Central Committee
‘Old Bolsheviks’ urged Kirov to stand for election as Secretary-General; refused
However Stalin was demoted to Secretary of Equal Rank alongside Kirov

Question 5

Murder of Kirov

Answer 5

December 1934 Kirov was assassinated

Question 6

Benefits of Kirovs assassination

Answer 6

Freed Stalin of his most dangerous rival
Allowed him to put the blame on other enemies
Excuse to purge the part of any who opposed him

Question 7

Stalin issued the Decree against Terrorist Acts

Answer 7

Gave the NKVD (secret police) unrestricted power to hunt down anyone Stalin believed was a ‘terrorist’

Question 8

Chistka 1932-35

Answer 8

22% party kicked

Question 9

Great Terror

Answer 9

Between 1936-38, 8m arrested, 1.5m executed, 8m in camps (of whom 2m died)
At its height, 1,000 people were being executed every day in Russia

Question 10

Trial of the Seventeen’ in 1937

Answer 10

accused of being ‘anti-Soviet Trotskyite Centre’
Yezhov’s ‘conveyor belt interrogation’ used to extract confessions – all executed
Purposefully done to implicate Bukharin in anti-Soviet plots

Question 11

Trial of the Sixteen 1936

Answer 11

Zinoviev and Kamenev plus 14 executed

Question 12

1938, ‘Trial of the Twenty-One

Answer 12

Bukharin, Rykov, Tomsky and even Yagoda. Bukharin specifically charged with attempting to murder Lenin – all executed

Question 13

3 Victims of the ‘Great Purge

Answer 13

Army
Generals appointed by Trotsky; Stalin wanted complete control of the army
NKVD (Secret Soviet Police)
Many had been members of the Bolshevik Chekha; Stalin believed they hadn’t purged enough
Relatives of
the purged

Question 14

The ‘Yezhovschina’

Answer 14

Claimed NKVD was ‘four years behind, yagoda replaced with yezhov,

Question 15

The Decline of the Party

Answer 15

In 1920s Politburo met once a week; but throughout 1930s meetings held on average only 9 times a year

Question 16

The Soviet Constitution of 1936

Answer 16

was hailed by Stalin as the most democratic in the world. Freedom of speech; religion; movement; press
The Soviet of Nationalities
Deputies representing the non-Russian republics of the USSR, e.g. Ukraine and The Soviet of the Union
Deputies elected by the people – 1 deputy for every 300,000 voters
could be elected to the supreme soviet and council of ministers

Question 17

why this constitution may not have actually proved so democratic

Answer 17

Only Party members could be elected to Soviets
Stalin’s power meant that bodies such as the Council of Ministers acted as rubber-stamping institutions
The purges of the 1930s removed all political opposition

Question 18

Purpose of soviet constitution

Answer 18

The Constitution was therefore a piece of propaganda

Stalin hoped to show other countries that Communism created freedom, equality and democracy

Question 19

4 Stalin’s power grew immensely because of WW2:

Answer 19

Acted as propaganda symbol for Russians against Nazis
Set up powerful State Defence Committee (GKO) to manage and control the economy and war production
Victories at battles of Moscow (1941), Stalingrad (1943) and Berlin (1945) boosted Stalin’s prestige as war leader
After the war, Stalin regarded as saviour of the country

Question 20

‘High Stalinism’

Answer 20

To win the war, Stalin had to relax his personal dictatorship, giving freedom to generals and power to state bodies like the GKO

Question 21

Leningrad Affair 1949

Answer 21

Stalin believed Russia’s second city becoming a rival to his powerbase in Moscow
100 Party members shot and 200 arrested

Question 22

Mingrelian Affair 1951

Answer 22

Lavrenty Beria emerged as ambitious Party member

Stalin had his allies in Georgia purged from the party