Stalin's Brutal Reign Flashcards
Name 3 Reasons Stalin was able to gain power
Use of Lenin’s memory in speeches and to discredit rivals, Packed Congress of Soviets with supporters, Use of political infighting and promises about pushing forward industry
In what year were Lev Kamenev and Gregory Zinoviev expelled from the party?
1927
In what year was Nikolai Bukharin expelled from the party?
1928
Why was Stalin’s appointment as Secretary of State important?
Appointed on 3rd April 1922, allowed him to appoint key supporters in important positions within the part
Name 1 Statistic on Stalin’s Appointment of Key Supporters
Name 4 Strategies Stalin used to consolidate power
Propaganda, Education, Show Trials, The Cult of Personality
Define The Cult of Personality
The building up of Stalin as a God-like figure as religious worship is banned and processions arranged praising Stalin
How did Stalin describe the purges of 1934?
“The Final Destruction of All Enemies”
Between What Years did the party purges occur?
1934-38
Why did Stalin launch the party purges?
He was paranoid of enemies at all corners and felt at risk of assassination
When was Sergei Kirov murdered?
1st December 1934
What was the name of Stalin’s second wife?
Nadezhda Alliluyeva
How many army officers were murdered as part of the purges?
25,000 army officers
How many NKVD members were purged in 1937?
20,000 members
Name 3 Priorities of Stalin in 1931
Military Improvement, Economic Development, Industrialisation
Why did Stalin want to modernise the USSR?
He felt they would be crushed by capitalist countries if they did not catch up in these sectors
Name 3 Reasons industrialisation was required in the USSR
Barren land was being left unused, crop production was low, militarily the country was underdeveloped
Name 4 Negative Impacts of Industrialisation
Housing and QOL did not improve at same rate, work was difficult and unfair, work quotas placed strain upon workforce, people afraid due to the Great Terror
What was the focus of the first five year plan(1928-32)
Major industry
Name 3 Positives of Industrialisation
Improvements in cities infrastructure and leisure, scale of industrialisation very impressive, USSR entered into war far more prepared and advanced
What were the benefits of the second five year plan(1933-37)?
Transport and agriculture boosted, The Moscow Underground Railway built, improvements in development
What was the focus of the second five year plan(1933-37)?
Heavy industry and mineral extraction
What was the focus of the third five year plan(1938-42)?
Further industrialisation
What were the results of the third five year plan(1938-42)?
Transport greatly increased, higher production of consumer goods
Why was the third five year plan less effective?
Plans were heavily disrupted by WW2
Define Collectivisation
Stalin’s policy of taking land off peasants and creating large state-owned farms in order to increase industrialisation
What was the primary purpose of collectivisation?
To end grain shortages as 90% of produce went to government
Name 1 Statistic in support of collectivisation
22.5 million tonnes of grain acquired in 1932 compared to just half that in 1928
When was the policy of collectivisation introduced?
1928 as part of the first five year plan
How did collectivisation influence Kulaks?
Those that resisted or responded with violence were branded as Tsarist sympathisers and capitalists and sent to concentration camps
Which event did collectivisation and the killing of Kulaks lead to?
The Ukraine Famine(1932-33)
How many Kulaks were sent to labour camps during the period of collectivisation?
2.5 million
What was the average length of a Kulak sentence?
10 Years
Name 2 ways collectivisation and industrialisation benefited women
Increased role in Society, able to earn better incomes as many drafted into industry
Name 1 Statistic on the importance of women in Stalin’s regime
Contributed to 40% of industrial workers by 1937
Define Stakhanovite
An extremely hard-working and productive member of the soviet union
In what year did Operation Barbarossa take place?
1941
How many German troops invaded the Soviet Union as part of Operation Barbarossa?
3.5 million German troops
What was WW2 nicknamed in the USSR?
The Great Patriotic War
In what years did the Siege of Leningrad and Battle of Stalingrad take place?
Siege of Leningrad(1941), Battle of Stalingrad(1942-43)
Name 3 Successes of Stalin’s Wartime Leadership
Effective propaganda and The Cult of Personality, Scorched earth policy, Nazi-Soviet pact allowing time to prepare for war
Define a Scorched Earth Policy
A military strategy of burning or destroying crops and resources that may be useful to an invading force
Name 2 Ways the USSR’s success in war was influenced by other factors
Soviet spies, aid from the US, Difficult terrain and weather, Large area to attack, Marshal Zhukov’s successes
What did the Nazi-Soviet Pact agree?
That neither Germany nor the USSR would invade each other and Poland would be split between them
Why did the USSR sign the pact?
Stalin felt worried due to a lack of military preparation or rearmament
Why did Nazi Germany sign the pact?
Hitler wanted to take over the Baltic States and buy time to prepare for the USSR
In what year was the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed?
1939
