stalinism, politics and control 1929-1941 Flashcards
machinery of state terror and early purges
much of machinery of terror and coercion had developed under the rule of Lenin and was well established by 1928
citizens kept in under heavy surveillence by secret police, acitivists, informers and gen secretariat had extensive records on the population
when was kirov mudered?
1934
who was Kirov?
old bolshevik
organised railway strikes in 1909
by 1925 member of central committee
later became party secretary of leningrad
very popular
spoke in favour of increasing rations for workers
kirov and stalin given title Secretary of Equal rank
political rival to Stalin
motivations for nikolayev to kill Kirov
disgruntled with the party
affair between his wife and kirov
disillusionment with Kirov leadership in Leningrad
motivations for Stalin to kill kirov
remove a potent leadership within the party
embarrassed within the politburo at 17th party congress
reestablish political control at the top
purge the Leningrad party - never had appea there
spread fear more widely - 1 year after reichstag fire
motivations for NKVD to kill Kirov
told that Stalin wanted kirov removed
kirov wanted to relax terror, threatening NKVD
didn’t want Kirov to replace Stalin
consequences of Kirov’s assasination
potential rival removed permanently
left Stalin as sole leader
state tightened its gold over whole country
Stalin’s determination to excerisise total control over party and country start form 1934
Stalin’s paranoia and suspicion got worse after 1934
NKVD consolidated position as the primary security force
why were show trials carried out?
maintain control of party and state
Stalin could remove his enemies
publicity of trials used as propaganda used to legitimise rule of Stalin
how were show trials carried out?
foreign journalists invited to prove that Stalin was facing opposition from enemies of the state and removal of enemies was justified
all aspects of trial controlled
purpose of trial was to demonstrate that they were 100% guilty.
torture used as interrogation
threatened family
from 1935, children over 12 faced same punishments as adults
results of show trials
first major show trial was in 1936 and targeted zinoviev, kamanev and trotsky
accused of plotting to kill stalin
yagoda controlled trial
why was yagoda replaced with yezhov in september 1936?
accused of not being thorough enough
what was the stalin constitution 1936?
declared that true socialism had been achieved
confirmed a series of constitutional rights for the soviet people
appears highly democratic but main function was to impress external observers
what were the main features of the stalin constitution 1936? x5
USSR federation of 11 soviet republics
promised local autonomy to ethnic groups and support for national culture and languages
right to vote given to all 18 year olds
freedom from abitary arrest, freedom of the press, religion and right to free speech
citizerns expected to work and guaranteed opportunities to work, education and welfare
NKVD order 00447
july 1937
established catergories to be dealt with by NKVD across every republic and region
quotas for arrest - number of class enemies per region
small NKVD communities set up to target kulaks, criminals, artists and managers
Yezhov would give permission to excees quotas
how many were arrested under NKVD order 00447 in one month?
100,000 arrested
14,000 sent to gulags
trial of the 17
may/june 1937
show trial accused 17 trotskyists accused of spying and sabotages
trial of the 21
march 1938
21 accused of trotskyite/ rightist plot including Bukharin, Rykov, Yagoda + tomsky
old Bs accused of plotting to kill Lenin in 1918
military purge stage one
may/june 1937
red army officers accused of planning military coup
tukhachevsky and gamamik
military purge stage 2
led to wider purge
50% of all officer corps in air, navy and army
how many party members were purged by 1938?
1/3 of all party members purged by 1938
mostly trotskyites
70% of central committee at 17th party congress had been arrested
impact of Yezhovschina on NKVD
Yagoda arrested in 1937
23,000 NKVD men died
impact of Yezhovschina on army
50% of officers purged
impact of Yezhovschina on party and state leaders
in every republic charged with treason or bourgeouis nationalism
impact of Yezhovschina on class enemies
high proportion of managers at all levels purged
impact of Yezhovschina on mass terror
anoyone with contacts abroad, social marginals, religious groups
impact of Yezhovschina on minorities
mass movement of minorities from West border
attacks on Korean and Chinese
400,000 Volga Germans deported
2 million Jews in 1939-1940 purged
expansion of gulags
expanded in 1930s for cheap labour for FYPs
1935 = 800,000 prisoners, 1938 = 9 million
possibility of release disappeared
mortality rates 6x higher than general population
pace slowed after 1938 as yezhovschina threatened de-establishment of state and economy
causes of yezhovschina
Stalin paranoid, revenging old guard
integral terror - important part of soviets since 1917, mechanism established
external opposition - regime protected
economy - enforcing collectivisation and industrialisation
local control - terror needed for officials in provinces to maintain control
self-escalation - proved loyalty by denunciation
impact of yezhovschina
supreme power
removal of ops - all rivals gone by 1940
party evolution - expelled 850,000 members
military impacts - lost experienced officers
brain drain
improvements in life for women, family and education
family code of 1936 - tax exemptions given for having 6 or more children
outlawed prostitution
number of women working in factories and on collective farms increased by 10 million
by 1940, 66% of labour in light industry were women
youth organisations set up : Youth Pioneers for under 15s and Komosol for older children
placed under control of Narkompros (people’s commissariat for education) all children aged 8-11 had to be enrolled in a school
numbers in education increased from 14 million to 20 million between 1929-1931
greater focus on technical subjects - science and maths
by 1940 there were 199,000 new schools - universities chose brightest students
setbacks in life for women, family and education
zhenotdel was established in 1919 as a political womens department, abolished in 1930
single and divorced women were often left unemployed and marginalised
family code made contraception and abortion illegal but there were 150,000 abortions to every 57,000 live births
children who committed violent crimes were treated as adults from the age of 12
poorer women still expected to look after their children and contribute to full time workforce
Leninist schooling was a disaster and majority of children were not communist
divorce rate remained high - 37% in Moscow
Decree on Separation of Church and State 1918
LENIN
delcared that the church could not own property
buildings had to be rented
religious teaching outlawed
clergy not allowed to vote and didn’t get rations
union of militant godless 1921
LENIN
established with branches across the country
5 million members held events and debates to disprove existence of God
relics replaced with Bolshevik inconography
anti clerical propaganda and direct action
LENIN
prevalent between 1921-1922
bitter resistance put down
most than 8000 people excecuted during campaign including bishops and over 1000 priests
living church
LENIN
hailed october revolution as a christian deed
denied that communism persecuted that church
stalin attacking church
religious schools closed down
churchgoers labelled kulaks
by 1930s - 80% of churches shut down
soviet muslims had property seized , 250,000 mosques closed by 1941
did religious oppression work?
55% of soviets still identified as christians
after fall of soviet union in 1991, church immediatly reopened
new soviet man
embodiment of the morality, values and characteristics of a good Soviet citizen
benefits in urban environment of cultural revolution
job opportunites
living standards improved
consumer trading increased
urban workers prioritised
workers had regulated hours and wages and access to canteens and shops
benefits in rural environment of cultural revolution
complusory schooling enforced for the first time ever
increase in rural literacy
benfitted from increased access to machinery
peasants could fall back on private plots
disadvantages in urban environment of cultural revolution
great famine caused overpopulation
rationing system continued
shortage of housing
apartment blocks supervised by NKVD informers
dependent on black market
poor sanitation
poor harvests caused price increases
disadvantages in rural environment of cultural revolution
increase in strong centralised control
regime policed countryside during forced collectivisation
basic features of rural life began to disintegrate
old traditions disappeared
peasants viewed as inferior citizens
art changes under Lenin
80,000 active art studios with 400,000 members
agitprop art in line with party ideology
music changes under Lenin
repurposed
revolutionary anthems
literature changes under Lenin
tool of state - propaganda
engineered human souls
dystopia banned
film changes under Lenin
shortages of film equipment
agitprop
art changes under Stalin
union of artists
had to adhere to social realism
music changes under Stalin
return to traditional russian works
eg Tchaikovsky
emulate 19th century greats
literature changes under Stalin
19th century greats eg Tolstoy returning in popularity
had to belong to Russian Association of Proletarian Writers
film changes under Stalin
shift to social realism
used as propaganda
social strengths by 1941
party moved towards true socialism
collective ownership of farms to avoid extreme wealth
party justified its ownership as social ownership protecting individual from nepmen, kulaks…
acquired greater control over its people through kolhoz and sovkhoz
party officials were connected to all farms and factories - stationed at MTSs
social weaknesses by 1941
pace of Stalins reforms caused a heirachal society dominated by party elite
peasants at mercy of collectives and part officials
internal passports reduced freedom
state more formidable and coercive
social ownership seen as form of toltalitarian control
famine
innocent mangers in labour camps
quality of life suffered
class warfare
why was collective security adopted by Stalin’s regime?
1930, Litvinov replaced Chicherin as Foreign Commissar and he favoured collective security against fascism in order to prevent wars contrary to USSRs interests
USSR entered League of Nations in 1934 - reacceptance into international community
fear of german aggression resulted in the signing of Franco Soviet Mutual Assistance Pact in 1935
why did collective security fail?
League of Nations ineffective during the 1930s - couldn’t prevent Manchuria, Abyssinia
British and French selfish - Hoare- Laval pact
Spanish Civil War - showed that Britain and France would not intervene to support republicanism or democracy, confirmed anti-cominterm pact
Munich agreement 1938 - Stalin displeased by appeasement of Hitler - realised no reliable allies
why was the nazi soviet pact signed in 1939?
security - soviets wanted security against German aggression while they were weak militarily. Russia would also avoid a conflict with Germany’s ally, Japan
time - Soviets needed time to strengthen military and industry
imperialism - both secured a free hand in Poland ahead of autumn rains. Stalin seized Baltic states and received assurances of Soviet influence in Bessabaria
economic gain- Germany received gold, food, and raw materials from Russia. Enough to overcome any Anglo-French blockade
strategy - Stalin would benefit from Germany fighting a long exhaustive war in West
what were the causes of the Winter War 1939-1940?
Stalin concerned that Leningrad was too vulnerable since the border of Finland was only 18 miles NW of the city
wanted it to be moved back 25 miles
why did the soviets lose the Winter War 1939-1940?
expected easy victory but Finnish army was well equipped for a winter war, unlike russians
local knowledge - Finns were expert winter war fighters and knew land. operated behind enemy lines
command + organisation = Red army officer corps had bee purged, not effectively led
fighting capability = relied on poorly trained conscripts who deserted
geography = dense woodlands, guerilla warfare
was the winter war successful?
NO
red army unsuccessful
200,000 men killed but only 25,000 Finns killed
YES
Timoshenko was efficient organiser and determined to make the red army professional
