Temp Flashcards
What role did the army play in crushing dissent in satellite states?
The army was used to crush external dissent in satellite states such as Berlin (1958), Budapest (1956), and Prague (1968).
What was the primary purpose of propaganda under the Communists?
Communists were the masters of propaganda, exemplified by Lenin’s slogan ‘Peace, Bread, Land’ (1917) and the establishment of the Union of Soviet Writers.
How did censorship differ between the Tsars and the Communists?
Tsars allowed some glasnost (openness), while Communists had tighter control through the Agitprop (1921) and censorship policies.
What significant event occurred during the Great Purge (1936-39)?
Stalin ordered the execution of many political opponents and implemented policies like collectivization and dekulakization.
What was the scale of repression under Stalin compared to the Tsars?
The scale of repression was unprecedented, with over 50,000 people executed in 1918 alone, and more political prisoners than under the Tsars in 100 years.
What was the role of the GPU and OGPU in Soviet repression?
GPU (1922-24) and OGPU (1924-34) were less brutal than the Cheka but still inspired fear.
What was the purpose of the MVD created by Khrushchev?
The MVD (1938) was created to deal with ordinary criminals, while the KGB (1954) focused on internal and external security.
Fill in the blank: The October Revolution 1917 marked the beginning of the ______ dictatorship that dominated Russia until 1991.
[Communist]
What was the result of the introduction of a national Duma by Nicholas II?
It provided Russia with a national legislature for the first time, although its powers were limited.
What were the main principles underlying Russian autocracy as outlined by Tsar Nicholas I?
The foundations of Tsarism were ‘Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality.’
True or False: The Tsars allowed opposition parties until the October Revolution.
False.
What did Lenin’s Ban on Factions (1921) accomplish?
It outlawed rival parties, consolidating Communist power.
What was the nature of government under both Tsarist and Communist rule?
Both were authoritarian, undemocratic, and based on personal rule.
What was the significance of the 1961 Constitution in the context of Stalin’s rule?
It was part of the Stalinist framework that justified a totalitarian regime.
What did Khrushchev’s destalinization efforts include?
It attacked the personality cult and allowed more personal freedoms.
