The defeat of the Germans and Post-War reconstruction

Question 1

Why did the defeat of the Germans take an unexpectedly long time?

Answer 1

Victory was delayed by the insistence on Germany’s unconditional surrender by the Allies

Question 2

Examples of cities liberated by Soviet forces during the race for Berlin?

Answer 2

Warsaw, Budapest, Prague and Vienna

Question 3

What aided the Soviets in their race for Berlin?

Answer 3

On 27th March 1945, the Allied Supreme Commander Eisenhower gave an order for the Allied advance to be slowed down to let the Red Army reach Berlin first

(this was because he wanted to minimise casualties as much as possible)

Question 4

When was the culmination of the race to Berlin?

Answer 4

The final battle for Berlin took place in April 1945, and General Zhukov used tactics that resulted in severe loss of life

Question 5

Why was Stalin so desperate to control Berlin himself?

Answer 5

He wished to control as much of Central Europe and Germany as possible, to create a buffer zone against any future threats to the USSR

Question 6

What was the symbol of Soviet victory in the GPW?

Answer 6

The storming of the Reichstag on 2nd May 1945

Question 7

Reasons for the defeat of the Germans

Answer 7

Soviet strengths

German weaknesses

The contribution by the Allies

Stalin’s leadership

Question 8

Reasons for the defeat of the Germans: Soviet strengths

Answer 8

Large geographical size and population (e.g. the USSR’s population of 171 million in 1941 was nearly three times greater than Germany’s). Vast size of Russia also meant a plethora of natural resources (such as oil).

Command economy well suited to conditions of war

Military strengths (e.g. expertise of Zhukov, night witches etc..)

Question 9

Reasons for the defeat of the Germans: German weaknesses

Answer 9

Unable to achieve the rapid victory Hitler had hoped for

Alienated people in occupied territories (e.g. Babi Yar)

Crucial strategic mistakes (e.g. diverting personnel from the Caucuses to Stalingrad)

Question 10

Reasons for the defeat of the Germans: contribution of the Allies

Answer 10

Bombing campaigns by the Allied forces from 1943 inflicted huge damage on the German war effort (e.g. Dresden destroyed in February 1945)

Vital military and economic support poured into the USSR

Question 11

Reasons for the defeat of the Germans: Stalin’s leadership

Answer 11

1st July - important rallying speech

12th July - re-established Stavka with himself as Supreme Commander (August 1942 - stated that the Stavka would agree on strategy together)

By the end of the war, Zhukov and Vasilevsky called him ‘a real military commander’ and an ‘effective military co-ordinator’

Tehran and Yalta conferences - exploited the divisions between Roosevelt and Churchill, aiding him to achieve his aim of Soviet security

Question 12

Example of Stalin allowing his generals some flexibility

Answer 12

December 1941 - sent Zhukov to save Moscow. His genius leadership sent the German advance back 100 miles

Autumn 1942 - ended the practice of commanders being executed for failure

Question 13

Examples of skilled generals appointed to Stavka

Answer 13

Aleksandr Vasilevsky

Aleksei Antonov

Question 14

Example of Stalin taking his generals’ advice

Answer 14

Listened to the advice of Stavka generals to decide his response to the imminent German offensive at Kursk

Question 15

Implications of the Soviet victory in the GPW?

Answer 15

Established the USSR as a superpower

Territorial expansion

Question 16

Which territories were incorporated into the USSR as a result of Soviet victory in the GPW?

Answer 16

The Baltic States and parts of East Prussia.

Was also able to establish many pro-Soviet regimes in East Central Europe

Question 17

Examples of Soviet puppet states/Eastern Bloc states

Answer 17

Romania - a communist-led government was elected in 1945, which swiftly worked to eliminate their coalition partners.

By 1949, Hungary was a one-party communist state.

In 1944, a communist-dominated government was set up in Bulgaria, which was consolidated by 1945.

Question 18

Example to show that the Soviet government did not have complete political control over its puppet states

Answer 18

The President of Yugoslavia, Tito, had no intention of taking orders from Stalin. Because of this, Yugoslavia was expelled from Cominform and other communist countries were encouraged to impose economic sanctions.

Question 19

Negative consequences of the GPW

Answer 19

20 million Soviet citizens died (including more than 12 million civilians)

The war killed 1 in 8 of the population

Question 20

What was implemented in 1946 to aid post-war reconstruction?

Answer 20

The Fourth Five-Year Plan

It set ambitious targets for industry and agriculture. One third of the plan’s expenditure was to be spent on Ukraine, one of the areas most devastated by war.

Question 21

What happened to Germany in the aftermath of World War 2?

Answer 21

It was divided into four occupation zones. Although Berlin was miles behind Soviet lines, the city was also split into four, leading to recurrent disputes between the USSR and Western Allies.

Question 22

Evidence of industry production stagnating during the war

Answer 22

Mining production was at less than half of the 1940 level, electric power at 52 percent and steel at 45 percent.

Many of these problems were intensified by the sudden ending of the Lend-Lease programme in August 1945

Question 23

Was the fourth Five-Year Plan successful and why?

Answer 23

Yes - by 1950, there was a considerable industrial recovery

Due to war reparations, central planning and the committed efforts of the Soviet people.

Question 24

How did war reparations impact industrial recovery in the USSR?

Answer 24

Huge amounts of equipment and materials were transported to the USSR, especially from the Soviet zone of occupation in Germany. Sometimes whole factories and their workforce were transported to Russia.

(minimal role - historian Davies estimates reparations to have only made up 1.5% of GNP)

Question 25

Evidence of industrial recovery under the fourth 5YP

Answer 25

Coal production increased from 149 million tonnes in 1945, to over 260 million tonnes by 1950.

Steel production increased from 12.3 million tonnes in 1945, to over 27 million tonnes by 1950.

As early as 1948, average Soviet incomes had climbed up to 1938 levels.

Question 26

Why should we be careful not to overstate the USSR’ post-war economic achievements?

Answer 26

The relatively rapid recovery in the USSR was part of a wider trend: all over Europe there were similar levels of industrial growth.

Question 27

How did the boost in military expenditure exacerbate the post-war economic problems in the USSR?

Answer 27

Military spending was 18% of total expenditure in 1950, but rose to 25% in 1952.

This money could have been spent on efforts to solve the acute housing shortage, for example.

Question 28

Evidence that agriculture in the USSR had been devastated by the war?

Answer 28

98,000 collective farms had been ruined.

Food production was only 60% of the 1940 level (this issue was exacerbated by a labour shortage due to the huge death toll of the war, and the fact that far less land could be cultivated due to German ‘scorched earth’ warfare)

Question 29

Was post-war reconstruction in agriculture successful?

Answer 29

There was some recovery, but it was slow.

e.g. grain production, which had been at around 95 million tonnes in 1940, only reached 92 million tonnes by 1952 (but the USSR’s population was less than it had been in 1940)

Question 30

When was the first Soviet atomic bomb tested?

Answer 30

1949, showing that the USSR was catching up to Western powers in terms of technical achievement

In 1953, Soviet scientists were also able to catch up with the US’s development of a hydrogen bomb

Question 31

Why was Russia able to create a nuclear bomb?

Answer 31

Largely due to Russia’s control over the Eastern bloc - e.g. East Germany and Czechoslovakia had large deposits of uranium