The Making Of A Superpower Flashcards
When was the red army purged?
-what did this mean for the red army?
Between 1937 and 1938
-for the army this meant a loss of military experience and skill
In 1935, how did military discipline within the red army change?
Under Stalin, the old tsarist system of strict discipline and a clear division between officers was reintroduced
Where did Russia have communist sympathisers?
-how did they contribute other Russian war effort?
Uk, USA, Germany and France
-they provided secret information to the soviet government
What was Russia’s intelligence resources focused on?
The hunt for Trotsky as opposed to hitler’s movements
How many different government departments argued with gosplan over war spending?
17
How did defence spending increase between the first 5yr plan and the third 5yr plan?
1st=366 million roubles
2nd=2080 million roubles
3rd=4200 million roubles
What remarkable feats were achieved by the soviet government in 1939?
6 new aircraft factories built
24 new explosives factories built
Between 1938 and 1942 how did tank production increase?
It doubled
How much did Russia and Germany spend on war production in 1940 and what % of their economy was this?
R= $5 billion, 20% of their economy
G=$6 billion, 44% of their economy
Why was the Nazi-soviet pact surprising?
Hitler had bitterly attacked communism in “mein kampf”
Communist party called nazism one of the “worst regimes of the age”
They’d fought each other in the Spanish civil war 1936-39
When was the nazi-soviet pact signed?
24th august 1939
Why did Stalin sign the nazi-soviet pact?
No viable alternative
Attempting to buy time for Russia
Stalin was following Lenin’s example-1920 Lenin encouraged alliances between German communists and fascists to overthrow the democratic government
Stalin wanted to recapture territory that once belonged to the tsar
When did Stalin think the nazi-soviet pact would protect him till?
May 1942
When did Germany invade Russia?
Sunday 22nd June 1941
What was operation Barbarossa?
A German offensive, primarily on Moscow and Stalingrad
When was operation typhoon?
-what was it?
September 1941
-to capture Moscow
What happened in Moscow during operation Typhoon?
The people panicked, rioted and looted
Government buildings were deserted
What did Russia launch in December under which general?
-how successful was this?
The first Russian counter-attack, from general Zhukov
-pushed the German army back 200km from he centre of Moscow
What was operation blue?
-when was it launched?
An attack on the city of Stalingrad
-June 1942
How long was the battle of Stalingrad?
6 months
August 1942-January 1943
What was the estimated life expectancy of Russian soldiers and officers in the battle of Stalingrad?
Soldiers=less than 24 hours
Officers=around 3 days
How many died in the battle of Stalingrad?
1.9 million
What was operation Uranus?
-when was it?
The soviet counter-offensive
-September 1942
How many died in the defence of Stalingrad?
1.1 million red army soldiers killed
800,000 German troops
By when had the Germans been driven from Stalingrad?
By February 1943
How much territory had been recaptured by December 1943?
2/3 of German-occupied territory
What was ‘Ten great victories’?
Soviet propaganda focused on he recapture of Crimea, Belarus, Latvia and Estonia
When did the red army enter German territory?
Early January 1945
What did the red army do when they entered German territory?
Destroyed towns and villages, commuted atrocities such as rape and murder
By April 1945, what had reached the outskirts of Berlin?
4,000 red army tanks
23,000 pieces of artillery
4,000 aeroplanes
What did germany do in May 1945?
Surrender to the western allies and the USSR
What % of Russia’s population died between 1941-1945?
10%
How many Russian citizens died as a result of conflict?
20 million
How many died in gulags or from war-related injuries?
Around 10 million
What % the soviet population were under German control for much of the war?
45% (85 million)
How many Russians fled west at the end of the war?
20 million
What happened to the production of tractors during the war?
They effectively ceased because factories had been converted to war-effort
How long were farm and factory workers expected to work during the war?
Between 12-18 hours a day for 7 days a week
Also expected to work an additional night shift on farms during the harvest
When was the first day off for Russian workers after the war?
9th may 1945