The rule of Stalin Flashcards
What 4 pillars are the Soviet state based on?
The army
The secret police
State bureaucracy
The Communist Party
What problems did the Soviet state face with funding?
they couldn’t rely on foreign investment from the west like the tsar
in order to accumulate capital for investment 1 group in the population would have to suffer
What was the problem with NEP?
NEP ran counter to all bolshevik ideology as it was established to ensure the survival of the regime
In 1927, Stalin criticises NEP and argues for the development of heavy industry instead of light or agriculture
How did Stalin transform the role of general secretary?
Stalin transformed the role of general secretary into an extremely powerful position
he uses it to recruit members and promote people that are loyal to him
Why was command economy so important to the Soviet system?
(pricing policies)
the command economy was the Foundation of the Soviet system
it insured industrial drive was funded by domestic sources through taxes on peasants and pricing policies
for example the government would pay low prices to peasants for grain but then charge high prices for goods that peasants had to purchase
Why was collectivization so important?
collectivization was an essential component of industrialisation
Quotas ensured the army was fed
From 1930 how did the Revolution from above transform the nature of the economy? (Gulags)
the Gulag system demonstrates the repressive power of the State
some historians even believe the famine of 1932-33 was a form of genocide, particularly regarding Ukraine to repress national movements
What happens in 1936?
we see Stalin emerge as a dictator through the decline of the politburo
1937-38 over half a million people were executed
this terror targeted entire social categories
