The social impact of war Flashcards
How many people signed up for war in Moscow?
120,000 people signed up in Moscow alone
this helps reunite Russian Society that was threatened in the 1930s
How were the workers affected?
December 1941 a new law was passed that mobilised all undrafted workers for war
Men = 16-55
Women = 16-45
White-collar workers were sent to munition factories and pensioners were encouraged back to work
overtime became obligatory, holidays were suspended and working hours increased to 12 a day
factories are placed under martial law and discipline was tightened
How were Soldiers affected?
discipline in the army with tightened
it was an offence to be taken captive and your family’s military ration cards were confiscated if you did
soldiers were expendable → 8mil died in 1941-45 (twice the daily rate of its allies)
this had disastrous effects on families at home
What were the living conditions like?
Soviet ppl suffered chronic food shortages
¼ of the estimated 25 million deaths during war were caused by starvation
rationing favoured military
factory building was prioritised over accommodations so thousands of forced to live in huts and tents in 1941 -42
acute housing and food shortages led to thousands dying
How was the Gulag used?
Gulag labour was used to build airports and roads in inhospitable conditions
death rate was 25% for slave labour
How did Stalin use propaganda?
Stalin played on the connotations of the great patriotic War to harness society for the War effort
deeply patriotic and anti-german letters were published in the Pravda to inspire heroism
How did Stalin use the Church?
Stalin used the church
services became patriotic Gathering Praying For Victory and praising Stalin
Priest blessed troops and reinforced feelings to the motherland
in this way, Stalin was turning religion into an arm of government
What was the effect on women?
in 1944 new measures were introduced to combat falling birth rates
tax increased for families with less than two children
restrictions on divorce were tightened and abortion was forbidden
women’s burden increased as they became essential workers and we’re expected to raise a large family
by 1945 women made up over half of all Soviet workers
Who were the Partisans?
Soviet people who are left behind in the rapid advancement of 1941 and forced to live in German-occupied territory
They formed Partisan groups and used guerilla tactics to sabotage the germans
By 1945 there were over 1mil
However, Partisans became victims + massacred by the Nazi
