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Edexcel A-level History (Russia) > theme 1: government 1917-85 > Flashcards

theme 1: government 1917-85 Flashcards

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1
Q

by what year was Russia a communist one part state?

A

1922

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2
Q

how did Bolsheviks prevent other political parties gaining influence?

A

banned bourgeois from voting (did not agree with Bolsheviks seeing as they were redistributing bourgeois possessions)
did not allow other parties to publish their own newspapers
april 1921 stated SRs’ and mensheviks belonged in prison
1921 other parties banned

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3
Q

why and whenwas treaty of brest litovsk signed and what were its consequences

A

1918
lenin needed troops out of WW1 so they can fight in civil war
Russia lost control over Baltic states and lots of land and industry. was humiliating and created enemies

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4
Q

constituent assembly January 1918?

A

socialist revolutionaries gained more votes than bolsheviks, lenin shut down assembly and condemned it an instrument of the bourgeoisie

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5
Q

how did the civil war consolidate bolshevik power

A

they had won over the whites.

Power moved from the sovnarkom to the nomenklatura

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6
Q

how did stalin undermine trotsky

A

stopped lenins testament being read out stating preference for Trotsky
supposedly caused him to miss lenins funeral
trotsky wanted nep discontinued, used this to make him seem against lenin and expel him from the party

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7
Q

how did stlain undermine bukharin

A

stressed bukharins disagreements with lenin from early 1920s
accused him of Trotskyism as he criticised the increasing bureaucracy of the party
accused him of forming factions after he had a secret meeting with Zinoviev and Kamenev in 1928

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8
Q

how did stalin use his position as general secretary?

A

had access to files of everyone

controlled all the jobs so most people owed their positions to stalin

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9
Q

following the civil war what was power like under lenin

A

highly centralised due to need for quick decisions in civil war.
organisations that genuinely represented the people (trade unions and soviets) were bought under control of the party
political opponents removed but debate was allowed

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10
Q

what happened in the tenth party congress

A
  1. banned factions in “one party unity” as growth in membership posed threat to party stability
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11
Q

what was the role of the sovnarkom

A

also known as the council of peoples commissars. in theory in charge of making key decisions and passing gov orders. 20 members

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12
Q

what was the role of the central executive committee

A

coordinated admin and law making process. in practice rubber stamped orders from sovnarkom

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13
Q

what was the role of the all Russian congress of soviets

A

members were elected by local soviets. supposed to approve laws from sovnarkom.
late 1920s all congress representatives had to be communist party members

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14
Q

what was the role of the politburo

A

7-9 members met daily. filled in for slower central committee and made all key decisions

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15
Q

what was the role of the central committee

A

power delegated o politburo. didn’t really do anything

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16
Q

what was the role of the party congress?

A

discussed general programme of the party but didn’t do much. little discussion

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17
Q

what was democratic centralism and what was the reality

A

all decisions were made in the interest of the people and those decisions were passed onto regional and local levels and implemented. in reality Bolsheviks rules by decree where soviets were not involved in decision making

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18
Q

what was the nomenklatura system

A

list of names of approved party members. jobs and promotions allocated via this list. encouraged loyalty

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19
Q

when was the soviet state renamed the union of soviet socialist republics (USSR)

A
  1. this confirmed the power of the communist party
20
Q

where did power lie under stalin

A
  • shifted from party to state. -1938 politburo most powerful

- 1942 the state defence committee

21
Q

how did stalin deflect competition away from himself

A

encouraged rivalry between party and state by placing rivals in similar positions either side.

22
Q

Politburo meetings 1920s vs 1930s

A

1920s met weekly. mid 1930s met 9 times a year

23
Q

what was the 1936 soviet constitution

A

named Russia “the most democratic system in the world”. said as bourgeois class had been removed every citizen now had the right to vote and all civil right were given. it was a fraud.

24
Q

what kept communists in powerful positions under stalin

A

only communist party members could stand for elections

removal of left and right sides meant the government was full of stalin supporters.

25
Q

what did stalin keep from lenins government?

A

the main party structure and the nomenklatura system

26
Q

what was lenins ideology?

A

followed Marxism but recognised a need fro total control to get the country into a position to withstand communism. which is why he allowed terror

27
Q

what was stalins idea and how did it contradict trotskys

A

Trotsky - world revolution before industrialising their own country. stalin - “socialism in one country” where the country would industrialise first before trying to spread communism

28
Q

Chistka under lenin

A
  • 1918 and 1920s.
  • 1/3 party purged
  • non violent
  • handed in membership
  • expulsions from the party
29
Q

when did terror start

A

civil war

30
Q

what happened to political terror after civil war

A

turned bureaucratic and had periodic purges of the party. achieved so effectively that party could significantly expand without sacrificing unity or conformity

31
Q

stalin chistka when was it and why did it happen

A
  • 1932-35
  • response to difficulties with 5 year plan and collectivisation -officials who were sceptical of the speed of implememntation
  • designed to remove such officials
32
Q

how many purged in stalins chistka

A

by 1935 22% party removed. essentially non violent. showed mounting opposition to stalin

33
Q

how were the 1930s purges within the party escalated?

A

stalin set quotas for the percentage of each party branch to be identified as enemies of the people

34
Q

examples of mounting criticism against stalin that caused the great purge

A
  • 1932 ryutin issued document accusing stalin of building a personal dictatorship and called for him to be removed from power (Kirov circulated this)
  • stalins wife raised concerns of brutal enforcement of collectivisation before committing suicide
  • party officials criticised unrealistic production targets of 5 year plans
35
Q

what event led to the murder of kirov

A

17th party congress, Kirov voiced concerns of production targets and 5 year plan to standing ovation.

36
Q

when was Kirov murdered and what did this lead to?

A
  1. purging large sections of the party
37
Q

who were first arrested and scentenced for kirovs muder?

A

Kamenev and zionviev in 1935

38
Q

what were show trials

A

trials that were filmed and recorded and relayed to the soviet population via radio and tv. the accused usually confessed often due to torture. death penalty met guilty verdicts

39
Q

trial of the sixteen

A

1936 purge of leaders of the left including zionviev, Kamenev. accused of undermining the state with Trotsky. confessed under pressure from NKVD

40
Q

trial of the seventeen

A
  1. purge of party officials accused of working for Trotsky and foreign governments to undermine soviet gov. real rime was criticising the 5 year plans
41
Q

trial of the twenty-one

A

1938 purged of the right. Bukharin and rykov accused of forming a ‘Trotskyite rightist block’ both confessed. tomsky committed suicide before trial

42
Q

Shakhty trial

A
  1. managers and technical experts put on trial for holding back the progress of industrialisation. used to send threat about if a lack commitment was shown
43
Q

purge of the red army numbers

A

1937-1938 3/5 marshals. 7/8 commanders. 35,000 officers shot or imprisoned. every naval admiral

44
Q

why was the army targeted?

A

they were critical of the demoralising effect of collectivisation

45
Q

purge of the secret police numbers.

A

under yezhov 3,000 of his own personnel purged in his first 6 months 1936

46
Q

Trotsky’s assassination

A

1940 mexico ice pick

47
Q
  • evidence of Stalin’s new major purge of what and when?
A

“Doctors plot” 1953. prelude of campaign against jews. attack on people of beria’s nationality. warning to beria who had a lot of power

Edexcel A-level History (Russia) (7 decks)

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