Theme 1 Stalin

Question 1

How did Stalin establish a power base between the years 1922 and 1926?

Answer 1

Stalin became General Secretary of Party in 1922. He oversaw all new recruits to the party
- He could now oversee most members of the party with access to 26000 files
- Decided party meeting agendas. Restricted debate issues
- Lenin Enrolment

Question 2

What and when was the Lenin enrolment?

Answer 2

1923 to 1925
Increase party enrolment. 500,000 new recruits.
He was the front of the party to the new recruits so they were often loyal to him.
Nicknames like “Grey Blur” and “Captain Card index”

Question 3

Who were Stalin’s opponents in the Politburo?

Answer 3

Leon Trotsky = Bolshevik Revolutionary hero, former Menshevik, arrogant
Zinoviev + Kamenev = Strong powerbase
Nikolai Bukharin = Lenin’s “golden boy”, Young, intelligent, NEP man
Alexei Rykov = Chair of Sovnarkom, drinking problem

Question 4

How did Stalin ‘deal with the left’ in 1926?

Answer 4

Accused the united opposition of Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky of forming a faction against the party. They were expelled from the party and the race for succession.
Socialism in 1 country (modernising inside of the USSR) vs Permanent Revolution (spreading

Question 5

How did Stalin exploit the divisions of industrialisation and NEP?

Answer 5

Debate over keeping NEP. Rightists thought it would destroy the economy with its removal. Stalin sided with Rightists until after United Opposition removed.

Question 6

How did Stalin deal with Bukharin?

Answer 6

Stalin made a “Left Turn” against the rightist Bukharin.
Bukharin accused of Trotskyism (criticised growth of bureaucracy)
Stalin removed rightists

Question 7

What were the ‘instruments of terror’ that Stalin used?

Answer 7

• Party Secretariat collected information on party members that could condemn them as enemies
• Secret Police (NKVD by 1934) ran labour camps and ran purges.

Question 8

What happened during the Chistka of 1932-35?

Answer 8

Purge of party membership as a response to difficulties from the 1st 5 year plan.
Removed officials in order to speed up implementation of economic policies.
By 1935, 22% of party had been removed.

Question 9

What evidence is there of criticisms of Stalin by 1932?

Answer 9

Ryutin (former party secreatry) accused Stalin of building a personal dictatorship
- Peasant restistance to policy of collectivisation.
- Party officials critical about the unrealistic targets set under the 5 year plans.

Question 10

What happened to Kirov in 1934 and why was this significant?

Answer 10

Kirov was assasinated with suspicious cicumstances. Could be suggest that Stalin was behind it after his loss at the congress of Victors.
Trained Nikolayev with a pistol and no bodyguard when murdered.
Instead the blame was put on party officials such as Zinoviev and Kamenev. Stalin used it as a chance to remove any potential opposition. They were purged and sent to gulags.

Question 11

What happened during the Trial of the Sixteen?

Answer 11

Show trial against leaders of the Left such as Zinoviev and Kamenev.
Occured in 1936
Forced into confession to their crimes; including the murder of Kirov.

Question 12

What happened during the Trial of the Seventeen?

Answer 12

Purge of party officials that were accused of working for Trotsky in an attempt to sabotage the Soviet economy.
Realistically, they most likely criticised the 5 year plans.
Occured in 1937

Question 13

What happened during the Trial of the Twenty-One?

Answer 13

Occurred in 1938
Purge of the right including Bukharin and Rykov. Accused of and confessed to forming a “Trotsky-like” ideological group.
Realistically, criticised Stalin’s economic policies.

Question 14

Why were show trials used between 1928 and 1938?

Answer 14

The purges widened to be both within and outside the party. They were publicly staged carefully to intimidate other party members. Stalin used them to remove any potential opponents.

Question 15

How did Stalin use purges against the Red Army?

Answer 15

Between 1937 - 1938
Lengthy purge of personnel.
35,000 officers shot/imprisoned
Navy lost all of its commanders.
The power of the army was greatly reduced and loyalty was heavily enforced.

Question 16

How did Stalin use purges of the Secret Police?

Answer 16

The head of the NKVD, was replaced by Nikolai Yezhov. Nicknamed “the bloody dwarf”. His era of terror was named “Yezhovchina” and he purged over 3,000 of his own personnel in the first 6 months.
Nicknamed “Bloody dwarf”
He was later himself purged after being blamed for the unnecessary killings from the purges.

Question 17

How did Stalin purge the local level of the Party?

Answer 17

Quota system in place so had to reach target number of purged. Many people were killed unnecessarily to reach the quotas. Communist officials were often denounced to help as well.

Question 18

What was the justification for using terror in the 1930s?

Answer 18

• Kept the revolutionary spirit alive
• Safeguarded Stalins power and position as leader

Question 19

What evidence is there that Stalin tightened his personal control over the State and the
Party after 1924?

Answer 19

By 1930, Stalin was the only remaining member of the politburo from 1924. Stalin replaced them with his loyal cronies.
He also:
- Politburo met less frequently as Stalin grew his control
- Stalin intimidation tactic of pacing up and down the room. Fear of disagreeing with him

Question 20

Was the Soviet Constitution of 1936 a ‘democratic document’?

Answer 20

A seemingly democratic constitution that would give the USSR citizens the right to vote.
Not as democratic as it seems: Kulaks were denied the vote for being “bourgeois”.
- Seeming democratic to invite the younger people to join the party
- Show other allies a more democratic nature to create allies for the forthcoming war.

Question 21

What evidence is there to suggest Stalin did not have absolute power over the leadership of
the Party?

Answer 21

• Impossible for Stalin to control the whole country
• Politburo refused to let Stalin kill Ryutin
• Stalin’s targets were criticised by party.
• Kirov gained more votes than Stain in the Party Congress on 1934.
• Despite Stalin’s attempts to remove them, politburo members criticised Stalin’s use of brutality.

Question 22

What evidence is there to suggest that Stalin did not have unlimited power on those below
the leadership?

Answer 22

The party were not always against Stalin’s policies.
They wanted policies that would strengthen socialism in the USSR.

Question 23

Was Stalinism a consequence of Leninism?

Answer 23

Stalin followed Lenin’s trends. For example, the growth of Bureaucracy, failure of political institutions and use of terror. However, it was not likely to be the perfect continuation of Leninism due to Stalin’s excessive use of Terror and personal dictatorship that moved away from an ideologically communist view.

Question 24

How did Stalin’s power change during the Second World War?

Answer 24

Party used propaganda to get more people to join the military.
Stalin became leader behind the army and their victory can often be attributed to his firm actions.

Question 25

What evidence is there to show Stalin tightened control after 1945?

Answer 25

Stalin created High Stalinism to reconstruct after WW2. Terror was used to reinforce control .
The cult of personality gave Stalin immense power despite his declining health.
The Politburo was named Presidium in 1952

Question 26

What was the Mingrelian affair of 1951?

Answer 26

Purge of party in Georgia to remove Beria’s allies.
Stalin brought in new members such as Brezhnev.

Question 27

What was the doctors plot?

Answer 27

Group of Doctors arrested in January 1953. Part of the campaign against Soviet Jews as well as purging against Beria and the leadership. However, before the purge, Stalin died.

Question 28

When did Stalin die?

Answer 28

5 March 1953