USSR 5: WW2 Flashcards
Nazi Soviet pact
- 1939, Stalin in a strong position but feared Nazi Germany
- 23rd August 1939 Nazi Soviet pact signed
- Poland divided, Nazis would not attack USSR
- Both sides knew it was temporary
Nazis Attack USSR
- 22nd June 1941 Op. Barbarossa begins
- 3 million Nazi soldiers (largest invading force in history)
- Thought they would easily win by autumn
- Most costly conflict in history (27 million Soviets dead)
Reasons for Soviet’s initial loss
Purges
- Stalin had removed huge numbers of experienced officers from the army
- Many were hastily released from gulags
- End of 1941, 3 million soviet prisoners taken
- Nazis in control of 45% of population
Reasons for Soviet’s initial loss
Nazi strengths
- Huge and well trained
- Blitzkrieg tactics
- Red Army had the resources to stop them, but Nazi surprise tactics caused chaos
Reasons for Soviet Victory
Geography
- Start date of Barbarossa delayed by 5 weeks
- Heavy rain in November, then snow and temps down to -35
- Nazis not equipped, vehicles stopped working
- Dec 1941 General Zhukov counterattacked with Siberian forces (experienced+ equipped)
- Stalin called “General Winter” their greatest ally
Reasons for Soviet Victory
Economy
- 3rd 5YP meant there was Industrial areas in the Urals and Siberia
- 1500 factories and 16.5 million people moved east and followed scorched earth policy
- Chelyabinsk nicknamed “Tankograd” because it produced T-34s
- 1945 USSR produced 20,900 aircraft (Germany 7540)
Reasons for Soviet Victory
Stalin
- Slogans: “Great Patriotic War” and calling USSR the “motherland”
- Stayed in Moscow in October 1941 to give confidence
- Times Man of the Year 1942
Reasons for Soviet Victory
Propaganda
- Over 1000 writers and artists joined the army
- 400 died in the fighting
- Controlled by the Sovinformburo
- 200 artists in Moscow alone producing propaganda
Reasons for Soviet Victory
Russian People
- 7 cities earned “Hero City”
- War brought whole country together
Siege of Leningrad:
* September 1941, 3 mil people cut off
* Lasted 900 days
* Over 800k people died
* Not one Soviet citizen retreated or evacuated
Stalingrad
- More than 1,000 tonnes of bombs dropped on it
- Average life expectancy of a Soviet soldier was 24 hours
- 1mil Soviet died by the end of the siege
- Snipers - Vasily Zaitsev killed 225 Nazis
- Went on till January 1943 when Nazi general surrendered despite orders not to
Significance of Stalingrad
Nazis:
* 6th Army destroyed
* Allies (Italy,Hungary etc.) shattered
* Mood in Germany was fearful
Soviets:
* Great triump and huge psych. boost
* “You cannot stop an army that has done Stalingrad”
* Made a “Hero City”
* Britain celebrated Red Army day in February 1943
Economic effects of WW2
- Economy was destroyed
- 1945, 70% of industrial production lost
- Dnieper Dam destroyed
- 25 million homeless
Post WW2 recovery
4th 5YP
- Announced 1946
- 88% of investment in Heavy Industry
- 2 million POW’s used
- Workers had to do an additional 30 hours of work a month
Post WW2 recovery
Performance of industry
- 1947 Dnieper Dam rebuilt
- Coal,oil,steel all above pre-war figures
- Factories and mines quickly rebuilt
- First atomic bomb test in 1949
Post WW2 recovery
Performance of agriculture
- By 1952 had not reached pre-war levels
- Labour shortage
- Lack of machinery and horses
- Saw little investment and low wages (1/6th of workers)
Post WW2 recovery
Post-war purges: Military
- Key individuals got too much praise
- They were removed from history e.g Zhukov sent to Odessa
- 1.5 million POW’s got worst
- Order 290 declared them traitors
- Stalins own son Yakov was taken prisoner and left to die in a concentration camp in 1943
Post WW2 recovery
Post War purges: Party
Leningrad Affair
* 200 leading party members
* 10-25 years in prison
* 2,000 more officials exiled from Leningrad
Doctors Plot
- Stalin convinced his doctors were trying to kill him
- 1953 over 30 doctors (mostly jews) arrested
- Hundreds more later
Stalin’s Death
- Stalin had a stroke after heavy drinking
- Not found till 3am next morning
- Doctors reluctant to treat him
- Died a few days later
- Huge response across USSR
- Embalmed and displayed next to Lenin
