USSR CRITICS Flashcards
Stalin: Agriculture
What does Laver say?
The targets set for collecting farm produce were rarely met
Stalin: Industry
What does Laver say?
The gains made were impressive
Stalin: Political
What does Laver say?
Regime never lost hold of its population
Stalin: Social
What does Figes say?
Basic goods were often missing in the shops
Stalin War
What does Hunter say about economy?
Flexible adaptations and energetic responses
Stalin War
What does Clark say about foreign policy?
The soviets could have fought Germany to a stand still without foreign aid
Stalin War
What does Overy say about political stability?
The role of the party in sustaining popular mobilisation
Stalin leader
What does Mahn say?
His power was less supreme than popularly imagined
Stalin leader
What does Kenez say?
Retained full power even when growing old and weary
Khrushchev agriculture
What does Keep say?
Was insufficient to meet Russia’s rural needs
Khrushchev industry
What does Kenez say?
Impressive industrial growth despite appalling inefficiencies and irrationalities
Khrushchev political
What does Figes say?
Khrushchev had never been secure in power
Khrushchev social
What does Laver say?
Continued shortages and the production of poor quality consumer goods
Khrushchev S.States
What does Laver say?
Soviet influence was threatened because of de-centralisation
Khrushchev leader
What does Fitzler say?
He pushed through his policies bureaucratically and often with little foresight or planning
Brezhnev agriculture
What does Laver say?
The gains then slowed
Brezhnev industry
MacEachin
Soviet economy was collapsing by the mid 1970s
Brezhnev political
Thatcher
Brezhnev should be praised as one of the successful exponents of soviet politics
Brezhnev social
Marples
Brezhnev’s last years were ripe with corruption
Brezhnev S States
Laver
Letting sleeping dogs lie
Brezhnev leader
Mechedev
A cynical, vain and stupid man
Andropov agriculture
Fitzler
Policy changed very little during Andropov’s brief reign
Andropov Social
Figes
Alcoholism was the national disease
Chernenko agriculture
Laver
Reverted to a policy similar to Khrushchev’s
Chernenko industry
Laver
There were no fundamental industrial reforms
Chernenko S States
Laver
Reasonably conciliatory on the nationalities issue
Gorbachev industry
Morewood
There was no overall strategy surrounding the reforms
Gorbachev political
Merridale
The party was not as conservative and resistant to change as depicted
Gorbachev political
Laver
The coup had demonstrated that the central authority had lost much of its power
Gorbachev S States
Laver
Time bomb waiting to explode
Gorbachev Leader
Figes
A political Columbus setting out to find the promised land
