USSR under occupation Flashcards
In what 2 ways was the Soviet Union ravaged by war?
1) destruction from the german advance
2) Soviet ‘scorched earth’ tactics as the Red Army retreated
Life for civilians on the Home Front was unrelentingly harsh. Food, fuel, and shelter were all in short supply. How many people died from hunger and cold in Leningrad while under siege from 1941-1944 (972 days)?
600,000
What was the estimated death toll of civillians by 1945?
12 million
What institutions were destoyred? (3)
factories, hospitals, urban housing
Normal life was dislocated, by what?
by the displacement effect of the German advance, by mobilisation for the armed forces or work in munitions factories
In enduring the hardships of Soviet life from military conflict, atrocities of German occupiers and repressive measures from the Soviet state itself- how was this advantageous for the Soviet war effort?
there was a strong sense of making sacrifices to fight in a great national cause
When launching the invasion of the USSR Nazi leaders talked grandly about liberating the subject nationalities of the USSR from a communist system they hated. Where is there evidence that the Germans were welcomed? (2)
Ukraine and Baltic States
Although some states welcomed the Nazis such as parts of the Ukraine and the Baltic States, what was the general attitude of civilians?
they had a residual loyalty to the Soviet
How did Hitler see the war in the East?
as a racial war, invading the USSR accompanied a widespread deportation and massacre of Jews.
What happened to 34,000 Jews taken by the S.S in 1941?
they were taken tot Babi Yar, shot and put into mass graves
How did Soviet citizens suffer at the hands of their own government?
the govnemrnt was obsessed with hunting down slackers and deserters, and thousands were executed
Which 2 ethnic minorities were the Russians suspicious of who might collaborate with the Germans?
the Chechens and the Crimean Tatars
How did the Soviet government treat POW in those western areas liberated in the war?
they treated them harshly and executed many
What was the great national myth which emerged out of the Great Patriotic War?
that there was a united Soviet people pulling together through shared sacrifices following their Great Leader to a heroic victory
What can be said true about the great mypth hat there was a united Soviet people pulling together through shared sacrifices following their Great Leader to a heroic victory?
the people were moulded by the repressive regime and propaganda campaigns
