War and revolution: Stalin Flashcards
What was the background to the USSR in WWII?
Signed a non aggression pact with Hitler in 1939, however, Hitler’s lebensraum program meant he would soon invade the Soviet Union.
How did stalin respond to the german threat?
Made himself Marshall of the Soviet Union and made Zhukov deputy supreme commander in chief of the soviet armed forces. He made an alliance with Britain and the USA and gained $11million aid from the lend lease program.
Give three statistics to show the impact of war on the USSR
- 70,000 villages destroyed. 2. 65,000 km of railway destroyed. 3. 26 million dead.
How did Stalin respond to the invasion?
Ordered the state defense committee to evacuate people and equipment, 1500 factories vital to the soviet war effort were relocated to the Urals and Siberia.
How was Stalin initially viewed by the allies?
He was very popular, he was made time magazine man of the year in 1942 and Winston Churchill paid him a visit in Moscow in 1944.
What happened at Tehran?
1943- meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, allies agreed to open a second front and stalin agreed to declare war on japan.
What happened at Yalta?
1945- big three decided to spilt Germany in four zones and agreed that Germany would pay reparations.
What happened at Potsdam?
July 1945- Harry Truman was the new US president and was not as friendly with Stalin as Roosevelt, they negotiated over Germany’s borders and the reparations.
What happened in February 1948?
Allies merged their German zones, as a result, Stalin blockaded Berlin in a bid to get the west out.
What happened during the blockade?
Lasted 11 months, the allies airlifted over $200m worth of supplies into Berlin on 278,000 flights.
Give three consequences of the blockade
- First major falling out between the old allies. 2. Made the west more determined to build up West Berlin. 3. Led to the setting up of nato and the Warsaw Pact.
How else did the war effect the USSR?
90% of Stalingrad had been destroyed, more people had died in Leningrad then Hiroshima and Nagasaki and 25 million had been left homeless.
How successful was gosplan in organizing the war economy?
Relocated over 1500 factories in first month of war, by 1942 economic planners were able to devote 56% of national income to war, arms production doubled 1941-44.
How did the war turn Russia into a superpower?
Sphere of influence in Eastern Europe acted as buffer zone, Russia controlled half of Europe. Satellite states had their economies and foreign policy controlled and Russia entered informal military alliance with these states
How did military strength make the ussr a superpower?
By 1946 Russian army 3m, 4th5YP devoted 7.4bn to defense spending, 1949 Russia developed own atomic bomb, 1953 Russia developed own hydrogen bomb.
