was the ussr ready to fight??

Question 1

POSITIVE: Stalin not caught completely unaware!

Answer 1

Had an army of 5 million ready!

Question 2

POSITIVE: Effective propaganda

Answer 2

Effective propaganda - population believed communism was the solution

Question 3

POSITIVE: Economy: 5yps’ focus on heavy industry paid off!

Answer 3

USSR produced 700 aircraft / 230 tanks a month - more than any other European nation. Outproduced Germans 1942 / 1943.
By end of war had produced over 80,000 T34 tanks!!!

Question 4

POSITIVE: NO INTERNAL OPPOSITION DUE TO PURGES

Answer 4

So Stalin could make decisions quickly, initial benefit

Question 5

NEGATIVE: Surprise invasion!!

Answer 5

Stalin had ignored the warnings of his intelligence network that an attack was coming - e.g. Soviet Spy Sorge had predicted a dawn invasion on June 22nd, the exact date, but Stalin had sworn at him and refused to listen! Also ignored Churchill’s warnings - thought Churchill was trying to instigate a war between USSR and Germany to relieve pressure from GB

USSR citizens caught unaware - reports of soldiers fighting in their nightgowns!

STALIN HAD RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT W HITLER! Probably hoping for 5 years, only got 18 months

Question 6

NEGATIVE: No allies / false friend

Answer 6

USA = false friend

Question 7

NEGATIVE: no attack/defence/evacuation plan!!

Answer 7

Stalin = dumb

Question 8

NEGATIVE: Agriculture weak due to collectivisation

Answer 8

Poverty widespread, weak population. Problem of feeding an army. Collective farms should have been an economic backbone, instead depleted. Men in military, women, elderly, children work.

Question 9

NEGATIVE: Ideological failure - marxism

Answer 9

Marxism had not factored in a fascist attack - neither Stalin or the citizens were expecting an attack. Stalin also thought Germany would focus on GB.

Stalin also thought communism would spread - hadn’t prepared propaganda.

Question 10

NEGATIVE: Weak economy - quantity > quality (find a target example)

Answer 10

Targets had prioritised quantity over quality goods. Tanks broke down, soldiers had broken equipment.

Question 11

NEGATIVE - Nazis = honed war machine

Answer 11

Had invaded half of Poland / Rhineland / Czech / Belgium / Greece / Denmark etc

Question 12

NEGATIVE - PURGES

Answer 12

35,000 officials purged! Tukachevsky dead! 3/5 marshals killed. Lost military expertise, stifled initiative, encouraged attack from Hitler. ALSO weaked MIC complex.