1.2 Stalinism

Question 1

Lenin Enrollment

Answer 1

1924-25
Organisation under Stalin’s control to increase Party membership
Over 500,000 members recruited, doubling membership
New members were working class & politically naive: grateful to Stalin for opportunity

Question 2

Power Struggle 1924-28

Answer 2

Won by Stalin
Used trickery, campaigned that he was Lenin’s successor
Against Trotsky (expelled from Politburo 1927), Zinoviev and Kamenev, Bukharin, Tomsky, Rykov

Question 3

Leon Trotsky

Answer 3

General during Civil War, made propaganda for Lenin
Very intelligent but arrogant, not popular within Party
Expelled from Politburo 1927, exiled to Mexico, assassinated 1940

Question 4

The Great Purges 1930s

Answer 4

Wave of terror to remove enemies
Show Trials: trials of key state enemies, public and shown in cinemas
Secret Police: OGPU->NKVD became increasingly bureaucratic and controlled police

Question 5

Purges of Party Members

Answer 5

Chitska 1932-35: removed anyone who questioned ‘Five Year Plan’: 22% of Party removed
Left Opposition attacked as enemies of the state

Question 6

Stalin’s policies advocated by 1928

Answer 6

Rapid industrialisation, collectivisation, ‘Socialism in one country’ vs spreading communism to the world (like Left Opposition wanted)

Question 7

CAUSE OF GREAT PURGE: 1932 Crisis

Answer 7

Stalin’s wife committed suicide and criticised his policies in final letter
1932 bad political & economic year due to famine resulting in strikes and criticism of Stalin
Stalin was insecure about power hold and angry e.g Ryutin Affair

Question 8

CAUSE OF GREAT PURGE: Kirov Affair, 1934

Answer 8

17th Party Congress on Lenin’s death anniversary: ‘Anti-Lenin Opposition’ (Trotsky&Co) forced to admit to fake crimes -> impression of unity
Kirov gave speech in favour of slowing industrialisation (party was split)
December 1934 Kirov assassinated
All party secretaries given same title -> “unity”

Question 9

CAUSE OF GREAT PURGE: Zinoviev & Kamenev, 1935

Answer 9

Arrested for terrorism along with 17 others and sentenced to 10 years
250,000 party members expelled, 843 associated with Z&K arrested (purge of Kremlin employees)
Z&K had been in favour of Kirov

Question 10

CAUSE OF GREAT PURGE: Economic

Answer 10

‘Five Year Plan’ opposition: kulaks sent to labour camps which overflowed by 1929
Yagoda created new camps in remote areas to mine… to promote economic growth
Camps ran under OGPU

Question 11

Ryutin Affair 1932

Answer 11

Secret group within party conspiring to remove Stalin
Martemyan Ryutin highly critical of 5 year plan

Question 12

CONSEQUENCE OF PURGES: Trial of the Sixteenth

Answer 12

Purges led to Show Trials
August 1936, Zinoviev and Kamenev forced to confess to Kirov’s murder (could not have done it as they were in prison)

Question 13

CONSEQUENCE OF PURGES: Trial of the Seventeenth

Answer 13

1937 purge of Party members who had criticised 5 year plan
Accused of conspiring with Trostky

Question 14

CONSEQUENCE OF PURGES: Trial of Twenty-One

Answer 14

1938 purge of “right wing” Bukharin and Rykov forced to confess to being ‘Trostkyite-Rightist’
Bukharin had written an article criticising 5Y plan

Question 15

CONSEQUENCE OF PURGES: Purge of Red Army

Answer 15

Rearmament —> army grown too powerful
Most soldiers demoralised by collectivisation (peasants)
40,000 officers shot/imprisoned, 60% of Marshalls purged

Question 16

CONSEQUENCE OF PURGES: Local level and Secret Police

Answer 16

Denunciations of officials encouraged:
Purgers had grown too powerful: Yezhov purged 3000 of his own personnel in ‘Yeshovschina’
Yezhov expelled 1938, arrested 1939
NKVD had quotas to ensure enough killings

Question 17

Stalin’s control over the Politburo 1930s

Answer 17

able to ensure members followed his orders by appointing ‘cronies’
meetings became less frequent (weekly in 1920s reduced to 9 times / year 1930s)
Stalin exercised his power over subgroups outside

Question 18

Soviet Constitution 1936

Answer 18

need for second constitutions shows failure of democratic institutions
classes abolished, everyone could vote but there was only one party
freedom of press, religion… etc but it was fake

Question 19

Personal limits on Stalin’s power

Answer 19

He had to delegate and prioritise (could not control everything all the time)
5 year plan was not as successful as predicted

Question 20

Limits on Stalin’s leadership

Answer 20

Politburo sometimes opposed his actions as some members were concerned about 5 year plan (made Stalin re-draft it)
Some cronies had private agenda
Politburo refused Ryutin’s execution

Question 21

WW2

Answer 21

terror reduced, generals released from camps for expertise e.g Zhukov.
propaganda used (Stalin as symbol for unity)
GKO : State defence committee for state administration
Stavka: supreme command for military administration

Question 22

Beria

Answer 22

NKVD leader from 1938-53, one of longest serving and most influential
Removed after Stalin’s death

Question 23

Malenkov

Answer 23

Powerful party and politburo member
Succeeded Stalin as Head of State (Premier)

Question 24

Zhdanov

Answer 24

Established high levels of control and propaganda during High Stalinism
Zhdanovschina

Question 25

High Stalinism 1945-53

Answer 25

‘Cult of personality’: unique power and position Stalin had, God-like status ‘Stalin Cult’ established during 1933-39 and leaked during High Stalinism E,g ‘History of the All Union Communist Party’ (Textbook manipulating facts)

Question 26

HS: New Generation of Bolsheviks

Answer 26

Younger generation rose and challenged Stalin e.g Beria and Malenkov Politburo renamed presidium and members increased from 9 to 36 to bring in more of Stalin’s supporters

Question 27

HS: Zhdanovschina

Answer 27

Cultural policy after WW2 and during Cold War calling for stricter government control Extreme Anti-Western bias

Question 28

HS: Reassertion of Party power

Answer 28

terror relaxed during war (e.g. concessions to the Orthodox Church) 1945 concessions withdrawn

Question 29

HS: Leningrad Affair late 1940s-50s

Answer 29

Major Soviet party purge by Stalin, Malenkov and Beria 700 deaths, 2000 arrests

Question 30

HS: Mingrelian Affair 1951

Answer 30

purge of party targeting Mingrelian ethnic group removing Beria’s allies in Georgia Stalin was unable to fire B&M’s allies showing weakness Politburo increased to bring in people without links to B/M

Question 31

HS: Doctor’s Plot

Answer 31

Stalin’s doctors arrested for ‘attempted assassination’ Prelude to campaign to remove Beria and Soviet Jews, but Stalin died before the purge

Question 32

HS: Stalin’s Personality

Answer 32

‘Cult of personality’ peaked post-1945 Had power over institutions Illusion, Stalin’s health was in decline

Question 33

Lenin->Stalin

Answer 33

Supreme Soviet replaced All-Russian Congress, met x2 a year By 1936 there were 11 republics, in 1922 only 7 1924 constitution excluded kulaks from vote, but they were included with 1936 class abolishment

Question 34

Lenin->Stalin: People’s Power

Answer 34

Supreme Soviet replaced All-Russian Congress, which gave power to the people (in theory), but only met x2 a year