2. Political authority and government to 1953 Flashcards
(21 cards)
1
Q
political high stalinism
Dismantling Wartime Institutions
A
- Stalin dismantled wartime institutions due to concerns about Party reliability and military reputation.
- State Defence Committee (GO) was dissolved, military hierarchy was downgraded, with Stalin assuming the role of Minister of Defence.
2
Q
political high stalinism
Manipulation of Political Figures
A
- Stalin played major figures against each other to maintain dominance.
- Andrei Zhdanov challenged Georgi Malenkov’s policies, leading to Malenkov’s demotion and Zhdanov’s rise, but subsequent disagreements resulted in Malenkov’s reinstatement.
3
Q
political high stalinism
Centralization of Power
A
- ensured personal dominance by holding key positions in government and the Party.
- Regular Party institutions were undermined, with reduced frequency of Party congresses and Central Committee meetings.
- Decision-making was concentrated within Stalin’s inner circle, bypassing formal Party structures.
4
Q
political high stalinism
Party Membership and Recruitment
A
- Party membership rose to nearly 7 million by 1952, with recruitment mainly from administrative ranks.
- New members lacked ideological commitment, becoming cautious bureaucrats reliant on higher authority.
5
Q
cultral high stalinism
Cultural Purge under Zhdanov
A
- Andrei Zhdanov initiated cultural purge 1946, emphasizing conformity to socialist ideals and the cult of Stalin.
- Western influence was condemned as bourgeois and decadent, promoting Russian superiority.
6
Q
cultral high stalinism
Impact on Literature and Arts
A
- Socialist realism became standard in literature, art, music, and film.
- Mikhail Zoshchenko, Anna Akhmatova, Boris Pasternak, and Sergei Prokofiev faced condemnation and censorship for their perceived anti-Soviet works.
7
Q
cultral high stalinism
Scholarship and Intellectual Life
A
- Scholarship suggesting Western influence on Russian literature was condemned.
- Non-conforming scholarship and scientific theories dismissed,
- Marxist principles governed fields like mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
8
Q
cultral high stalinism
Suppression of Western Influence
A
- Western influence was blocked through censorship of foreign papers and radio transmissions, limited translation of foreign books, and restricted travel to and from the West.
- Anti-Semitism flourished, and Nazi atrocities were portrayed without mentioning Jews.
9
Q
revival of terror
Stalin’s Paranoia and Isolationism (1947)
A
- led to excessive isolationism from the non-Soviet world.
- Harsh treatment of returned prisoners-of-war and former army officers intensified.
- Relatives of those who had spent time outside the USSR were considered suspect.
10
Q
revival of terror
Internal Surveillance and Vigilance
A
- Within USSR, strict vigilance enforced, ensure loyalty.
- Casual contact with foreigners - lead to imprisonment.
- feb 1947 outlawed hotels and marriages to foreigners.
11
Q
revival of terror
Expansion of Security Apparatus (1947)
A
- Lavrenti Beria’s oversight led to an expansion of the security apparatus.
- NKVD reorganized into the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and the Ministry of State Security (MGB).
12
Q
revival of terror
Continuation of Repression
A
- Tens of thousands arrested annually,
- 12 million wartime survivors sent to labor camps under appalling conditions.
13
Q
dealing w/ ‘opposition’
Revisionist Tactics (1948-1952)
A
- erased opposition figures to eliminate their influence.
- existence was expunged from historical records and publications.
- manipulated photography to airbrush and alter images of disgraced Bolsheviks.
- Altered images widespread
14
Q
dealing w/ ‘opposition’
The Leningrad Case, 1949
A
- 1949, Stalin targeted Leningrad party for perceived independence.
- Several leading officials, including Voznesensky, were falsely accused and arrested.
- After Stalin’s death, discovered four of those arrested, including Voznesensky, were executed.
15
Q
dealing w/ ‘opposition’
Anti-Semitism
A
- Initially favoring Jewish state in Palestine, Stalin reversed his stance when Israel aligned with the USA.
- became increasingly anti-Semitic, viewing Soviet Jews as potential enemies.
- Solomon Mikhoels, director of the Jewish theatre in Moscow, was likely assassinated by the MVD in 1948.
- campaign against anti-patriotic groups launched
16
Q
dealing w/ ‘opposition’
The Mingrelian Case (Georgian Purge), 1951-52
A
- 1951, purge targeted Lavrenti Beria’s followers in Georgia, accusing - collaboration with Western powers.
- aimed to weaken Beria’s authority and had anti-Semitic undertones.
- ongoing at Stalin’s death
17
Q
dealing w/ ‘opposition’
The Doctors’ Plot, 1952
A
- 1948, Lydia Timashuk, a doctor and part-time MGB informer, accused nine doctors of failing to diagnose and treat Zhdanov professionally.
Stalin reopened the case in 1952, accusing the doctors of a Zionist conspiracy to murder Soviet leaders. - alleged Jews, used medical positions to harm the USSR.
- doctors were arrested and tortured, and deported to remote regions.
- nine doctors were sentenced to execution, but Stalin’s death halted their fate
18
Q
cult of personality after 1945
A
- Stalin’s mild stroke in 1946 potentially worsened his paranoia.
- elevated to a god-like status, portrayed as Russia’s ultimate savior.
- media depicted him as a genius in all spheres.
- Towns competed to incorporate Stalin’s name, showcasing his omnipresence.
- Stalin’s photos were edited to remove imperfections, enhancing his portrayal.
- Standardized statues were produced to propagate his image.
19
Q
power vacum after stalins death
Stalin’s Decline
A
- health deteriorated, spending time on leisure activities.
- made no efforts to designate a successor, leaving a leadership vacuum.
20
Q
power vacum after stalin death
Party Congress and Uncertainty
A
- oct 1952, Party congress was convened, where Malenkov and Khrushchev delivered key speeches.
- Stalin’s request to step down as Party Secretary was denied, leaving delegates unsure of his intentions
21
Q
Political Instability After Stalin
A
- Stalin’s death in March 1953 plunged the nation into political uncertainty.
- Hysterical public mourning contrasted with an ongoing power struggle
