Life In Communist Russia

Question 1

Communism takes root in Russia

Answer 1

Russia’s poor preformance in WW1 prompted riots + strikes
Tsar forced to step down, provisional government overthrown in October revolution
Lenin + followers called Bolsheviks

Question 2

Bolsheviks beliefs

Answer 2

Karl Marx’ idea of communism: working class should stage revolution to end private ownership + distribute wealth, ending the class system - all working together

Question 3

What is communism

Answer 3

1 party state
Classless society
No private property
State control of business/industry/agriculture
Religion discouraged

Question 4

Russian civil war

Answer 4

Red army (Bolsheviks) vs white army
Tsar + family executed by Bolsheviks
1921 Lenin + Bolsheviks gained control of country+ White army defeated 1922
Bolsheviks secret police = Cheka
Russia renamed USSR

Question 5

Red Terror red terror

Answer 5

During civil war the Cheka “removed anyone who was an actual or potential threat to the government killing 800 in St Petersburg

Question 6

Lenins death

Answer 6

Lenin had 2 strokes + knew he was dying so he wrote his testament. It had his vision for communism + ops on collegues. He wanted to fire Stalin
Lenin died 21/1/1924 + a power struggle started

Question 7

Stalin’s takeover of the Bolsheviks

Answer 7

Trotsky was front runner for leader, but Stalin organised Lenins funeral + gave the speech making people think he was Lenins successor
Stalin pitted party members against eachother to expell each other
Stalin was ruler of USSR by 1928

Question 8

Economic policies - Agriculture

Answer 8

1927 Stalin started collectivisation + using force in 1929 w/ 2.5+ mil independent farmers sent to gulags
Created man made famine in Ukraine
Collectivised farms had unreasonably quotas

Question 9

Collectivisation - meaning

Answer 9

The joining of small unproductive farms together to create large state owned farms

Question 10

Kulaks - meaning

Answer 10

Independent farmer

Question 11

Gulag - meaning

Answer 11

Forced labour camps

Question 12

Economic policies - Industry - 5 year plans

Answer 12

(1928-1932) heavy industry + coal, oil, steel + electricity
(1933-1937) industry, transport + consumer goods
(1938-1941) cut short by war switched to arms + ammo

Question 13

Economic policies - Industry

Answer 13

Rationing-areas devasted by famine
High rewards for productive workers
Many workers given apartment free schooling + free basic healthcare

Question 14

Terror

Answer 14

Threat of gulags if quota missed/disagreement
Cheka renamed NKVD + arrested/killed/tortured “enemies of the state”
1934 Stalin purged Bolsheviks removing 1 mil members
1937 Stalin purged Red army, 30,000 fired/executed

Question 15

Terror - show trials

Answer 15

Staged trials to influence popular opinion where défendents wee tortured for confession
1st - Trial of the 16 - party leaders
2nd - Trial of the 17- past + present Bolsheviks
3rd - Trial of the 21 - potential rivals

Question 16

Propaganda

Answer 16

Communist newspaper called Pavda
Posters showing happy workers + prosperous USSR
Cult of the leader-statues of Stalin, cities named for him, given titles
Enemies of the state killed in purges + removed from records

Question 17

Education

Answer 17

Books rewritten crediting Stalin w/ Trotsky’s achievements
Compulsory attendance to improve workplace efficiency
Youth orgs eg Young Communists + Komosol

Question 18

Women’s lives under Lenin

Answer 18

Women had the right to vote, education, contraception, divorce, to lead a household+ hold any job
Dining halls, launderies + childcare allowed women to work

Question 19

Women’s lives under Stalin

Answer 19

More conservative + wanted high birthrates to build workforce + army
Divorce discouraged + contraception banned again
Mothers w/6 kids given 2000 roubles/year for 5 years
Mothers w/9 kids given medal

Question 20

Stalin early life

Answer 20

Stalin was born near Tiflow, Georgia on 8/12/1878 + came from poverty. He had his smallpox scars airbrushed + was expelled from seminary for radical Marxism

Question 21

Stalin - Role in the Bolsheviks

Answer 21

Arrested + sent to Siberia 1904 for joining the Bolsheviks + joined Bolshevik cental committe 1912. Had a minor role in the Oct Revolution in 1917. Organised Red Terror in civil war + reputation for brutality

Question 22

Stalin - seizing power

Answer 22

Became General Secretary of Bolsheviks 1922. When Lenin died he organised funeral + increased his hold on leadership. Expelled Trotsky from the party + exiled him 1928

Question 23

Stalin - WW2

Answer 23

Stalin signed a non-aggression pact w/ Hitler in 1939 + Germany invaded in 1941. Stalin created an alliance w/ Britain + France. The USSR emerged from the war as a superpower.