National Study Russia - Stalin

Question 1

In … Stalin launched a …
Deaths

Answer 1

In 1937, Great Purge, a campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened his power.

8 million to 13 million deaths.

Question 2

Cheka after the death of … in …

Answer 2

Felix Dzerzhinsky 1926

Question 3

Under the control of … that the terror of the 1930s reached the max where the secret police known as …
- Methods associated

Collectively these practices were known as the …

Answer 3

Yezhov
NKVD used the full array of methods
- Arrests without charges
- Solitary confinement
- Torture
- Threats against families of those charged
- Use of prison camps in the freezing Arctic North (Gulags)

‘Yezhovshchina.’

Question 4

What the Yezhovschina did to old Bolshevik members

Answer 4

1937-38
Kamenev and Zinoviev in Show Trials.
Red Army was also impacted due to fears it was still loyal to the Old Commissar of War, Trotsky
90% of Red Army purged

Question 5

First 5YP

Answer 5

At the 15th Party Congress in December 1927, the First 5YP was announced, marking the end of the NEP

Question 6

Historians often use the term… to describe Stalin’s first 5YP as it was as significant as

Answer 6

‘great turn’
Lenin’s introduction of NEP in 1921.

Question 7

Collectivisation under Stalin
- What has led to
- Statistics of grain-producing areas and land that were collectivized

Answer 7

1932 – collectivization had resulted in an enormous drop in agricultural production and created a famine

Jan 1930, announced that around 25% of the grain producing areas were to be collectivized by the end of the year

By 1939, 99% of the lands were collectivised

Question 8

3 Types of Collectivisation

Answer 8

The Toz
Peasants owned their land but shared machinery
Cooperated in activities like sowing and harvesting
More common before 1930s

The Kolkhoz
Owned and run by the state
Peasants were paid a regular wage like a factory worker

Question 9

Stalin’s process of ‘dekulakisation’

Answer 9

OGPU persecuted the peasants

Stalin also wanted to frighten the middle and poor peasants into joining the kolkhozes

10 million deported to gulags

Question 10

Stalin achievement through the 5YP

Human cost

Answer 10

Grain production rose to nearly 100 million tonnes in 1937

3 million kulaks were killed.
There were famines in 1930 and 1932-3 where 5 million people starved to death.

Question 11

Resistance to collectivisation

Answer 11

Between 1929-30:
- 30, 000 arson attacks occurred
- The number of organised rural mass disturbances increased from 150 for the first half of 1929 to 250 for the second half

Question 12

The fall in food consumption (in k.g. per head) BREAD

Answer 12

1928 (250.4kg)
1932 (214.6kg)

Question 13

CIVIL WAR AND THE FOREIGN RELATIONS 1918-24

Answer 13

1918, British land forces entered southern Russia and British warships entered Russian Baltic waters and the Black Sea, where they were joined by French naval vessels
- The French also established a major land base around the Black Sea port of Odessa

April 1918, Japanese troops occupied Russia’s far-Easten port of Vladivostok.
- 4 months later, they were joined by units from France, Britain, USA and Italy
- Czech, Finnish, Lithuanian, Polish and Romanian forces crossed into Russia
- 1919, troops from Japan and the USA occupied parts of Siberia

Question 14

Foreign Policy 1917-24

Answer 14

Comintern was established in 1920 under Zinoviev to assist revolution worldwide
- (Between July and August 1920 communist delegates from 37 countries met in Petrograd, agreeing for foreign parties to adopt the Russian Communist Party as a model)

Treaty of Brest Litovsk was pragmatic as it allowed Bolsheviks to consolidate power at home despite unpopular losses (Loss of ⅓ of Russia’ agricultural land as part of Treaty)

Question 15

Foreign Policy 1925-1933

Answer 15

Socialism in One Country’ Policy

Treaty of Rapallo is signed with Germany in 1922 which relinquished financial and territorial claims against each other.

Great Depression revival of ideological policy with Comintern ordering Communists worldwide not to collaborate with Social Democrats, allowing Nazis to take power with view it would trigger Socialist Revolution

Question 16

1934-1938

Answer 16

In view of the growing Nazi power return to pragmatic policy

However, Britain and France continued to pursue appeasement with Germany as the Soviets continued to be seen as the primary threat, marking a failure in this pragmatic

Question 17

Historian quote about Soviet Foreign policy in 1931-1939

Answer 17

(Historian Hoffman: Spreading revolution was given the least priority in the period 1931-39)

Question 18

1939-1941

Answer 18

Forced to pursue Non-Aggression Pact with Germany in 1939 to delay Russia joining ww2

Limited by the fact that Russia’s army was still weak and unprepared by the time Germany invaded in 1941 resulting in a substantial loss of territory

1941 Russia-Japanese Non-Aggression Pact was more successful since it prevented an invasion from the East which was feared due to the Anti-Comintern Pact of 1936

Question 19

Quote about signing non-agression pact

Answer 19

(Historian Hoffman “By signing a non-aggression pact with Germany, Stalin expected to delay the inevitable German and renewed Japanese attacks and better prepare the armed forces)

Question 20

Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939-41

Answer 20

August 1939
- Both countries gave a solemn pledge to maintain peaceful relations with each other for a minimum of 10 year
June 1941 when Hitler tore up the treaty and launched a massive invasion of the Soviet Union

Question 21

Quote by a historian to describe Stalin’s control

Answer 21

“You’ve worked badly – his brow lowers
But when you’ve worked well, he smiles in his moustache”

Michael Burleigh

Question 22

Quote of the extent of deaths in Stalin’s regime

Answer 22

British Historian Alec Nove

There was a grave shortage of qualified personnel,

Question 23

Quote about the indoctrination of the youth by a Komsomol activist

Answer 23

Komsomol activist interviewed in Munich after war and quoted

“the success in transforming the country depended entirely on the physical exertions and the will of people like myself.”

Question 24

Book that describes the 5 criteria of a totalitarian regime

Answer 24

1956, totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy by Carl Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzezinski

1. Charismatic leader heading a single party
2. Party ideology
3. State economic control
4. State use of terror
5. Party control of the armed forces

Question 25

Nature of the USSR under Stalin - Cultural

Answer 25

He promoted Socialist Realism
Art and literature needing to conform to proletarian heroes

Writers needing to be under the Union of Soviet Writers created in 1932.
- In 1936-37 68 out of 150 films were withdrawn in the midst of production
C
ontrolled religion with Churches, Mosques and Synagogues closed
- Early 1920s there were 60,000 Russian Orthodox priests and only 5,600 by the beginning of WWII.

Question 26

Reasons for the Emergence of Stalin - His position as general secretary

Answer 26

Stalin was in charge of ‘Lenin enrolments’ ensuring members were loyal to himself, while being less educated also meant they were less likely to support ideologically driven Trotsky
- In 1923-25, more members of the proletariat were enrolled into the CP - over 500,000 recruited.

Question 27

Reasons for the Emergence of Stalin - Commissar of Nationalities + Commissar of Peasants and Workers

Answer 27

1917 Commissar of Nationalities
Enabled him to interact with many other national representatives and thus spread his
influence far wider
Commissar of Peasants and Workers inspectorate enabled him to interact with many lower levels of peasants and workers - published the photos he took helping peasants

Question 28

Reasons for the Emergence of Stalin - Political Skill

Answer 28

Stalin portrayed himself as a disciple of Lenin, being chief mourner at the funeral of Lenin while Trotsky was deceived by Stalin into not attending.

Stalin’s publication of “The Foundation of Leninism” in 1924 aimed to summarise Lenin’s ideas and critique Trotsky’s

Question 29

Quote about Stalin adjusting his ideologies to gain power and support through this uprising

Answer 29

Bukharin: Stalin a schemer who changes theories according to who he needs to get rid of

Question 30

Historian quote about Stalin’s emergence

Answer 30

I. Deutscher: Therefore, he appeared as a man without personal grudges and a detached Leninist who was agreeable to the majority.

Question 31

Historian quote about the lack of consciousness surrounding Stalin’s uprising and Trotsky’s view on Stalin

Answer 31

I.Deutscher: Trotsky felt secure and didn’t see Stalin as a threat so refrained from taking action)

Question 32

Weakness of Stalin’s opponents during his emergence

Answer 32

His opponents did not capitalise/take advantage of their power bases:
○ Trotsky did not use the army.
○ Zinoviev did not use the Communist International.
○ Tomsky did not use the trade unions.

Question 33

Collectivisation under Stalin
- Key points
- Living conditions
- Migration

Answer 33

Peasants were encouraged or even forced to live in kolkhoz with 50-100 households sharing the land and private plots restricted to 1 acre

7 million peasants migrated to urban areas

Question 34

Collectivisation under Stalin
- Cattle purposefully slaughtered
- Destruction of crops and livestock

Answer 34

25% of cattle purposely slaughtered 1928 and 1930
Famine in 1932-33 due to peasant destruction of crops and livestock as a result of Stalin’s confiscation of grain supply to punish the peasants.

Question 35

Industrialisation under Stalin
- Key points
- Output targets
- Propaganda
- Production was …x more
- Iron production

Answer 35

The GOSPLAN set output targets for each industry to implement this plan.

The Stakhanovite propaganda program in 1935 encouraged workers to go beyond targets.

By 1933, Production was 4 times as much as it was in 1913

Iron production increases from 3 million to 15 million tonnes

Question 36

Industrialisation under Stalin
- Negative

Answer 36

2nd 5 Year Program failed to reach coal and gas
- Stalin purged most of the professional managers, replaced poorly educated sons

3rd 5 Year Plan disrupted by German
- 7 days a week and imprisoned or executed for the ‘crime of sabotaging the plan’ by having a large number of unexplained absences.

Question 37

Quote about Economic conditions under Stalin

Answer 37

Lynch: It is a striking paradox that in a supposedly proletarian state

Question 38

Propaganda and Censorship under Stalin

Answer 38

Posters thanking him for a ‘happy childhood’
allowed him to spread a cult of personality of himself, with newspapers carrying stories of his achievements
Students learnt Stalin’s role in Bolshevik Revolution
- Over 42 million copies of history book

Question 39

Historian quote

Answer 39

Historian Suny: The figure of Stalin stood symbolically for the ideal behaviour of society

Question 40

Use of Terror under Stalin

Answer 40

1939 Party membership fell by 1.9 million
Murder of Kirov in 1934 (as he gained popularity among the Party Congress)
= Stalin was able to purge opponents and potential threats claiming they were involved in a conspiracy

Question 41

Show Trials

Answer 41

18 Million people in gulags in 1930s
Allowed Stalin to easily remove any potential threats

Question 42

Social transformation

Answer 42

Universal Compulsory education introduced for 10 years.
Young Octoberists reinforced indoctrination
- Literacy rates rose from 56% in 1926 to 81% in 1940
Divorce and Abortion was restricted under a 1936 family code encouraging women to work but and have children.
- Birth rate increased from under 25/1000 in 1935 to almost 31/1000 in 1940

Question 43

Soviet Foreign Policy
1934-1938

Answer 43

In an attempt to form anti-fascist coalition with Britain and France USSR joined League of Nations and a defensive alliance with France in 1934
Spanish Civil War in 1936 saw support for Republicans but ended up in failure, partly due to Stalin’s desire not to antagonise Britain and France (2000 Russians sent to help)
However, Brit and Fr continued to pursue appeasement with Germany instead of allying with the Soviets as they were seen as primary threat

Question 44

Historian quote on Stalin’s foreign policy in the 1930s

Answer 44

Historian Hoffman: Spreading revolution was given the least priority in the period 1931-39

Question 45

Soviet Foreign Policy
1939-41

Answer 45

Forced to pursue Non-Aggression Pact with Germany in 1939 to delay Russia joining ww2
Limited by the fact that Russia’s army was still weak and unprepared by the time Germany invaded in 1941 resulting in a substantial loss of territory
1941 Russia-Japanese Non-Aggression Pact was more successful since it prevented an invasion from the East which was feared due to the Anti-Comintern Pact of 1936

Question 46

Historian quote on the intention in signed a non-aggression pact

Answer 46

Historian Hoffman “By signing a non-aggression pact with Germany, Stalin expected to delay the inevitable German and renewed Japanese attacks and better prepare the armed forces