Political High Stalinism Flashcards
1
Q
What were Stalin’s fears following the end of the Second World War?
A
He feared post war developments
- relaxed wartimes rules led to an increase in party membership which he thought made the party unreliable
- the reputation & power of the soviet military was too high
2
Q
What changes did Stalin make to war time institutions?
When was this?
A
He dismantled the GKO in 1945
3
Q
What happened to the military hierarchy?
A
Stalin appointed himself as Minister of Defence
He demoted many senior offices to inferior position
Such as Zhukov who he sent to Odessa
4
Q
What did the period of political high Stalinism see the creation of?
A
The ‘new man’ - this dominated politics as people accepted the party as a way of life. Living through the purges made them constantly cautious of their political and personal lives - waiting for decisions to be made rather than attempting to formulate them
