Stalin AMDEP

Question 1

Lenin’s testament and Stalin’s rise

Answer 1

Lenin wrote his testament in Dec 1922 warning about Stalin’s rudeness and power. Presented to the Central Committee after Lenin’s death in Jan 1924. Politburo suppressed the testament in 1924. Counter: Warning was ignored, enabling Stalin.

Question 2

Lenin’s legacy of authoritarianism and idolization

Answer 2

Lenin banned factionalism at the 10th Party Congress in Mar 1921. Lenin’s image was used to legitimize successors after his death in 1924. Lenin ruled as a dictator, consolidating one-party rule from 1918. Counter: Stalin used this legacy for his own rise.

Question 3

Stalin’s main struggle for power after Lenin’s death

Answer 3

Stalin appointed General Secretary in Apr 1922. Stalin manipulated Trotsky’s absence at Lenin’s funeral in Jan 1924. Stalin promoted ‘Socialism in One Country’ from 1924, gaining support. Counter: Stalin’s tactics outmaneuvered rivals.

Question 4

Lenin’s actions and the succession issue

Answer 4

Lenin Enrollment (1923–25) brought 260,000 new members loyal to Stalin. Lenin’s testament (Dec 1922) criticized all Politburo members, making suppression easier. Lenin’s strokes from May 1922 left no clear succession plan. Counter: Stalin filled the vacuum.

Question 5

Stalin’s party positions and power

Answer 5

Stalin became General Secretary in Apr 1922, controlling appointments. Lenin Enrollment (1923–25) increased membership by 260,000, many loyal to Stalin. Stalin acted as liaison between Politburo and Orgburo, monitoring policy from 1922. Counter: His roles gave him unique leverage.

Question 6

Lenin’s legacy and testament in Stalin’s rise

Answer 6

Ban on factionalism introduced at 10th Party Congress in Mar 1921. Suppression of Lenin’s testament after Lenin’s death in 1924. Stalin used Lenin’s legacy to present himself as rightful successor from 1924. Counter: Stalin’s skills also mattered.

Question 7

Stalin underestimated by rivals

Answer 7

General Secretary position (1922) seen as unimportant. Rivals like Trotsky underestimated Stalin’s influence during the 1920s. Stalin used the low-profile role to build power unnoticed. Counter: His skills and context were crucial.

Question 8

Stalin’s skills and manipulation

Answer 8

Stalin advocated ‘Socialism in One Country’ from 1924. Manipulated alliances with Zinoviev and Kamenev (1924–27). Outmaneuvered rivals using party rules and coalitions in the 1920s. Counter: Positions alone didn’t make him leader.

Question 9

Attitudes toward Trotsky in the power struggle

Answer 9

Trotsky joined Bolsheviks in 1917, raising loyalty doubts. Lenin Enrollment (1923–25) brought in new members who didn’t support Trotsky. Trotsky’s intellectualism alienated the party base in the 1920s. Counter: Stalin exploited these weaknesses.

Question 10

Stalin’s ideological pragmatism and manipulation

Answer 10

Stalin promoted ‘Socialism in One Country’ from 1924, winning support. Formed coalition with Zinoviev and Kamenev by 1925 to isolate Trotsky. Used General Secretary role (from 1922) to control party. Counter: Trotsky’s own weaknesses mattered.

Question 11

Trotsky’s personality and underestimation of Stalin

Answer 11

Trotsky did not attend Lenin’s funeral in Jan 1924. Failed to attack Stalin over the Georgian affair in 1922. Trotsky faced anti-Semitism within the party in the 1920s. Counter: Stalin’s planning and alliances were key.

Question 12

Lenin’s testament and bureaucratization

Answer 12

Lenin’s testament (Dec 1922) suppressed in 1924. Trotsky’s opposition to party bureaucracy was unpopular after 1917. Trotsky’s attacks on Zinoviev and Kamenev led to retaliation in mid-1920s. Counter: Trotsky’s tactics backfired.

Question 13

Stalin’s manipulation of ideology

Answer 13

Stalin promoted ‘Socialism in One Country’ from 1924 to undermine Trotsky. Used NEP debates (1924–27) to isolate left and right rivals. Advocated collectivization and industrialization to attack Bukharin (late 1920s). Counter: Trotsky’s weaknesses also mattered.

Question 14

Weaknesses of Trotsky

Answer 14

Trotsky’s Menshevik background (pre-1917) undermined trust. Failed to build support among Lenin Enrollment members (1923–25). Overconfidence and poor judgment in the 1920s. Counter: Stalin exploited these weaknesses.

Question 15

Stalin’s position and Lenin’s legacy

Answer 15

Stalin General Secretary from Apr 1922, controlled party recruitment. Lenin Enrollment (1923–25) made new members loyal to Stalin. Orchestrated Trotsky’s absence at Lenin’s funeral in Jan 1924. Counter: Trotsky’s absence helped Stalin.

Question 16

Lenin’s testament and authoritarian legacy

Answer 16

Suppression of Lenin’s testament in 1924 hid criticism of Stalin. Ban on factionalism at 10th Party Congress in Mar 1921 set up dictatorship. Stalin used the system to consolidate power. Counter: Stalin’s skills were decisive.

Question 17

Successes of industrialization and collectivization

Answer 17

Coal production rose from 35 to 150 million tons (1928–40). Steel output grew from 3 to 18 million tons (1928–40). Collectivization (late 1920s–30s) forced migration, enabling industrialization. Counter: Quality and social costs ignored.

Question 18

Failures of industrialization and collectivization

Answer 18

Famine (1932–33) killed millions of peasants. Production figures falsified; optimal targets (75 million) not met (1930s). Agriculture and consumer goods neglected for heavy industry. Counter: Some industrial targets met.

Question 19

Consolidation of government through purges

Answer 19

35,000 officers imprisoned or shot during purges (1937–38). 1 in 8 citizens arrested during Great Terror (1936–38). Stalin’s cult and socialist realism dominated culture from 1930s. Counter: Terror undermined society.

Question 20

Building a communist state: social impact

Answer 20

Nomenklatura system created privileges for loyal party members (1930s). Abortion restricted and divorce made difficult in 1936. Workers’ rights curtailed and strikes prohibited in 1930s. Counter: Some modernization achieved.

Question 21

Participation in Chinese and Spanish civil wars

Answer 21

Stalin supported Nationalists in China (late 1920s–30s) to limit Japan. Spain transferred gold reserves to USSR during Spanish Civil War (1936–39). Stalin did not seriously support Spanish communists in 1930s. Counter: Limited real support for communists.

Question 22

Nazi threat and Soviet security

Answer 22

Anti-Comintern Pact signed in 1936 threatened USSR with two-front war. Munich Agreement in 1938 excluded USSR from negotiations. Attempts at alliances with Britain and France failed in late 1930s. Counter: Some diplomatic successes.

Question 23

Industrialization and collectivization achievements

Answer 23

Coal rose from 35 to 150 million tons (1928–40). Five-Year Plans (from 1928) prioritized heavy industry. Collectivization enabled forced migration to industry centers (late 1920s–30s). Counter: Agriculture and quality neglected.

Question 24

Problems of modernization under Stalin

Answer 24

Famine (1932–33) caused millions of deaths. Production figures exaggerated; real output lower than reported (1930s). Consumer goods and agriculture neglected in 1930s. Counter: Industrial base improved.

Question 25

Purges to remove rivals and consolidate power

Answer 25

Ryutin Affair (1933–34) led to 1 million party exclusions. Kirov murdered Dec 1934; 3,000 suspects executed or imprisoned. Stalin filled purged positions with nominees in 1930s. Counter: Purges continued after rivals gone.

Question 26

Terrorize and prevent further opposition

Answer 26

In Georgia, 4/5 of party secretaries dismissed in 1930s. Yezhovschina (1937–38): 1 in 8 population arrested. Almost every family lost a member during Great Terror. Counter: Terror exceeded need to remove rivals.

Question 27

Purge of party through show trials

Answer 27

Kamenev, Zinoviev, and 14 others executed after Kirov trial in 1936. Bukharin, Rykov, Tomsky purged and executed in 1938. Show trials of 'Trotskyite Rightists' in late 1930s. Counter: Not all were real threats.

Question 28

Army purges and Stalin’s paranoia

Answer 28

All 11 war commissars removed (1937–38). 91 of 101 Supreme Military Council arrested, 80 executed (1937–38). 35,000 officers imprisoned or shot; all admirals shot (1937–38). Counter: Military effectiveness damaged.

Question 29

Control over government: supporters in key positions

Answer 29

Decree against terrorist acts led to 3,000 executions by NKVD (mid-1930s). Stalin Enrollment (1937–38) increased party loyalists. Stalin filled vacant positions during purges. Counter: Government expertise weakened.

Question 30

Terrorization of people and lack of opposition

Answer 30

In Georgia, 4/5 of party secretaries dismissed in 1930s. Yezhovschina (1937–38): 1 in 8 citizens arrested. Almost every family suffered loss during Great Terror. Counter: Social costs immense.

Question 31

Consolidation of power: show trials

Answer 31

Kamenev, Zinoviev, Bukharin, Rykov executed (1936–38). Show trials eliminated opposition. Remaining party members owed positions to Stalin. Counter: Party experience lost.

Question 32

Purge of army: understaffing and undermining

Answer 32

All 11 war commissars removed (1937–38). 91 of 101 Supreme Military Council arrested, 80 executed (1937–38). 35,000 officers imprisoned or shot; all admirals shot (1937–38). Counter: USSR vulnerable in 1941.

Question 33

Success in defense against Hitler

Answer 33

USSR joined League of Nations in 1934 for collective security. USSR, France, Czechoslovakia signed mutual assistance pacts in 1935. Nazi-Soviet Pact signed in Aug 1939, dividing Poland. Counter: Only short-term security.

Question 34

Failure to protect against Nazi threat

Answer 34

Anti-Comintern Pact signed by Germany/Japan in 1936 threatened USSR. Munich Agreement (Sep 1938) excluded USSR, gave Sudetenland to Germany. Attempts at Western alliance failed in 1939. Counter: USSR invaded by Germany in 1941.

Question 35

Socialism in One Country and foreign policy

Answer 35

Stalin supported Nationalists in Chinese Civil War (1930s) to limit Japan. USSR signed non-aggression pact with Japan in Apr 1941. Spain sent gold reserves to USSR for aid during Civil War (1936–39). Counter: Limited support for global revolution.

Question 36

Failure to encourage global revolution

Answer 36

Stalin did not fully support Spanish Left in Civil War (1936–39). Soviet interference in Chinese Communist Party in 1930s alienated Mao. Comintern’s role diminished by late 1930s as Stalin prioritized security. Counter: Global revolution not a real priority.

Question 37

Practicality in industrialization

Answer 37

First Five-Year Plan began in 1928 for rapid industrial growth. By 1940, a third of Soviet spending was on armaments. Heavy industry (coal, oil, steel) prioritized over consumer goods in 1930s. Counter: Consumer needs neglected.

Question 38

Ideology in industrialization and official silence

Answer 38

'Socialism in One Country' policy articulated Dec 1924. Grand projects like Magnitogorsk and White Sea Canal built in 1930s. Famine of 1932–33 denied; foreign aid rejected. Counter: Practical needs often prevailed.

Question 39

Practicality in collectivization

Answer 39

Mass collectivization began in 1929 for efficiency and labor. Grain exports continued during 1932–33 famine to fund industry. Forced migration of peasants to cities provided workforce in early 1930s. Counter: Social costs high.

Question 40

Collectivization as ideological expression

Answer 40

Dekulakization announced Dec 1929, targeting wealthy peasants. Collective farms (kolkhozes) replaced individual plots by early 1930s. Communist theory held peasantry was no longer revolutionary by late 1920s. Counter: Practical goals also shaped policy.

Question 41

Need to industrialize and modernize

Answer 41

First Five-Year Plan launched in 1928 to catch up with West. Iron and steel production identified as vital to modernization. USSR lagged behind Europe/US in 19th–early 20th centuries. Counter: Ideology shaped methods.

Question 42

Socialism in One Country and Five-Year Plan

Answer 42

'Socialism in One Country' doctrine articulated Dec 1924. Five-Year Plan designed for industrialization without foreign help. Centralized planning implemented in 1928. Counter: Practical needs drove urgency.

Question 43

Preparation for war as motivation

Answer 43

Fear of invasion increased after Nazi Germany’s rise in 1933. Five-Year Plan emphasized heavy industry for defense in early 1930s. Rapid growth seen as essential for military strength. Counter: Ideological structure guided planning.

Question 44

Communist ideology and planned economy

Answer 44

Planned economy model adopted in 1928, reflecting Marxist principles. Five-Year Plan structure avoided capitalist markets. State-set targets replaced private enterprise from 1928. Counter: Practical aims were primary.

Question 45

Migration of peasants to cities

Answer 45

Collectivization began in 1929, accelerating migration to cities. By 1940, millions of peasants moved to urban areas for industry. Urban workforce expanded rapidly in early 1930s. Counter: Social disruption severe.

Question 46

Distress, upheaval, and famine

Answer 46

Manmade famine of 1932–33 killed 5–7 million, especially in Ukraine/Kazakhstan. Food seizures for cities/export worsened rural starvation. Lack of peasant cooperation led to upheaval in 1930s. Counter: Human cost not a policy aim.

Question 47

Modernization through dekulakization

Answer 47

Dekulakization (1929–32) aimed to eliminate wealthy peasants. Collective farms enabled tractors/machinery by mid-1930s. Land consolidated into large state/collective farms by 1936. Counter: Resistance and inefficiency persisted.

Question 48

Food production and livestock losses

Answer 48

Bread per capita fell from 250.4kg to 214.6kg (1928–32). Livestock: cattle from 70m to 34m, pigs 26m to 9m, sheep/goats 146m to 42m by 1934. Food production remained below pre-collectivization levels in 1930s. Counter: Targets not met.

Question 49

Increases in industrial production

Answer 49

Coal rose from 35m to 150m tons (1928–40). Steel from 3m to 18m tons (1928–40). Electricity from 18 to 90 billion kWh (1928–40). Counter: Quality and consumer goods neglected.

Question 50

Impact on people: workers and living conditions

Answer 50

Workers accused of sabotage faced trials/imprisonment (1930s). Living conditions worsened; overcrowding and poor housing common. Workers’ rights curtailed, labor discipline enforced. Counter: State prioritized output over welfare.

Question 51

Building projects and modernization

Answer 51

Magnitogorsk built 1929–32 as giant steel city. White Sea–Baltic Canal built 1931–33, mostly by forced labor. Major infrastructure projects modernized USSR in 1930s. Counter: Many projects inefficient/poorly planned.

Question 52

Quality and material goods neglected

Answer 52

Textile production declined in 1930s; heavy industry prioritized. Consumer goods neglected; USSR lagged behind US in living standards. Quality sacrificed for quantity; many products substandard. Counter: Heavy industry goals achieved.

Question 53

Marriage and children: family policy

Answer 53

Divorce made more difficult/costly by Family Law of 1936. Abortion restricted in 1936, reversing earlier Bolshevik policy. Mother Heroine award introduced in 1944 for large families. Counter: Social progress rolled back.

Question 54

Children and education

Answer 54

Compulsory education for ages 7–15 introduced in 1930. By 1940, USSR literacy reached ~90%. Education focused on Marxism-Leninism and loyalty to Stalin in 1930s. Counter: Education served propaganda.

Question 55

Housing and welfare

Answer 55

Overcrowded communal apartments (kommunalki) standard in 1930s. Welfare programs introduced but underfunded. Living conditions for most families remained poor. Counter: Some improvements but overall insufficient.

Question 56

Health and medical care

Answer 56

Free clinics and hospitals expanded in 1930s. Infant mortality rates dropped significantly during 1930s. Sanatoria and retirement homes established for workers/elderly. Counter: Famine and poverty offset gains.

Question 57

Negative practical consequences for minorities

Answer 57

Ukrainian famine (Holodomor) of 1932–33 caused millions of deaths. 1.5 million Kazakhs died in Kazakh famine of 1932–33. Tatar communist Mirza Sultan-Galiev arrested for 'national deviance' in 1920s. Counter: Some efforts at inclusion.

Question 58

Korenizatsiia and cultural diversity

Answer 58

Korenizatsiia promoted native languages in schools/courts in 1920s. New textbooks/teacher training in minority languages in late 1920s. Non-Russians given preference for party/local leadership jobs in 1920s. Counter: Later reversed by Stalin.

Question 59

Negative cultural consequences

Answer 59

Forced sedentarization destroyed Kazakh nomadic culture (1930s). Ukrainian language/culture suppressed after 1933. Russification promoted Russian language/culture in minority regions in 1930s. Counter: Early diversity efforts undermined.

Question 60

Economic and political development for minorities

Answer 60

Administrative units set up along ethnolinguistic lines (1920s–30s). Sovietization aimed to integrate minorities by mid-1930s. Resources invested in minority regions for economic development. Counter: Control, not autonomy, was goal.

Question 61

Soviet state: preparation for war

Answer 61

By 1940, a third of Soviet spending on armaments. Heavy industry output (coal, steel, oil) increased dramatically 1928–40. USSR withstood Nazi invasion in 1941 due to industrialization. Counter: People suffered greatly.

Question 62

People: atmosphere of fear and conditions

Answer 62

Accusations of sabotage/public trials common in 1930s. Workers/managers faced arrest/execution for missing quotas. Living/working conditions poor and overcrowded in 1930s. Counter: State benefitted more than people.

Question 63

Soviet state: problems of modernization

Answer 63

Productivity low due to quantity-over-quality in 1930s. Textile/consumer goods production fell as heavy industry prioritized. Falsified production figures masked inefficiencies. Counter: Industrial base improved.

Question 64

People: long-term benefit

Answer 64

Urban workforce expanded as millions migrated to cities in 1930s. Some youth enthusiastic about building new society in early Five-Year Plans. Long-term benefits: increased education/technical skills. Counter: Short-term suffering outweighed benefits.

Question 65

Stalin’s transcendence and worship

Answer 65

Stalin’s birthday (Dec 21) became major holiday by late 1930s. Personality cult portrayed Stalin as 'Father of Nations' and 'Great Leader.' Stalin’s image omnipresent in public/media in 1930s. Counter: Stifled dissent.

Question 66

Impact on literary and artistic expression

Answer 66

Socialist realism became official doctrine in 1934. Dozens of plays/films banned in 1936–37; 60 plays/68 films withdrawn 1937–38. Writers like Osip Mandelstam died in gulag for dissent in 1930s. Counter: Artistic freedom lost.

Question 67

Impact on education and science

Answer 67

Education reoriented to Marxism-Leninism/Stalin’s role from mid-1930s. Lysenko affair (late 1930s) suppressed genetic science. Revisionist history textbooks portrayed Stalin as Lenin’s closest disciple. Counter: Innovation suppressed.

Question 68

Propaganda and information control

Answer 68

Communist Party controlled all newspapers, cinema, radio from 1930s. Stalin’s image/achievements constantly promoted in all media. Political gatherings/parades reinforced cult of personality. Counter: Truth and free expression undermined.

Question 69

of personality.