Stalin’s Rise To Power & Dictatorship, 1924-41

Question 1

When did Lenin die?

Answer 1

1924

Question 2

Potential leaders apart from stalin?

Answer 2

Trotsky, kamenev, zinoviev, bukharin

Question 3

What was in Lenin’s final testament regarding Stalin?

Answer 3

Criticised him, feared Stalin’s powers and believed he didn’t have the ability to lead a country

Question 4

What role did Stalin have when Lenin died?

Answer 4

General Secretary of the Communist Party

Question 5

What were Stalins beliefs?

Answer 5

‘Socialism in One Country’, spread of revolution internationally wasn’t necessary for USSRs success

Question 6

What were Trotskys beliefs?

Answer 6

‘Permanent Revolution’, need for revolution in more than one country

Question 7

Why were zinoviev and kamenev criticised by Lenin?

Answer 7

They didn’t support the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917

Question 8

Opinions on bukharin?

Answer 8

Was liked by communists and respected as a thinker/writer. Liked NEP policies which was viewed as ‘anti-communist’ because it led to NEPmen/women

Question 9

When did Stalin become leader of the country?

Answer 9

1929

Question 10

What did Stalin do at Lenin’s funeral?

Answer 10

• buried Lenin’s final testament
• carried his coffin, positioned him as Lenin’s loyal servant
• told Trotsky the wrong date

Question 11

When did Trotsky lose his job as Commissar for War

Answer 11

1925

Question 12

When was Trotsky killed?

Answer 12

1940

Question 13

Why was United Opposition removed?

Answer 13

Lenin outlawed factionalism in1921, labelling them ‘factionalists’ made them seem disloyal.

Question 14

Why was collectivisation introduced?

Answer 14

Wanted an acceleration in the country’s industrialisation and introduced strict state control over food production to feed the cities.

Question 15

When was bukharin expelled from Politburo?

Answer 15

1929

Question 16

Why was bukharin expelled?

Answer 16

Was condemned ‘right communist’, began plotting with kamenev to stop Stalin and got exposed.

Question 17

When was The Great Purge?

Answer 17

1936-38

Question 18

Why were purges used?

Answer 18

As a way to distract people from economic issues and challenges to secure Stalin’s position. Helped to control communist party bosses and prevent corruption/disloyalty to Stalin.

Question 19

What was ‘wrecking’?

Answer 19

Acts against the state (giving wrong orders)

Question 20

What is a show trial?

Answer 20

Where the judicial authorities have already decided innocent/guilty and its publicised.

Question 21

How many officers were arrested 1937-38?

Answer 21

35,000

Question 22

What happened to ‘Old Bolsheviks’?

Answer 22

They were killed

Question 23

What were Kamenev and Zinoviev accused of?

Answer 23

Killing a communist party official (Kirov) and plotting to kill Stalin

Question 24

How many people affected by Great Terror?

Answer 24

• 8 million arrested
• 1 million shot
• 2 million died in labour camps

Question 25

Why was Yagoda executed?

Answer 25

‘Wrecking’, not arresting enough ‘enemies of the people’

Question 26

Examples of crime ‘enemies of the people’?

Answer 26

Contact with foreigners, not cutting pictures of Trotsky from textbooks.

Question 27

Technique NKVD used?

Answer 27

mass arrests, forced confessions, and informants.

Question 28

How many people were housed in Gulags 1941?

Answer 28

8 million prisoners

Question 29

Who were show trials for?

Answer 29

High profile Russians

Question 30

What was the outcome of show trials?

Answer 30

People often confessed to a crime they didn’t do in hope of mercy and to protect their loved ones.

Question 31

Why did many workers support the show trials?

Answer 31

They could denounce their bosses for personal reasons, get them fired/arrested

Question 32

What did Socialist realism focus on?

Answer 32

Workers in everyday situations, they were depicted as the heroes of Soviet society.

Question 33

What did the Cultural Revolution require?

Answer 33

School students to denounce their teachers for not supporting communism.

Question 34

How was curriculum changed?

Answer 34

Was in Stalin’s world view, rewrote history to praise Stalin as Lenin’s loyal assistant.

Question 35

What did communists do to the Orthodox Church?

Answer 35

Many churches were shut down, priests were imprisoned/shot.

Question 36

How many churches were open by 1941?

Answer 36

500

Question 37

What happened to Muslims?

Answer 37

- attacked as the government hates foreigners and their religion was loyal to forces outside of USSR - schools/ places of worship shut down - hajj pilgrimage to Mecca wasn’t allowed

Question 38

Who controlled publication of statistics?

Answer 38

Glavlit

Question 39

What was banned in the media?

Answer 39

Work written by those who has been purged, Trotsky was removed from photos

Question 40

Why did people not know what to believe?

Answer 40

Because the government was in control of information.

Question 41

Why didn’t people question the truth?

Answer 41

Many had only little education

Question 42

Why was there a new constitution in 1936?

Answer 42

To show that the Soviet Union has changed since 1924 constitution

Question 43

What were some art forms that were censored under Stalin?

Answer 43

- newspapers - novels - poetry - plays

Question 44

What was Stalin presented as?

Answer 44

A wise leader who cared about the concerns of ordinary people, genius who understood communism and its politics in a way that no-one else could.