The emergence of a Communist dictatorship 1917-41 Flashcards
(120 cards)
1
Q
What were Lenin’s initial hopes for democracy?
A
That government should be in the hands of ‘the people’, ending social privilege
2
Q
What was the initial change in the countryside following the revolution?
A
The peasants divided up the nobles’ land and shared it out
3
Q
What was the initial change in the cities following the revolution?
A
- Workers took control of the factories - - They responded to Lenin’s call for the ‘looting of the looters’ and the confiscation of ‘bourgeois property’,
- They made the wealthy share their homes and do manual labour
4
Q
What change in the Russian population was needed for the Marxist idea of the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’?
A
A population where the urban workers made up the majority, rather than the peasants, like in Russia (peasants made up 80% of the population)
5
Q
What treaty did Russia sign with the Germans?
A
The treaty of Brest-Litovsk
6
Q
Why did Lenin sign the humiliating treaty?
A
He had promised peace to the people of Russia, and felt that saving another revolution at home was more important than the spread of international revolution
7
Q
How did Russia eventually become a one-party state?
A
The Bolsheviks controlled through a Bolshevik-only Sovnarkom, as the last remaining SRs left in March 1918
8
Q
What name did the Bolshevik’s adopt in March 1918
A
The Communist Party
9
Q
How did the Civil War affect the development of the state?
A
It forced a more centralised system of government and to resort to terror to enforce its laws
10
Q
How was tight party unity maintained by Lenin?
A
A ‘ban on factions’ within the party
11
Q
What features of the Stalinist dictatorship were introduced in Lenin’s time?
A
- Persecution of the Church
- The powers of the secret police were extended
- ‘Show trials’ were used to condemn the SRs
12
Q
What two party bodies made most decisions and policies?
A
- The Central Committee
- The Politburo
13
Q
How was the Politburo made up?
A
Only had 7 members and included Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin
14
Q
What was Stalin’s first major post within the party?
A
General Secretary in 1922 - he coordinated the work of the party, a key role
15
Q
What were the main problems the Bolsheviks faced in consolidating their authority?
A
- They were a minority
- They faced an increasingly wide array of opponents - Tsarist army officers, Kadets, SR
16
Q
Why was Russia facing economic collapse by the spring of 1918?
A
Too little grain was reaching the city, workers were going hungry, productivity was down
17
Q
Why was grain production so slow?
A
- Railway systems were changed in wartime so they were less effective
- Peasants reverted to small-scale subsistence farming, so didn’t have a surplus to sell
18
Q
What caused a fall in consumer goods?
A
Workers’ control of the factories and the shortage of raw materials led to a fall in industrial output
19
Q
Who was the Russian civil war fought by?
A
The Bolshevik ‘Reds’ and the non-Bolshevik ‘Whites’
20
Q
Why was a more centralised system of control over the economy necessary?
A
The regime was at stake if the Bolsheviks lost the civil war, so it was vital that the army was supplied with weapons and food
21
Q
What was War Communism?
A
A policy created to ensure a centralised control over the economy
22
Q
What were the key aspects of War Communism?
A
- Grain requisitioning - the taking of grain from peasants by force
- All industry was placed under state control, workers committees replaced by managers reporting to government
- Factory discipline was imposed
- Food rationing was introduced - highest priority given to workers and the army and lowest to the bourgeoisie
23
Q
What did War Communism also enable the Bolsheviks to do?
A
Extend class warfare and, in Lenin’s words, deal with ‘class enemies’
24
Q
Where was terror mainly targeted towards and how?
A
- The peasants
- It was used for grain requisitioning
25
How was terror used in grain requisitioning?
Supported by the Cheka, thousands of peasants were arrested, imprisoned and executed, especially in pro-White areas
26
How else was terror used by Lenin?
Thousands who were deemed 'enemies of the people' (those who opposed the Bolsheviks), the wealthy, or members of the clergy were imprisoned or executed
27
How many were executed between 1918 and 1921?
Up to half a million
28
What was in Lenin's 'Testament'?
He gave his opinions of his fellow Politburo members
29
What opinion did Lenin take of Stalin in his Testament?
He was critical of Stalin, who insulted his wife, and suggested his removal from the post of General Secretary
30
Who did many deem the biggest threat to take power after Lenin?
Trotsky, the mastermind of the October Revolution and hero of the Civil War
31
What was Trotsky's character?
- Charismatic
- A brilliant orator
- Intellectual
32
What was Stalin's character?
- Methodical
- Unspectacular
- Deemed unthreatening
33
What did Trotsky believe in?
Permanent revolution - as Russia only had a small working class, it needed the support of the working class in more industrialised countries
Russia should actively encourage socialist revolutions in other countries
34
What did Stalin believe in?
Socialism in One Country - Russia could build a socialist state without external help
This allowed Stalin to accuse Trotsky of not having faith in Russia, and reminded people Trotsky had been a Menshevik until 1917
35
How did Stalin use his position to benefit himself?
He had a tight control of the party machine and could 'deliver the votes' in decisions made in the Central Committee and Politburo
36
How did Stalin deal with Trotsky?
He was able to remove Trotsky from his position as Commissar for War in 1925. He was expelled from the party in 1927 and deported in 1929
37
How did Stalin benefit from an increase in part membership in the 1920s and early 1930s?
Most new members were younger and less educated, and they knew that loyalty to Stalin could benefit them and their families
38
What did the 1936 constitution promise?
- Considerable autonomy to the regions, but central control ensured there was little
- Elections every 4 years, but these were uncontested as only approved party members' names were put on the ballot
- Civil rights, such as free speech, but these were mostly ignored
39
Why did Lenin know that state intervention (in workers control within factories and peasants control of land) was important?
- Production fell as workers didn't know how to run factories
- Peasants hoarded grain as their was few industrial goods for sale
- It was necessary to feed the soldier to win the civil war
40
What was industrial output in 1921 compared to in 1914?
20% of what it had been
41
What were the results of economic issues in Russia by 1921?
- Millions died from famines and disease
- Peasants killed their livestock to survive
- Peasants resisted grain requisitioning by growing less grain
42
What was the most alarming uprising for the government?
An uprising amongst the Kronstadt Sailors in 1921 ('the pride and glory of the Russian Revolution', according to Trotsky)
43
When was the New Economic Policy (NEP) introduced?
August 1921
44
What did the NEP consist of?
- An end to grain requisitioning - peasants were still to hand over 20% of their grain to the government as a form of tax
- The state would continue to control the 'commanding heights' of the economy (railways, coal, iron, and steel)
- Small businesses and private trade were allowed
45
What were some positives of the NEP?
- Economic recovery was led by an increase in supply of grain
- There was an end to revolts and civil unrest
- There was a revival of the kulak class of peasants
46
What were some negatives of the NEP?
- Industrial production was slow to recover as peasants were still holding back grain
- Grain procured by the government by 1927 was 75% of 1926 levels
47
What did Stalin decide to do about grain?
He decided to develop 'large-scale farms of a collective type'
48
What was the aim of the Five Year Plans?
To modernise the Soviet Union to catch up with the industrially advanced states of Europe and the USA
49
How did Stalin plan to make the Soviet Union self-sufficient and defend itself?
- By building industries
- To do this it would export grain to pay for the machinery and expertise needed from abroad
- Added to 'Socialism in One Country'
50
What did the Five Year Plans do?
- They set high targets for each industry, broken down for regions and specific factories
- Failure to meet targets could lead to arrest, prison or worse
51
What was the emphasis of the first three 5 Year Plans?
Heavy industry - coal, iron, steel, oil, machinery and electricity
52
Were targets for the first Five Year Plan met by 1932?
No, but there were big increases in production, e.g. electricity output trebled from 1928 to 1932
53
When was the first Five Year Plan?
1928-32
54
When was the second Five Year Plan?
1933-37
55
When was the third Five Year Plan?
1938-41
56
When was the fourth Five Year Plan?
1946-50
57
When was the fifth Five Year Plan?
1951-55
58
When was the sixth Five Year Plan?
1956-60
59
When was the seventh Five Year Plan?
1959-65
60
What was prioritised and neglected in the 1930s and why?
Consumer goods were neglected and rearmament was prioritised as the fear of war increased in the late 1930s
61
What were some major developments in the 1930s?
- The building of a huge industrial complex at Magnitogorsk from 1929-31
- The construction of Dnieprostroi Dam in 1932 (which increased Soviet electricity production by 5x)
62
What was the social cost of this development?
Living conditions for Soviet workers deteriorated, especially with the increase in the urban population
63
What was Stalin's main aim with industrialisation and did he achieve it?
To make the Soviet Union into an industrial power that was, eventually, able to defeat Nazi Germany in WW2
64
What were the main features of Collectivisation?
- The conversion of several villages into collective farms
- The procurement of grain to feed the expanding industrial workforce and pay for industrial equipment
- By March 1930, over half the peasants had been collectivised (and 90% by 1939)
65
What were the results of Collectivisation?
- Massive opposition e.g. burning of crops and killing livestock rather than handing them over
- Many farms were run inefficiently by managers who knew little of farming
- Famine in Ukraine in 1932-33, led to 3 million deaths
- Stalin achieved his goal of feeding the industrial workforce and exporting grain
66
What did the Soviet Union encourage in their determination to create a classless society?
Communal living, with families sharing kitchens and toilets
67
What was the issue with trying to abolish private life?
Left many hiding behind a mask of conformity to preserve their own identity, leading opposition unknown to the leadership, something they tried to change during the purges
68
How did working conditions get worse under Stalin?
The imposition of a seven-day working week and longer working hours
69
How was productivity encouraged in the 1930s?
- Bonuses and payments by results were introduced
- The Stankhanovite movement motivated workers with improved housing and higher pay
70
How did living conditions across the country change during collectivisation?
They deteriorated dramatically in the countryside, while overcrowding and poor sanitation increased in urban locations
71
What did the revolution do for women?
Under Lenin, it promised greater opportunities, such as:
- access to a job
- help with childcare
As well as this, divorce was made easier and abortion was legalised
72
Why did Stalin feel the need to push family values, and how did he do it?
The birth rate was falling in the early 1930s, so he used propaganda to portray himself as a father figure and, women as mothers rather than workers
Despite this, 43% of the industrial workforce was made up of women by 1940
73
What was seen as crucial in building a new socialist society?
Education
74
What did Lenin introduce in terms of education?
- Free education for all
- A curriculum including maths, science, Russian language and literature, and 'socially useful labour'
75
What were education and universities used for by Stalin?
To indoctrinate the young in a new, collective way of life
- Students were encouraged to inform on parents and teachers who held 'anti-Soviet views'
76
How many people under the age of 50 were literate by 1941?
90%
77
What was the Konsomol?
A youth division of the Communist Party, formed in 1918
78
What was the Pioneers?
A junior section of the party (younger than the Konsomol), established in 1922
79
What were some encouraged roles for members of the Konsomol?
- To assist the police
- Do voluntary social work
- Set up political clubs to instil socialist values
80
How many were members of the Konsomol and what where the benefits of membership?
- By 1940, the Konsomol had 10 million members
- Membership could ease educational advancement and enhance job opportunities
81
What did Lenin recognise about religion?
That most Russians were very religious and so he tolerated religious worship
82
Despite his toleration, how did Lenin weaken the Orthodox Church?
- Its lands were seized
- Church schools were taken over
- Monasteries converted to schools, hospitals and prisons
- Many priests were killed
83
What was Stalin's attitude to religion?
Much less tolerant
He destroyed rural churches, and confiscated relics and icons, as well as branding protesters to this as 'kulaks'
84
How many churches were open for worship by 1940?
Only 500, 1% of 1917 amount
85
What did the Bolsheviks promise national and ethnic minorities in 1917?
Self-determination
86
Which nationality opted for independence in 1917?
The Finns, all others decided against it
87
What did Stalin decide in 1938 about nationalism?
Russian had to be taught in all schools in the empire, and became the sole language of the Red Army
88
What did Lenin believe about culture?
'Art and literature should serve the people'
89
What did Stalin believe about culture?
Culture should serve a political and social role
By the 1930s, this meant conforming to Stalin's standards, with artists who didn't conform being purged
90
Why and how did Stalin control writers?
He believed that writers were 'engineers of the human soul', so he set up the Soviet Union of Writers, which all writers had to belong to after 1934, and insisted that all member should strive for 'socialist realism'
91
What is Socialist Realism?
Work that is understandable to workers and portrays socialist role models or class enemies
Above all, the message should be optimistic and uplifting
92
Give an example of a conforming artist and an artist who was censored
- Maxim Gorky praised Stalin's first Five Year Plan as something of the 'highest spiritual value'
- Shostakovich's opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mtensk' was banned, as Stalin hated it due to its pessimism and dissonance
93
How did Stalin exploit propaganda techniques?
- He used posters, cinema, and radio to portray himself as the worthy successor to Lenin, as the hero and saviour of the Soviet people
- This allowed him to become the guide to socialist paradise, building up a 'cult of personality'
94
How did Lenin stop opposition?
- First, he sent thousands of initial 'anti-Bolsheviks' to labour camps
- During the Civil War, he used the Cheka and a Red Terror to destroy 'enemies of the people'
- In 1921, he introduced a ban on factions to curb opposition from within
95
How did Stalin build on Lenin's ideas to increase his power and decrease that of opposition?
He intensified the element of terror in order to consolidate his personal power as leader
96
Where did Stalin's approach to opposition differ from Lenin's?
In eliminating actual or potential opponents, he included fellow members of the Central Committee, which Lenin hadn't done
97
What was the turning point in Stalin's increase in the use of terror?
1932 - following the suicide of his wife and growing criticism from within the party over the speed of collectivisation
98
How many members were excluded from the party in 1933?
Over a million
99
Who was the most important person purged in 1934?
Kirov - a popular figure, and potential rival to Stalin was killed
Stalin used this as a pretext for the arrest of the Trotskyite and Zinoviev-Kamenev factions
100
Who were the most important people purged in 1936?
Zinoviev and Kamenev, and 14 other Bolsheviks were shot after a 'show trial' where they confessed to treason and involvement in Kirov's murder
101
Who were the most important groups purged in 1937?
Several Bolshevik leaders and most of the military and naval high command were shot
102
Who were the most important people purged in 1938?
Bukharin, Rykov and more senior Bolsheviks, along with Yagoda, the former head of the NKVD, were shot
103
Who was the most important person purged in 1940?
Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico
104
When did the terror increasingly get directed at ordinary people?
From 1937 to 1938, with the public encouraged to inform on 'hidden enemies'
105
What was done to increase the amount of people being purged?
Quotas of how many people should be arrested in each region were made, like industrial targets, and hundreds of thousands were executed or died in prison
106
How much of the soviet population were arrested during the purges?
1 in 18
107
What was an aspect of the purges to do with minorities?
The campaign to deport national minorities in the western borders, such as Poles and Germans, due to fears they may join an invading army
108
How many Poles were shot during the purges' campaign?
Over 100,000
109
When did Stalin end the terror on ordinary people?
November 1938
110
What affect did the terror have on the population?
It left them frightened and bewildered, however Stalin had completed his goal of complete control over the party and the people
111
What aspects of the Stalinist rule had been established by Lenin?
- One-party rule
- The secret police
- The use of terror and show-trials
- 'Class warfare'
112
Who did Stalin replace the old Bolsheviks, that he had purged, with?
A new class of officials, the nomenklatura, who were completely loyal to him, not to the party, to him personally
113
What came with the nomenklatura's role?
- Luxury apartments
- Plentiful food
- Cars
114
What showed how subservient the Communist Party was to Stalin?
The party congress that met in 1939
115
Where were the limits to Stalin's powers?
- He relied on thousands of officers to implement his policies
- The impacts of his policies could be moderated by local conditions or the effect of corruption
116
How had the economy improved by 1941?
- It had undergone an economic transformation
- The development of heavy industry and large building projects enabled the country to withstand Nazi Germany
117
What were the failures in the economy by 1941?
- The production of consumer goods was neglected
- Agriculture failed to recover from the crisis of collectivisation and was still not producing as much grain as it had done under the NEP
118
How had social life improved by 1941?
Millions of peasants had moved to the cities, become educated, and benefitted from state welfare
119
How had social life worsened by 1941?
- Food was scarce and housing overcrowded
- Living and working conditions became harsher, due to the priority being rearmament in the late 1930s
120
What had Stalinist society become by 1941?
- Hierarchical, far from classless
- There was still a privileged elite of party and government officials
- Military, police officers and some workers were rewarded with higher pay and other benefits
