USSR CRITICS

Question 1

Stalin: Agriculture

What does Laver say?

Answer 1

The targets set for collecting farm produce were rarely met

Question 2

Stalin: Industry

What does Laver say?

Answer 2

The gains made were impressive

Question 3

Stalin: Political

What does Laver say?

Answer 3

Regime never lost hold of its population

Question 4

Stalin: Social

What does Figes say?

Answer 4

Basic goods were often missing in the shops

Question 5

Stalin War

What does Hunter say about economy?

Answer 5

Flexible adaptations and energetic responses

Question 6

Stalin War

What does Clark say about foreign policy?

Answer 6

The soviets could have fought Germany to a stand still without foreign aid

Question 7

Stalin War

What does Overy say about political stability?

Answer 7

The role of the party in sustaining popular mobilisation

Question 8

Stalin leader

What does Mahn say?

Answer 8

His power was less supreme than popularly imagined

Question 9

Stalin leader

What does Kenez say?

Answer 9

Retained full power even when growing old and weary

Question 10

Khrushchev agriculture

What does Keep say?

Answer 10

Was insufficient to meet Russia’s rural needs

Question 11

Khrushchev industry

What does Kenez say?

Answer 11

Impressive industrial growth despite appalling inefficiencies and irrationalities

Question 12

Khrushchev political

What does Figes say?

Answer 12

Khrushchev had never been secure in power

Question 13

Khrushchev social

What does Laver say?

Answer 13

Continued shortages and the production of poor quality consumer goods

Question 14

Khrushchev S.States

What does Laver say?

Answer 14

Soviet influence was threatened because of de-centralisation

Question 15

Khrushchev leader

What does Fitzler say?

Answer 15

He pushed through his policies bureaucratically and often with little foresight or planning

Question 16

Brezhnev agriculture

What does Laver say?

Answer 16

The gains then slowed

Question 17

Brezhnev industry

MacEachin

Answer 17

Soviet economy was collapsing by the mid 1970s

Question 18

Brezhnev political

Thatcher

Answer 18

Brezhnev should be praised as one of the successful exponents of soviet politics

Question 19

Brezhnev social

Marples

Answer 19

Brezhnev’s last years were ripe with corruption

Question 20

Brezhnev S States

Laver

Answer 20

Letting sleeping dogs lie

Question 21

Brezhnev leader

Mechedev

Answer 21

A cynical, vain and stupid man

Question 22

Andropov agriculture

Fitzler

Answer 22

Policy changed very little during Andropov’s brief reign

Question 23

Andropov Social

Figes

Answer 23

Alcoholism was the national disease

Question 24

Chernenko agriculture

Laver

Answer 24

Reverted to a policy similar to Khrushchev’s

Question 25

Chernenko industry Laver

Answer 25

There were no fundamental industrial reforms

Question 26

Chernenko S States Laver

Answer 26

Reasonably conciliatory on the nationalities issue

Question 27

Gorbachev industry Morewood

Answer 27

There was no overall strategy surrounding the reforms

Question 28

Gorbachev political Merridale

Answer 28

The party was not as conservative and resistant to change as depicted

Question 29

Gorbachev political Laver

Answer 29

The coup had demonstrated that the central authority had lost much of its power

Question 30

Gorbachev S States Laver

Answer 30

Time bomb waiting to explode

Question 31

Gorbachev Leader Figes

Answer 31

A political Columbus setting out to find the promised land