how did Stalin’s cult of personality lead to an increase in popularity of the Bolsheviks?
- In 1924, the party had around 470,000 members, which rose to several million from the 1930s onwards.
- The cult of Stalin reached its height after the War, for example, a giant portrait of Stalin was suspended in the sky over Moscow to celebrate his 70th birthday.
how did Stalin make the govt more centralised and autocratic?
- Collectivisation allowed Stalin to have more control over the country at a local level much like the land captains
- After the war, the USSR now feared the U.S, so they had to increase censorship and the powers of the NKVD.
- Stalin also tried to avoid cooperation with the Central Committee and the Politburo thus removing any limitation on his power. He did not call another party congress until 1952 and rather relied on private advisors.
what were the societal effects of collectivisation?
- Collectivisation was one of the largest societal changes in Stalin’s reign. By the 1930s, collectivisation reached 91% of all farmland, showing how much control stalin had
- Collectivisation was likely to have led to the famine of 1932-33 which led to over 3 million deaths in the Ukraine alone
what was dekulakization?
- Kulak’s were deemed by Stalin to be an enemy of the people and called for their ‘liquidation’, with peasants encouraged to report Kulaks to the authorities
- it is estimated that around 500,000 were killed by starvation, disease and mass executions during dekulakization from 1929-33.
- in opposition, many peasants killed their livestock, will 25-30% of pigs, cattle and sheep being killed. they didnt return to previous levels until 1953
what was the first 5 year plan?
- In 1928, Stalin announced the first 5-year plan in order to modernise to keep up with the west. It focused on the development of industries like coal and iron, power supplies, and transport. The targets were met within 4 years and industries grew rapidly e.g., capital goods industry grew by 158%, Consumer goods by 87% and total industry output grew 118%.
- The first 5-year plan was also very successful in establishing the USSR as a power with Roosevelt officially recognising the USSR in 1933
what was the second 5-year plan?
-The second 5-year plan was from 1933-38 and continued to concentrate on heavy industry. While it wasn’t as successful as the first plan, gross industrial production double and agricultural production rose by around 50%, possibly as a result of collectivisation. The Stakhanovite movement also came during this period which led to bonuses and incentives given to more productive workers
which political figures were killed during the purges?
- Stalin’s purges in 1936 led to the murders of Zinoviev, Kamenev and 14 others as a result of suspicion of the murder of Kirov.
- Later on, in 1938, Bukharin, Rykov and Yagoda (the former head of the NKVD) were all shot
- In 1940, Trotsky was assassinated
what were the results of the purges?
• Over 1/5 of the membership of the Communist Party were expelled or shot
• Over half of the delegates to the 17th party congress in 1934 were arrested
• 5 out of 11 Politburo members were shot in 1934
• 90% of all Soviet Generals were shot or imprisoned
-The purges ended in 1938, but by 1939, it is estimated that over 20 million Russians had been transported to labour camps
what was the 1936 constitution?
The 1936 Constitution promised:
• power to the Soviets, and more autonomy to the regions (although the Politburo still controlled most of the decisions so this might have been limited).
• Elections every 4 years, but these were not contested and only approved party members were on the ballot
• Civil rights such as freedom of speech were in theory granted but were mostly ignored.
what were the initial effects of the breakout of WW2?
- Within 24 hours of operation Barbarossa, 1200 Soviet aircraft were destroyed on the ground
- After three weeks of the invasion, a million troops were killed or injured and 20 million were now under German rule.
- A 72-hour week became the norm
what did stalin do much like Nicholas II?
-Stalin put himself as the head of military command, like Nicholas II, but he had the sense to leave his generals to direct the military campaigns
what were the economic effects of WW2?
-By October of 1941, fifty percent of the country’s coal, iron and steel was under the Germans’ hands
how did Stalin deal with border nationalities early on in the war?
-Stalin introduced a campaign to deport national minorities such as Poles and Germans from the western borders of the USSR as he feared that they would join an invading army. around 1 million ethnic minorities were moved east. and Over 100,000 poles were shot during the campaign.
what were the social impacts throughout the war?
- 4/5 collective farmers were women during the war
- Over 25,000,0000 Russian soldiers and civilians died as a result of WW2
- 800,000 thousand died during the siege of Leningrad, which lasted for over two years with no heating, lighting or water supply.
give an example of how the regime became less autocratic during WW2
-Churches were allowed to re-open during the war
what were the results of Stalin’s cultural and social policies?
- By 1940, about 90% of those under the age of 50 were literate
- By 1940, only 500 churches were open for worship, which was only 1% of the number in 1917
- From 1938, Russian had to be taught in all schools and became the sole language of the red army. this has links to alexander III’s russification.
what was the Leningrad Affair?
in Stalin fabricated a series of criminal cases in the late 40s/early 50s against a number of prominent politicians accusing them of treason and intention to have created an anti-Soviet organisation based in Leningrad during the war. this allowed him to execute the 6 main defendants.
what was the doctors plot?
A fabricated conspiracy put together by Stalin to oppress the Jewish population. He accused Jewish doctors in the Kremlin of attempting to assassinate him, which allowed Stalin to use it as an excuse to oppress and arrest thousands of Jews
what was the cause of the 1947 famine?
The war years had seen a reversion to small-scale ownership of farms and the crumbling of collective farms. The collectives suffered from shortages of labour and materials. This resulted in the 1947 famine and rural unrest.
what were the societal impacts after the war?
- 5 million Russian prisoners were taken by the Germans and a significant number switched sides. Stalin viewed all POW as traitors and would be treated harshly if they were to return to Russia.
- The war saw a movement of 16 million skilled workers and their families to the centre and east of the USSR, where the countryside was bleak and nothing to do
