The Soviet Union by 1941

• Stalin encouraged great reverence for Lenin. He portrayed himself as continuing Lenin's work.
• Stalin identified loyalty to Lenin as loyalty to the Party. Stalin had succeeded in identifying his own authority by the late 1920s.
• Opposition to Stalin seemed to like opposition to Lenin, the Party and Revolution under his authority.
• One-party rule, secret police, terror and show trials were key features of Stalinist rule that were already established under Lenin.
• Lenin said that the task of the Bolsheviks was "the ruthless destruction of the enemy".
• Stalin continued "class warfare". The Kulaks and bourgeoisie were particularly targeted.
• Stalin's rule could be described as a more developed and repressive authoritarian rule compared to Lenin's rule.
• The purges constituted a complete break from the Bolshevik Revolution and Lenin's regime. This developed Stalin's personal rule.
• Stalin replaced old Bolsheviks with Nomenklatura. These people did not have loyalty to the Bolshevik Revolution.
• The Nomenklatura depended on Stalin for their positions. Benefits in their roles included privileges such as luxury apartments, food and cars.
• The Nomenklatura were unlikely to criticise Stalin. The 1939 Party Congress could be described from Stalin's perspective as one of subservience.
• Stalin relied on thousands of officials to implement his policies. The policies could be moderated by the state of local conditions.
• Corruption and elimination were 2 effects of Stalin's policies in Russia.
• The Soviet Union had undergone an economic transformation by 1941. The Union was becoming an industrialised, urban society.
• The development of industries and infrastructure enabled Russia to withstand Nazi Germany.
• Consumer goods production was neglected. Agriculture failed to recover from the collectivisation crisis.
• By 1941, grain was being produced at a lesser extent than under the NEP.
• Nearly all peasants worked and lived in kolkhoz by 1941. They were supervised by officials.
• Food was scarce in the Kolkhoz. Housing was overcrowded.
• Living and working conditions became harsher in the 1930s. Rearmament was prioritised.
• Class had become hierarchical in Russian society. The class burden was unequal.
• The privileged elite and workers were 2 divisions in Russia's class system. Stakhanovites were rewarded with higher pay.
• John Gooding stated industrial production by 1940 "was about 3x what it had been at the start of the 1st FYP".