stalinist russia

• stalin became leader due to his strengths

  • general secretary of communist parties - appointed his supporters to powerful positions
  • made alliances with people then used them (zinoviev + kamenev vs trotsky, bukharin vs zinoviev + kamenev, defeated bukharin)
  • adopted 'socialism in one country' more popular than trotsky's 'permanent revolution'
  • stalin tricked trotsky into not going to lenin's funeral
• stalin became leader due to trotsky's weaknesses

  • underestimated stalin
  • many bolsheviks were jealous of his brilliance
  • distrusted because used to be menshevik
  • 'permanent revolution' worried many
  • lenin's testament not published (critical of stalin)
• why was the murder of kirov important (dec 1934)

  • kirov was very popular and received more applause than stalin
  • criticised stalin's industrialisation
  • stalin used his murder to show their was a conspiracy, rounded up his opponents and began the show trials
  • showed that stalin would not tolerate opposition and they needed to be removed
• what were the purges

  • 1932-1935: 20% of party expelled non-violently for joining for their own gain
  • 1936-1938: show trials - old bolsheviks removed
  • 1937-1938: the great terror - 1000s of members were denounced and imprisoned by NKVD
  • 1.5 million vicitims
• stalin started purges so he could make changes without opposition

  • many old bolsheviks were disturbed by his policies and called to slow down
  • stalin believed he was only person who could transform USSR
  • stalin obsessed with idea of hitler attacking USSR, so needed weapons
• stalin started purges to secure his position of ruler

  • created a party of people totally loyal to him
  • too dangerous having old bolsheviks who knew the old days
  • feared the army was powerful enough to remove him, so he needed completely loyal army
  • got rid of kirov - a popular alternative
• stalin started purged due to other reasons

  • stalin described as paranoid and distrustful
  • bukharin said stalin believed he was better than everyonea
  • feared a war was coming and wanted to remove nazi opposition
• how did the great terror affect russian people

  • ordinary people arrested for sabotage
  • people denounced their family
  • atmosphere of terror
• how did terror help stalin control soviet union

  • NKVD - secret polic
  • labour camps - 10mil people died there
  • show trials - powerful bolsheviks put on trial and confessed to crimes
  • purges - ordinary people denounced eachother = shot and arrested
• what was cult of personality

  • people had shrines of stalin (photos, portraits, statues)
  • presented as a super-being, like god
  • his importance was exaggerated, others were ignored
• what changed about liberal ideas

  • divorce and abortion became harder
  • encouraged families to stay together
  • labour force 'feminized'
• stalin had total control over soviet union

  • opposition removed by purges
  • complete control of media and propaganda
  • cult of personality
  • people did what told out of fear
  • 'disruptive' people sent to gulags
• stalin still had opposition in 1941

  • 1000s changed jobs regularly so couldn't be tracked down
  • lots of bribery and corruption (due to extremely high production goals)
  • difficult to control regions away from moscow
  • many peasants resisted where they could (angry about collectivisation)
• why did stalin introduce the 5-year plans

  • NEP worked, but needed to develop economy faster
  • central economy was very communist
  • NEP allowed capitalism
  • NEP unpopular with communist
  • stalin wanted to emerge as a world leader and show west what communism was capable of
  • heavy industry needed to protect USSR from foreign threats
• what were the 5 year plans

  gosplan would decide what, when, how, where something is produced, prices and wages also controlled. set production targets

  1. 1928-1932: heavy industry (coal, iron, oil) - lay foundation for future
  2. 1933-1937: communications (railways) - link to industrial centres
  3. 1938-1941: interrupted by WW2, all resources went to develop armaments like tanks and planes
• why was collectivisation introduced

  • easier to get grain from collective farms (kolkhoz)
  • modernise agriculture, using tractors and more productive methods
  • needed to keep food prices low so wages could be low
  • needed to raise foreign currency so can buy industrial equipment
  • more socialism and promoted cooperation
• what was dekulakisation

  • stalin needed to use kulaks (rich peasants) as a scapegoat
  • sent them to labour camps and killed them
• how successful was collectivisation

  • farms began specialising in certain crops
  • tractors began to be used
  • stalin shown as powerful
  • stalin had control of agriculture
  • had enough food to feed workers
  • 1928: 73mil tons --> 1940: 95mil tons
• how successful was industrialisation

  • coal production increased from 34mil tons to 152mil over 9 years
  • rest of west suffering from great depression, russia everyone had a job
  • in 10 years, went from being backward agricultural nation to second biggest industrial power
  • oil and steel production increased by over 10mil tons in 9 years
  • able to defeat nazi germany in ww2
  • 1000s factories, mines, dams appearing (magnitogorsk, dneiper dam)
• how unsuccessful was industrialisation

  • cost of introducing machinery meant USSR was worse off overal
  • planning wasn't very efficient
  • lots of mistakes were made (unskilled workers scared of being accused of sabotage)
  • workers had no rights
  • production levels inflated
  • less consumer goods = lower living standards
• was stalin's soviet nationalism successful?

  • non russians died
  • russias victory in ww2 promoted nationalism
  • minorities left russia
  • BUT
  • stalin resorted to purges to convince people to be soviet
  • some joined nazis
  • different identities remained strong in rural areas
• what were stakhanovites

  • inspired by alexei stakhanov who extracted 102 tonnes of coal in one shift
  • earned cash prizes, better housings and holidays
  • incentive to work harder
• how was life of women affected by stalin

  • divorce harder
  • restrictions on abortion
  • ceremonial marriages
  • difficult to manage work and home
  • state paid allowances for married couples
  • daycares set up
  • women can work anywhere
• how did living standards change under stalin

  • shortages of goods and food
  • differences in wages
  • healthcare poor
  • some russians did well
  • increase in doctors + facilities
• how did housing change under stalin

  • little improvement
  • in moscow, only 6% of houses had more than one room
  • some improvement by end of decade with gas and toilets
• how did leisure improve under stalin

  • sports + fitness encouraged
  • worker entitled to holiday
  • trade unions