TOPIC 3

• who eventually assumed power after the death of Lenin

  Stalin
• Significance of Lenin's last testament was

  It criticised Stalin - but he managed to keep it hidden
• Which policy of Stalin's was popular in 1924?

  Socialism in one country
• What was Stalin's party position pre Lenin's death?

  General secretary
• What was the triumvirate?

  3 person alliance against Trotsky, made up of Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev
• When did stalin turn on Zin + Kam

  in 1926 when they became unpopular
• Significant reason for Stalin coming into power was

  his ability to evade alliances and turn on those who were becoming unpopular
• Who did Stalin join forces with after Zin + Kam?

  Bukharin
• When were Trotsky, Zin + Kam expelled from the communist party?

  1927
• When was Trotsky exiled to Siberia?

  1928
• When was Bukharin expelled from the communist party

  1929
• Which factors were key in Stalin's eventual rise to power?

  Elimination of rivals, party position, popularity of policies, Trotsky trick, his changing alliances
• Why did Trotsky look bad after the funeral of Lenin?

  Stalin had tricked him into not coming by giving him the wrong date
• Who were the 5 main contenders to take power after Lenin's death?

  Stalin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Bukharin
• When did the communist party have total control over Russia?

  1936
• What was Stalin's secret police called?

  NKVD
• Who led the NKVD

  Yezhov
• When was sergei Kirov murdered?

  1934
• Who was Sergei Kirov?

  a popular leader of the communist party
• How did stalin use Kirov's murder as an excuse for the purges?

  He said that it proved existence of opposition to the USSR in Russia, and so he began the purges
• How many communist party members were sent to gulags?

  500,000
• When was Trotsky murdered?

  1940
• When were Zin + Kam excecuted?

  1936
• When was Bukharin executed?

  1938
• How did stalin make executions look legal?

  Organised show trials which had pre determined results
• How many officers were removed from their positions during the terror?

  25,000
• By 1937, how many people had been been sent to labour camps + died?

  18 million sent, 10 million dead.
• in 1939, how many remained in gulags?

  3 million
• why was it beneficial to have people in labour camps in 1939?

  Bettered the economy as they worked for long hours, with no pay
• Why did Barbarossa happen?

  22nd June 1941
• why did operation Barbarossa happen?

  Stalin had weakened the USSR as there was a lack of talented soldiers
• What did Yezhov organise?

  the terror
• What was Stalin labeled as during the 1930s


  'dictator of the people'
• Stalin convinced those who opposed him that he was following who?

  Lenin
• What was built to show the success of the communist system?

  70,000 libraries and the Moscow Metro
• What had to happen to newspapers before they were published in the 1930s?

  Had to be communist approved
• What was socialist realism?

  New style of art that was monitored by the NKVD. Had to show heroic workers, farmers and soldiers.
• Poets, writers and playwrights praised Stalin... why?

  As they could be arrested for any critisism.
• What happened to religious services in 1928?

  They were banned
• What religion were most communists?

  Atheist