26, The Soviet Union by 1941

Stalin's preservation of a one party state 3

- Stalin new constitution 1936, Communist party and all of its institutions were the only bodies that could put candidates up for election

- nomenklatura system concentrated decision making

- ultimate source of all authority was concentrated in the hands of stalin rather than the party, able to avoid calling party congresses

Nomenklatura System 2

- a system of personal selection under which the communist party maintained control over the appointment of important officials in all spheres of social, economic, and political life; the process of filling influential jobs in the state, society, of the economy with people approved and chosen by the communist party

- concentrated decision-making into a much smaller number of hands

Sovnarkom

Russian for government or cabinet

did the SU turn into a personal dictatorship in the 1930's? 5

- Stalin relied on the workings of a highly bureaucratic structure

- policies that he pursued weakened his own control

- purges acquired a drive and momentum from the hands of local officials

- there was lots of falsifying of statistics and inaccurate reports

- non compliance with central orders was widespread

how many party members were executed during Stalin's purges

600,000

what percentage of the population lived in towns by 1939

33% (it was 17% in 1926)

USSR overtakes Britain in iron and steel production

1940

how much did spending on rearmament rise from 1938 and 1941

1938- 27.5 billion roubles

1941- 70.9 billion roubles

downsides of the economy by 1941 4

- consumer goods neglected , scarcer in 1941 than they had been under the NEP

- quality of goods poor, even though labour productivity had increased

- central planning system was inefficient

- not helped by the purges of specialists and managers

major crop failure 1936 4

- produced less than 1941 (less than under NEP)

- weakened nation's reserves

- insufficient attention paid to modern farming techniques

- modern agricultural equipment sometimes neglected because he killed all of the people trained to use it xx

Kolkhoz

in the Soviet Union, a small farm worked by farmers who shared in the farm's production and profits

Stalinist society by 1941 4

- communal values for peasants in kolkhoz

- increased urbanisation created a stronger proletariat

- new mass culture being developed- arts, culture, show trials all promoted real socialist values

- quality of life did not improve, low rations, poor housing, lack of consumer goods, internal passports introduced in 1932 restricted freedom of movement, strict censorship and propaganda

was Stalinism a 'socialist utopia?' 3

- rather than a classless society, it was a hierarchal society dominated by a privileged elite organised around the party and the nomenklatura

- the urban and rural working classes, instead of being exploited by capitalist employers, were ruthlessly driven by their soviet masters

- instead of 'withering away', the state became more formidable, extensive and brutal

the soviet union by june 1941 (invasion of Germany) 7

- stalin ignored inelligence reports and miscalculated when germany would tern east

- not ready for war: purges had removed senior officers and sapped strength of the army

- inadequate training

- lack of military initiative

- dual command of military units: bought back political comisars which ioncreased party control but hindered combat capabilities

- because of increased expendature on the military, there had been insufficient investment in the state farm system and it wasnt producing enough to feed to population

- soviet german freindship since 1939, withdrew anti fascist propaganda