Methods - Stalin Consolidation and Maintenance

Between which dates were party members show-tried and executed? Roughly how many and which figures?

1936-38 53 (~50) total - including Zinoviev and Kamenev, Tomsky, Rykov, Bukharin- most of the remaining “old Bolsheviks”

Between 1929 and 1930 how many peasant arson attacks were there on state property?

30,000

How many died in total during the famines? Which region was worst affected?

15 mill; Ukraine worst

By which year were 90% of peasants on collective farms?

1937

Production of which materials increased significantly under industrialisation?

coal, iron, steel, and TRACTORS

What sneaky manoeuvres helped Stalin assert control over industry?

The appointment of loyal Stalinist managers, bonuses for loyal workers

How did the USSR’s electric power output change between 1932 and 1940?

13.5 billion kWh —> 48.3 billion kWh (accept almost quadrupled)

What were some failings of industrialisation?

• Housing issues caused by mass migration

• Scarcity of commodities due to redirection of resources

What were the aims of Collectivisation?

• Solve food supply crisis caused by NEP (+poor harvest 1927) - provide workers with food for industrialisation

• Crush the Kulaks and peasantry

Why weren’t workers affected by the famines?

State requisitioning: proportion of grain harvest to workers doubled 1929-40

In what ways was Collectivisation a failure?

• Failed to garner foreign capital; lack of grain & trading partners (except Germany) and prices low due to Great Depression (1933)

• Overall agricultural productivity just reaching 1913 levels!

What were the aims of industrialisation?

• Develop a “war economy” to allow USSR to defend itself

• Placate workers by improving living conditions

In what ways was industrialisation a success for Stalin?

• Bonuses to the well-behaved/productive

• Introduction of labour books to track workers’ careers

• Internal passports to limit migration

What was the significance of Soviet legal policies?

Most significant:

• Improvements (if small) in production and living standards fuelled support for the state amongst working populations: lowered risk of revolt

• Peasants (who benefited least from industrialisation) subjugated – threat reduced

• Disrupted social cohesion in both groups through migration

• Cemented Stalin’s control over society

Who was Ryutin? What did he publish and when? What did it contain?

Rightist, published pamphlet in 1932 calling for Stalin’s removal by the masses

How was Ryutin dealt with by Stalin’s state? Who stood in his way?

1932 imprisoned – Kirov prevents execution

Who was Stalin wary of in the early 1930s? Why?

Sergei Kirov, an excellent orator who many party members sided with on votes; opposed the pace of industrialisation

What was Kirov’s fate? How did it benefit Stalin?

1. Murdered in 1934, possibly by Stalin although this is debated.

2. Removed Stalin’s only serious rival, and gave him an excuse to enact further purges: Decree Against Terrorist Acts

Of the nearly 2,000 delegates at the 1934 Congress, how many were executed by 1937? Replaced by whom (general)?

1,108 (accept over 1,000), replaced by Stalin’s mates

How many ordinary citizens were killed in the regional purges?

c3 mill

In what ways were the purges (Use of Force) successful?

Eliminated Party opposition

In what ways were the purges (Use of Force) a failure/mistake? (remember guys it's from a non-moralistic POV obvs killing 1 gajillion people isn't cool)

Went too far; mass opposition in Russia limited (due to economic policy):

• Reduced labour forces

• 1937 purges weaken Soviet army

Which groups opposed Stalin?

• Peasants/Kulaks: resisted collectivisation, Kulaks/NEPmen potentially amassing power

• Party: Ryutin, Kirov, Trotsky (duh)

Why was opposition to Stalin so weak?

• Party: opposition outnumbered by Stalin’s Nomenklatura

• Conditions: economic policies disrupt social cohesion and fucked the peasantry, and improved workers’ QoL from Industrialisation

• Propaganda: cult of personality, “it’s better somewhere else” – reinforced above

Where might the false idea of Stalin being a charismatic leader stem from?

The cult of personality resulting from propaganda

What were some main ideas (aside from simping for Stalin) found in Soviet propaganda?

• Nationalism - cross-class appeal (though limited by ethnic divisions)

• “It’s better somewhere else” mentality

• Messages hinged around Homo Sovieticus to symbolise economic development and encourage optimism

How was Stakhanov used in propaganda?

• To motivate/pressure workers: encouraged to compete to reach his level

• Embolden Stalin’s image: all successes tied to him

How significant was propaganda in maintaining Stalin’s steel grip on power?

Supporting factor:

• For those who hadn't benefitted from economic policy, fostered an “it's better somewhere else” mentality

But without other policies (namely economic) would not be enough