Stalin’s USSR - IB History

What is an ideology, in a political history context? Describe what kind of questions it answers about society.

A set of beliefs about how society should be organized and governed — who should hold power, how government should change, and what makes rule legitimate.

What is an authoritarian government? Describe how power and opposition are handled.

A system where power is concentrated in one leader or party, with limited political opposition and freedoms.

Fill in the blank: Authoritarian governments often use ___, ___, or ___ to maintain control.

Laws, force, or propaganda

What is Marxism, according to Karl Marx?

A theory arguing history is driven by class struggle, and that workers will eventually overthrow capitalism through revolution.

In the Communist Manifesto, what two classes did Marx say society was splitting into?

The Bourgeoisie (property-owning capitalists) and the Proletariat (working class).

What is the bourgeoisie?

The property-owning, capitalist class in Marxist theory.

What is the proletariat?

The working class, whom Marx believed were exploited by the bourgeoisie.

According to Marxist theory, what is socialism?

The transitional stage after a workers' revolution, where the state or collective controls major resources.

According to Marxist theory, what is communism, as Marx's final goal?

A classless, stateless society with collective ownership and full equality.

True or False: The Soviet Union under Stalin had actually achieved Marx's classless, stateless communist society.

False — it was still attempting to build socialism while maintaining a powerful state government.

Who was Vladimir Lenin, and what role did he play in 1917?

The Bolshevik leader who argued a disciplined "vanguard party" should actively seize power rather than wait for revolution.

What is a "vanguard party," according to Lenin?

A small, disciplined party of professional revolutionaries meant to lead the working class in revolution.

Multiple choice: Which slogan did the Bolsheviks use to win popular support in 1917? A) Land, Bread, Liberty B) Peace, Land, Bread C) Unity, Strength, Victory D) Workers, Soldiers, Peasants

B) Peace, Land, Bread

What did the Social Revolutionaries (SRs) support, and who was their main base of support?

Peasants and land redistribution; they were the most popular party among peasants.

What did the Mensheviks believe about how Russia should reach socialism?

That it should come through gradual, democratic change, since they believed Russia wasn't ready for immediate socialist revolution.

How did the Bolsheviks' approach to gaining power differ from the Mensheviks'?

The Bolsheviks believed a disciplined party should seize power immediately, rather than wait for gradual democratic change.

List two political problems that caused Russians to lose confidence in Tsar Nicholas II before 1917.

He ruled as an absolute monarch with little political representation, and corruption existed under Rasputin.

How did World War I worsen conditions in Russia? Cover the effect on both the economy and public opinion.

It caused massive military casualties, food shortages, and inflation, and military defeats destroyed public confidence in the government.

What percentage of Russia's population were peasants, and what was their economic condition?

About 80%; most owned very little land and lived in extreme poverty.

What happened to the Tsar in March 1917, ending centuries of Romanov rule?

Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne (February Revolution).

Why did the Provisional Government fail to satisfy the Russian people after the Tsar's abdication?

It shared weak authority with the Petrograd Soviet, continued fighting WWI, and failed to fix food shortages or land reform.

What happened in October 1917?

The Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government and established the world's first communist state.

True or False: After the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks shared power equally with other political parties.

False — they quickly centralized power and excluded opposition parties.

In his October 1917 message, why did Lenin argue the Bolsheviks could not wait to seize power?

He believed delay would be fatal, and that only immediate action by the armed masses — not conferences or votes — could solve the crisis.

According to Lenin, whose "true interests" did the Bolsheviks claim to represent when seizing power?

The interests of the workers, the army, the peasants, and the starving.

Lenin argued that in "critical moments of revolution," decisions should be made by what, instead of by vote?

By force.

How could Lenin's claim to represent the "true interests of the people" be used to justify centralized power?

If a party claims to alone represent the people's true will, it can argue that any opposition doesn't represent the people and shouldn't hold power.

What did Trotsky's theory of "Permanent Revolution" argue was necessary for socialism to survive in Russia?

International revolution — success of socialism in other industrialized countries.

What did Stalin's theory of "Socialism in One Country" argue instead?

That the USSR should prioritize building socialism within its own borders, without waiting on international revolution.

According to Stalin, why did the Soviet Union need to "strengthen and defend" itself against capitalist countries?

Because capitalist nations might intervene and try to restore capitalism in Russia.

How did Stalin's claim that the revolution was "surrounded by enemies" help him grow Communist Party power?

By presenting the state as constantly threatened, he could justify greater centralized control as necessary for survival.

Who won the power struggle after Lenin's 1924 death — Trotsky or Stalin?

Stalin, whose "Socialism in One Country" position prevailed.

What was the Great Purge, and during what years did it happen?

A campaign led by Stalin (1936–1938) to remove perceived enemies of the Soviet state.

Roughly how many people were arrested during the Great Purge, and how many were executed?

Over 1.5 million arrested; hundreds of thousands executed.

In his 1937 Report to the Central Committee, how did Stalin claim "enemies of the revolution" had changed their methods?

They no longer openly opposed the revolution but hid within Soviet organizations while pretending to support it.

How did Stalin's belief that "enemies could exist inside the Communist Party" justify the Great Purge?

It let him label even fellow Party members as hidden enemies, justifying mass arrests and executions to eliminate opposition.

Fill in the blank: The key takeaway from the "Enemies of the Revolution" source is that fear of internal enemies became a tool for ___.

maintaining power

What Bolshevik ideological belief originally justified political change in Russia?

The belief that the Communist Party alone represented the true interests of workers and peasants.

How did Lenin use this belief to justify seizing power in 1917?

He used it to justify seizing power by force and establishing one-party Communist Party rule.

After Lenin, how did the Communist Party use this ideology to justify further authority?

By claiming it alone could protect and advance the revolution.

How did Stalin expand these ideas to strengthen authoritarian rule?

He expanded them to defend centralized control, eliminate opposition, and justify purges like the Great Purge.

Discussion question: What core idea appears across Lenin's Call to Power, the Trotsky-Stalin debate, and Stalin's "Enemies of the Revolution" speech?

The idea that the party or leader alone represents the people's or revolution's "true interests," which justifies eliminating opposition.

Discussion question: At what point does ideology begin to justify centralized, authoritarian power?

When a leader or party claims it alone can protect the revolution or the people's true will, letting them frame opposition as illegitimate.

Discussion question: Did Stalin invent entirely new ideas, or expand on existing Bolshevik ideas?

He mainly expanded existing Bolshevik ideas, like claiming to represent the people's true interests, rather than inventing new ones.

Essay prompt: Explain how ideology contributed to the emergence of authoritarian rule in Russia. Include a Bolshevik belief, how it justified change, and how Stalin expanded it.

The Bolsheviks' belief that they represented workers' "true interests" justified Lenin's forceful seizure of power; Stalin later expanded this by claiming internal "enemies" threatened the revolution, justifying purges and centralized control.

Identify this Bolshevik leader, shown addressing a crowd, who argued revolution needed a disciplined vanguard party.

Vladimir Lenin

Identify this Soviet leader, shown in military uniform, who won the power struggle after 1924 and launched the Great Purge.

Joseph Stalin

Identify this German philosopher, co-author of the Communist Manifesto, shown with a long white beard.

Karl Marx

What is meant by "consolidate power" in a political context?

To take actions that strengthen a government or leader by reducing opposition and increasing control over society.

List Russia's four main social classes before the revolution, from most to least powerful.

Tsar, Nobility, Middle class, Peasantry

Roughly what percent of Russia's population were peasants/serfs, and what conditions did they face?

About 80–85%; most were poor, illiterate, and used outdated tools like wooden ploughs, often facing famine.

What were "Land Captains" (or "little Tsars") in Russia?

Nobles who used government compensation from the end of serfdom to buy more land and punished peasants, acting like local rulers.

Who made up Russia's small middle class, and what did they push for?

Bankers, merchants, lawyers, and doctors; they pushed for political reform and representation.

Who was Father Gapon, and what did he do in 1905?

A Russian priest who organized workers into labor unions and presented a petition of grievances to the Tsar.

List two demands from the 1905 Workingmen's Petition that employers rejected as "illegal."

An eight-hour workday and the right to negotiate wages/working conditions.

What did Lenin's 1917 Decree on Land declare about private land ownership?

That private land ownership was abolished forever, and land could not be sold, bought, leased, or mortgaged.

Who received confiscated land under Lenin's Decree on Land, and why did this win him peasant support?

It became the property of the people and was given to those who cultivated it, winning strong support among poor peasants.

Match each group to what it wanted before the revolution: Peasants, Workers, Middle Class, Nobility.

Peasants wanted land; Workers wanted better wages/conditions; Middle Class wanted political reform; Nobility wanted to keep their privileges.

Who was Sergey Witte, and why did he introduce economic reforms in the 1890s?

Russia's finance minister who introduced costly economic programs, including heavy peasant taxes, after an 1891 famine killed half a million people.

What were the mixed results of Witte's economic policies by 1900?

Coal, iron, steel, and oil production tripled and railroad mileage nearly doubled, but grain production/exports stayed low, leaving peasants without enough food.

What conditions did urban factory workers face in 1890s Russia?

They worked 12–14 hour days for low pay in dirty, dark conditions, and began unionizing for better treatment.

How did conscription during WWI hurt Russian food production?

It pulled millions of men off peasant landholdings, causing a labor shortage and a decline in food production.

What happened to Russia's railway system by mid-1916 because of WWI strain?

About 30% of Russia's railway stock became unusable, severely disrupting food and coal shipments to cities.

How high did inflation in Russia rise by late 1916, and what caused it?

Almost 400%, caused by the government printing excess paper currency to fund the war.

According to the 1916 Okhrana report, how did wage increases compare to price increases for ordinary workers?

Wages rose about 50–200%, while prices rose 100–500%, leaving workers economically worse off.

What did the 1916 Okhrana secret police report warn the population was being pushed toward?

A "hunger riot," due to food shortages, long queues, and worsening living conditions.

What was War Communism, and when did Lenin introduce it?

A policy introduced in June 1918 to win the Civil War by feeding and supplying the Red Army and city workers through full state control of production.

List three major features of War Communism.

State control of all agriculture/industry, grain seizure from peasants, and elimination of private trade.

What was the Cheka's role during War Communism?

The secret police who responded to peasant resistance with extreme violence, using terror to enforce grain requisitioning.

Fill in the blank: The War Communism slogan was "He who does not ___, neither shall he ___."

work; eat

What was the "militarization of labor" under War Communism?

Workers were treated like soldiers — assigned jobs and punished for strikes or absence.

How did War Communism affect Russian industrial output by 1921?

Output fell to less than 20% of its 1913 level.

About how many people died of starvation from War Communism's grain seizures (1921–1922)?

Up to 5 million people.

What was the Kronstadt Mutiny (March 1921), and why did it happen?

A mutiny by Bolshevik sailors that threatened the government, caused by the failures of War Communism.

In Lenin's 1918 "Decree on Food Dictatorship," how were peasants hiding surplus grain to be treated?

They would be declared "enemies of the people," subject to imprisonment and confiscation of their property.

What was the New Economic Policy (NEP), and when did Lenin introduce it?

A 1921 policy that ended grain seizures, let peasants pay taxes in grain, and allowed some private trade, in response to War Communism's failure.

Why did Leon Trotsky see the NEP as a "betrayal" of Marxist principles?

Because it allowed elements of capitalism to return to Soviet society.

What did Lenin mean by calling the NEP "one step backward to take two steps forward"?

That temporarily allowing limited capitalism would help the economy recover before continuing toward socialism.

By 1928, how did production under the NEP compare to 1913 levels?

It had reached or surpassed 1913 levels in most areas.

Under the NEP, which parts of the Soviet economy remained under state control?

Larger factories, banking, transportation, and international trade.

Why did Lenin argue peasants needed to be "won over to socialism slowly" under the NEP?

Because they made up the vast majority of the population, and the Bolshevik government needed their cooperation.

Why did Lenin abandon War Communism in favor of the NEP?

Because War Communism caused economic collapse, famine, and growing opposition among workers and peasants, threatening Bolshevik survival.

How did War Communism and the NEP differ in their approach to grain?

War Communism seized grain from peasants with little compensation; the NEP replaced this with a tax, letting peasants sell surplus grain for profit.

Did War Communism or the NEP better succeed at strengthening Bolshevik control, and why?

The NEP — it restored production and peasant support, while War Communism caused economic collapse and unrest like the Kronstadt Mutiny.

How did social divisions in Russia create opportunities for authoritarian rule to emerge?

Widespread dissatisfaction among peasants, workers, and minority groups weakened support for the existing government, making it vulnerable during crises.

How did WWI's economic crisis and the Bolshevik response help expand state power?

Economic collapse forced strong government intervention like War Communism, increasing state control methods that Stalin later expanded.

Essay prompt: Which factor — social or economic conditions — contributed MOST to the emergence of authoritarian rule in Russia?.

Economic conditions: WWI's collapse forced Lenin into War Communism, which expanded state control over production and labor — a direct blueprint for the centralized control Stalin later built on.

How did Tsar Nicholas II personally mismanage the WWI war effort, beyond just losing battles?

He built no efficient administration for supplies, and made things worse by personally taking command at the front, which made him look incompetent.

What were zemstvos, and why did their WWI relief work undermine the Tsarist government?

Local civilian organizations that stepped in to care for wounded soldiers and the home front; when citizens saw them doing the government's job, it undermined support for the Tsar.

What event on International Women's Day (February 23, 1917) helped spark the February Revolution?

Working women protested in Petrograd against inflation, food scarcity, and war casualties, and the protests spread across the empire.

What was "Dual Power" in Russia after the February Revolution?

A period where the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet both claimed authority over Russia.

How did Lenin return to Russia in April 1917, and who helped arrange it?

Germany arranged his passage by train from exile in Switzerland, hoping his return would destabilize Russia's war effort.

What slogan did Lenin use to reject the war and appeal to ordinary Russians?

"Peace, Bread, Land"

Who was Alexander Kerensky, and what happened to his leadership of the Provisional Government?

A lawyer who became head of the Provisional Government in summer 1917; his effort to keep Russia fighting WWI ultimately failed and weakened the government.

What was Order No. 1 (March 1917), and how did it weaken the Provisional Government?

A Petrograd Soviet order that subordinated the army to the Soviet, meaning the Provisional Government couldn't enforce laws without Soviet approval.

According to soldiers' August 1917 letter to War Minister Kerensky, why did they want the war ended?

They said they could not endure another winter and would rather desert to save their starving families than keep fighting.

List two ways WWI economically devastated Russia by 1917, according to the Station 1 data chart.

Government spending rose 800% and prices rose 400% between 1914–1917.

Multiple choice: In the January 1918 Constituent Assembly elections, which party won the most seats? A) Bolsheviks B) Right SRs C) Mensheviks D) Kadets

B) Right SRs (about 52% of seats, vs. the Bolsheviks' 24%)

What did Lenin do after the Bolsheviks won only a minority in the Constituent Assembly elections?

He sent in the Red Guards to shut it down and declared it permanently dissolved.

What was Lenin's justification for dissolving the Constituent Assembly?

He argued it represented "old political forces," and that power already belonged to the Soviets, so keeping the Assembly would be "a step backwards."