Stalin's Russia: The stuff that probably won't be on the exam (you know what I'm talking abt)

When did the USSR join the League of Nations? What's the caveat?

1934, by which point it was declining..

What mutual assistance treaties did the USSR make and when?

1935; with France and Czechoslovakia

When was the Nazi-Soviet pact formed? Why did Stalin make it? Was it successful?

1. 1939; buy time to build up forces & finish 3rd FYP.

2. Yes; Nazis failed to reach Moscow as took too long trudging through Poland!

What did the USSR gain after WW2?

Eastern bloc: buffer states & source of raw materials

What was the aim of USSR involvement in the Spanish Civil War? How successful was this?

1. Gain influence/control over Spain to increase Stalin’s diplomatic influence in Europe (persuade 🇫🇷 + 🇬🇧 to be friends with him)

2. No lol they took over the government and promptly surrendered to Franco. Broke non-interventionist pact led by Britain which isolated them further!

What hindered the USSR’s pact-making? When was it best illustrated (2 events)?

1. Western skepticism towards “Communism” (actually Stalinism but do you expect an upper class man in the 1930s to understand that?) – not prepared to back “collective security” with force

2. 1938 Munich Agreement when Czechoslovakia carved up – Stalin not invited 😢

3. Tried to make alliances with 🇫🇷 and 🇬🇧 1939; refused

Overall how effective was Stalin’s foreign policy and how did it help maintain his power?

• Relatively successful: delayed the war and was able to win – preserving Stalin’s power by keeping the USSR alive

• However war still broke out and 27 million died

How significant was Stalin’s foreign policy in the maintenance of power?

Not particularly; without domestic policies the state could've collapsed before 1939. Even during the war economy and propaganda allowed USSR to fight the Nazis

What is some other evidence of women’s rights being improved in the USSR?

• Highest divorce rate in Europe by end of 1930s

• Only nation where women fought in WW2

How did economic policy impact women?

Left broken homes and orphans which they were expected to manage – dual burden of work and child-rearing

When was and what were the first rollbacks to women’s rights in the USSR?

June 1936: earlier policy reversed – divorce & abortion restricted

When was and what were the second wave of cuts to women’s rights in the USSR?

July 1944 – further divorce & abortion restrictions; reduced taxes for 2< kids to counter population loss (ineffective)

What can be said of Stalinist attitudes towards women?

That most steps forward were out of necessity (to fill the workforce gap) and that they were otherwise subjected to the same suffering as men during the 1932 famine and the Yezhovschina (1936-8)

When were a ton of Baltic people deported to Siberia and how many?

2 million in 1940

When, how many, and why were people in the western USSR moved?

4 million in 1941, to avoid them siding with the Nazis against the USSR

By 1945 roughly how many people had been deported?

~20 mill

What is the name given to Ukrainian oppression between 1932-33 and what did it involve?

Holodomor:

• Campaign of intimidation & arrests against public figures, poets, artists, etc.

• Famine – 6-8 mill dead

What was Stalin’s attitude towards minorities?

He feared they could represent a powerful potential opposition, so targeted them with specific policies (unlike with women where he dgaf)