E6. Great Patriotic War and High Stalinsim

What was Operation Barbarossa?

The 1941 German invasion of Russia.

What was ‘blitzkrieg’?

German "lightning war" tactics, involving overwhelming the enemy with sheer force in a short amount of time, leaving them unable to react and form proper defenses. This was mainly done due to the German army's weakness of being unable to sustain drawn out battles due to fuel shortages.

Why was the Soviet Union unprepared for war?

They had gone through a recent purging of army officers in 1937-1939, leaving inferior commanders to be in control of the army following the purge, its weakness was apparent via the army’s poor performance during the 1939 Winter War against Finland. Stalin also did not expect the Germany army to invade until after the reformation to the army following the purges was complete.

Why was Operation Barbarossa delayed?

A crisis in Yugoslavia was caused by Italian allies, forcing Hitler to send forces to aid them, delaying Operation Barbarossa by 3 weeks.

What was the German invasion plan in 1941?

Three army groups spearheaded the invasion, one from Ukraine, one from the Baltic States, and a central attack towards Moscow.

What was the aim of Operation Barbarossa?

To eradicate Communism and take control of the Soviet economy.

Why did Stalin not take any steps against an invasion, despite being warned that a German invasion was imminent?

He did not want to take any actions that would provoke Hitler. Also, he did not believe that they would attack until after the reforms to the army.

What was Stalin’s immediate response to the German invasion?

He suffered a panic attack and hid away for two weeks, leaving Molotov to inform the public about the war via radio broadcast.

When did Stalin eventually make a radio address and how had his tone and message changed from the 1930s?

Two weeks after the war had begun, he appealed to patriotism and religion, and unity amongst the national minorities.

What was the Stavka?

Stalin's personal war cabinet, comprising of his most trusted generals and political advisors, such as Molotov.

What saved Russia from defeat in 1941?

The worsening winter weather caused German offensives to slow down, until they stopped entirely near the end of 1941, giving the Soviet army time to recuperate.

Outline what happened in the war in these three distinct phases:

a. The struggle for survival, June 1941 – October 1942

b. Turning the tide, October 1942 – August 1943

c. The road to Berlin, August 1943 – December 1944

1: Germany invades Russia, Kiev captured alongside 665,000 soldiers within 2 weeks. German advances slow due to the weather.

2: Stalin fails to recapture Stalingrad, but recapture Rostov on the Don 3 weeks later. Operation Citadel military offensive near Kursk won via T-34 tanks.

3: German forces driven back to Berlin, reconquering Ukraine and invading Poland, and Baltic States. Tehran conferences with allies to decide what to do with the “inevitable” victory.

What was the T-34 and why was it significant?

It was far more durable than the German tanks, was easy to repair, and cost significantly fewer man hours to produce.

Why did war have such a devastating impact on Soviet territory between the border with Germany and the cities of Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad?

Alongside the devastation of the land that came with the German blitzkrieg, Soviet "scorched earth" tactics ravaged any land they had fought on in order to prevent it being used by the Germans. Some areas of land were scorched multiple times due to frequent conflict. 70,000 villages were destroyed, and the loss of land suitable for agriculture led to food shortages on the home front.

Why did the people in the Ukraine, the Baltic States etc. initially welcome the German invaders? And why did this support for the German invaders rarely last long?

The invaders were initially viewed as liberators of the Soviet regime, however the population was alienated quickly. Soldiers were taken in as POWs and treated harshly, and workers were forced to work in German munitions factories. Their treatment of Jews also served to worsen their image, such as when they executed 34,000 Jews at Babi Yar in 1941.

How did Soviet citizens suffer at the hands of their own government?

Commissars were obsessed with hunting down “slackers”. Great suspicion of minorities who may collaborate with the Germans, such as Crimean Tatars. Former POWs were treated harshly.

What was the great national myth that emerged out the Great Patriotic War? What evidence is there that this was not reflected in reality?

That the war would unite the Soviet people under Stalin to victory. Many people suffered at the hands of the regime during the war such as POWs, and corruption was rife amongst party officials.

What was the impact of the German invasion on the Soviet economy?

Much of the economy was ravaged during the war. The factories and equipment was picked up and relocated East, protecting them from the invasion and allowing them to produce efficiently under the total war economy.

What was Lend-Lease?

A program started by the USA, giving aid to its allies during the war, such as 300,000 trucks and 780,000 tons of spam for the USSR, which saved the soldiers from starvation during the war.

What was the ‘race for Berlin’?

The land grab between the allies and the USSR to take as much of Germany as possible, with most power lying with its capital. The USSR wanted the land in order to create a buffer zone between it and the allied forces.

Why did WW2 result in the Soviet Union becoming a new world superpower?

The Soviet army had captured large amounts of land previously under occupation by the German army, including Poland, the Baltic States, East Germany and East Berlin.

What was Stalin still fearful of after the war?

He feared the economic power of the United States, and a resurgence of Germany.

What did the victorious allied powers decide would happen to Germany after the war?

The West of Germany would be split amongst France, the USA, and Britain. East Germany would be given entirely to the USSR. A similar arrangement was given to Berlin, even though it was within East Germany.

What was the impact of the war on the Soviet economy?

It was devastated. 1/8 people died during the war either due to being killed in direct conflict or starvation. Millions of people were dislocated from their homes, causing the near total collapse of agriculture.

What was the 1945 fourth Five Year-Plan?

It focused on industry and agriculture, with one third of the expenditure to be spent on Ukraine.

What were the successes of the fourth Five-Year Plan?

There was a great improvement in heavy industry, alongside improved production of consumer goods for the first time. In 1948, incomes had reached 1938 levels.

Why was Stalin a hindrance to agricultural recovery after the war?

Stalin himself discouraged any innovation and change in his 1952 book “Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR”, his views were seen as infallible.

What is meant by the terms ‘dictatorship’ and ‘totalitarianism’?

Dictatorship: A form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a singular person or small clique. Totalitarianism: A political system that demands absolute obedience to the state, subjecting every citizen to state authority.

What was ‘High Stalinism’?

A continuation of Stalin’s pre war regime between 1945-3, a resumption of his policies such as the persecution of religion and terror.

How was Stalin’s dictatorship relaxed during the war?

Persecution of religion was slackened, and there were many appeals to patriotism and national unity. However, the military structure was downgraded, with Marshal Zhukov downgraded to a minor command at a faraway Odessa.

How and why did Stalin play his inner circle off against each other?

He kept them in a power struggle against themselves, preventing any one of them from accumulating enough power to challenge him, or properly defend themselves from their peers. Such as when Zdhanov condemned the actions of Malenkov, causing Mikoyan to start an investigation into Malenkov's actions, leading to his loss of his position of Party Secretary.He encouraged his inner circle to drag each other down in order to be in a constant power struggle, such as when Zhdanov condemned Malenkov’s actions, leading to his removal after an investigation by Mikoyan.

Why were people who had contact with foreigners persecuted?

Stalin was afraid of ideological contamination from the West.

What roles did Lavretii Beria hold after the war?

Head of the NKVD, giving him supervision of the vast amount of prison camps.

What was the Zhdanovshchina?

A purge of cultural elements seen as not fitting in with Socialist Realism. It started with the prosecution of two writers in Leningrad for their works. Sergei Eisenstein was also attacked for his film "Ivan the Terrible", for portraying the Tsar's bodyguards as thugs instead of a progressive army.

How had Stalin stopped a separate Leningrad powerbase developing from the late 1920s to 1948?

He prevented politicians with a power base there from becoming too powerful, due to Trotsky and Kirov’s prominence there. As Zhdanov had a significant power base in Leningrad, Stalin purged the Leningrad party in 1949, leading to Zhdanov’s death.

What role did Beria and Malenkov play in the Leningrad purge?

They helped organised the accusations against those within the Leningrad party.