European History- Joseph Stalin

What was Stalin appointed as at first?

General Secretary of the Communist Party under Lenin.

What did Stalin do in the government when Lenin was still in power?

* He made political appointments on local and higher levels
* He used Cheka for exile
* Gave him power

What was Stalin’s goal?

develop a “socialism at home”

What were Stalin’s thoughts on the New Economic Plan created by Lenin?

He liked the industrialization part and thought it was important, but he didn’t like the capitalist part of it

What did Stalin take control of in 1929?

He took control of the Communist Party

What did Stalin establish in Russia?

He established an absolute dictatorship until he died (1953)

What was the name of Stalin’s economic plan?

The 5 year plan

How many cycles did the 5 year plan have?

Two

When was the 5 year concept developed?

In 1928

What was the 1st 5 year plan designed to do?

It was designed to make USSR an industrial powerhouse

What was the 2nd 5 year plan designed to do?

It was designed for the government to take control of the industry.

The 2nd 5 year plan emphasized the production of what?

* chemicals
* heavy equipment
* weapons

What natural resources did Stalin focus on in the 2nd 5 year plan?

* Steel
* Oil

What did Stalin neglect in the 2nd 5 year plan?

Neglected consumer goods

What was the effect of the 5 year plans on cities in the USSR?

Cities grew quickly

What is an advancement that was an effect of the 5 year plans?

USSR built the largest electric power plant in Europe.

What was a negative effect of the 5 year plans?

Rapid change had severe repercussions for the soviet people

What was the effect of millions of people joining labor forces due to economic modernization?

A more rapid industrialization, yet many slums

What happened to the working wages after the Russian economic modernization?

Wages decreased by 43%, while the amount of work increased

What laws were passed as a consequence of Economic Modernization?

Laws passed prohibiting human movements

What was used to encourage workers’ sacrifices?

Propaganda

How did the USSR use propaganda to encourage workers’ sacrifice?

With the sentence “good of the socialist state”

What did the USSR government do with all the crops they took from the farmers and Kulaks?

They gave it to feed urban workers and military men

What was the result of the USSR taking all the surplus and the crops the farmers had?

It caused suffering for rural people

Why were the rural people suffering after the new 5 year plans?

They were suffering since in the NEP they had a capitalist chance to sell their surplus, but now since the government controls the industry they took everything including the surplus and weren’t able to make extra money.

Who were Kulaks?

Wealthy landowning peasants

Why were Kulaks counted as capitalists?

They employed other peasants to work on farms

What did it mean when Stalin instituted collectivization of agriculture?

There was no more private farm ownership

What was the peasants’ response for the new rule of no more private farm ownership?

Peasants strongly resisted moving to collective farms

What did the peasants do due to their strong resist of moving to collective farms?

They often hid or destroyed crops and livestock

What did Stalin do when he took over all farms in the USSR region?

He sold the goods to the state for cheap

What were peasants allowed to do even though Stalin took over all the famrs?

Peasants were still allowed to have a tiny plot of land for themselves

Holodomor

Famine in Ukraine

What was interesting about Ukraine’s land?

It was very fertile land

What kind of action created the famine in Ukraine?

Usually it would be by natural causes, but this time it was human action

How many people died in the Holodomor?

7-10 Million people

How was the famine in Ukraine created by human action?

Crops were confiscated or taken by the USSR to feed industrial workers and military men.

Which group of people in the USSR were put on trial and given death sentences?

“old bolsheviks”

What are some examples of old bolsheviks?

* members of the communist party
* military elites
* union leaders
* diplomats
* intellectuals
* anyone perceived as an “enemy to the state”

What ended up happening to the old bolsheviks?

Millions were arrested, and millions were exiled in Siberian Gulags

Why was there depression under Stalin?

Mostly because of oppressive or hard political system

What happened with the old Communist Party members?

Those who interfered with the government were exiled to Siberia

What created a climate of fear in Russia?

People were encouraged to spy on one another

What did the checka become?

The KGB

What did the KGB do during the depression era in the USSR?

The secret police arrested millions of people

What policies did Stalin end that were instituted after the 1917 revolution?

He ended liberal social policies

What are some examples of policies that Stalin ended?

* abortion
* made divorce harder to get
* criminalized homosexuality

What happened to the laws that Lenin created?

They were taken away by Stalin, like laws about women and capitalism

What were women encouraged to do under Stalin?

To have many kids and work outside the home

What did women end up doing when they went to work?

Women brought their babies to work and there was a station with cribs and other women would look over their children while they are working.