Communism in Russia

When do serfs gain freedom

1861

When is the Russian Revolution

October-November in 1917

When is the Czar and his family assassinated

In July of 1918

When is the USSR formed and what does it stand for

1920; United Soviet Socialist Republic

What is life like in the USSR

-communist take control

-1 party state

-everyone is persecuted who does not support the party

What is a totalitarianism state(4)

-total control

-no freedom/liberties

-no opponents/rivals

-dictator controls every aspect of society

What is a quote having to do with equality

everyone is equal but some people are more equal than others

What does Lenin introduce

NEP-New Economic Policy

What things did the government control

-all the banks and big businesses

-with Lenin peasants could still have small farms

-things aren't to bad at the beginning

WHen does Stalin die what is significant about that date

-March 2, 1953 he suffers a stroke and dies 3 days later

-same year Queen Elizabeth II is crowned

What does Stalin mean

man of steel

What was Stalin like

-not an intellectual

-ruthless

-kills 20 million people

What did Lenin think about Stalin

warned about him; wanted Trotsky as next ruler

Why are people sad when Stalin dies

-he made Russia into a superpower

-goes up against US

-may not have known about all the atrocities

How is Stalin living before the Revolution

-is exiled at least 6 times before the revolution

-party member but isn't in Lenin's inner circle

What does Stalin do as a party member

-controls inner street club>tough and efficient

-1922 he is elected Chief Secretary

What does Stalin do with Lenin's death

-Lenin requested simple funeral

-Stalin builds him a mosaic and embalms his body

-Lenin wrote in his will to get rid of Stalin and have Trotsky rule

What is the end result of the power struggle between Trotsky and Stalin

party was more scared of Trotsky so they chose Stalin

What happens to Trotsky

-Trotsky led away publicly in chains

-blamed for all of Russia's problems

What happened to communism in russia under stalin

turned multi man party into a one man dictatorship

How does Stalin take over all aspects of Russia

-takes over religion

-takes over economy

-takes over society/news

What does Stalin do to the Religion of Russia

-cast off Russian Orthodox

-orders all imagery+churches destroyed

-offers himself as a new god>believe in him or nothing

-kills all the priests

-have to have picture of him hanging in your house

WHat are some of Stalin's execution methods

-chops their heads off

-lets their bodies freeze

-buries them alive

What is Stalins five year plan

to turn Russia from peasant society to global superpower so he will be ready for any future wars

How does Stalin change Russia

-new network of railroads

-built power plants on wastelands for coal and steel

-got rid of small private owned farms

-orders all agriculture related things to be collected

What do most people in Russia do

-4/5 of the population are peasants

-people fight back when all their belongings are taken

What happens to the resistance(4)

-stalin orderes assault

-wave of violence

-secret police raid homes

-farmers are enslaved

Why are the secret police so loyal to Stalin

-saw Stalin's orders as iron clad law

-they believe in him so they do what he says

What are collectives

huge farms where peasants are forced to work

What are kulaks

successful small time farmers

What is a Gulag

-forced labor camp

-ppl. worked as slaves

-they are throughout the country

How do peasants continue to resist

- beginning of 1932 by growing just enough for themselves

-gov. still takes their food and leaves them to starve

-The Terror Famine

-especially bad in Ukraine 5-8 million people die

Describe quota's and how people deal with it

-part of communist economy

-punished if you didn't meet it

-ppl. would say they had more than they actually did

What happens to the economy

-goes down hill since government regulates all the prices and work conditions

-no competition

-no strikes

-bad quality of products>no reward for hard work

-ppl. do the bear minimum

Why is the government not good at regulating the economy

-they are not economic experts

-scarcity in some places and surplus in others

What is Social Realism

-form of propaganda

-art in USSR

-Stalin often displayed as father of nation/provider.holds babies>life is good

What is life like for artists

-if you don't use social realism you're sent to the Gulag's

-everything had to promote Stalin

-no freedom of expression

-they obey to take care of their families

What is Russification

-everyone had to speak Russian

-adopt Russian culture: food, and dress

-Russians have top gov. positions

-Children taught Russian in schools as language

What are 2 artists who spoke out against Stalin? What happens to them? What book do the write?

-Boris Pasternak wrote Doctor Zhivago; not published bc he's too scared

-Osip Mandelstam wrote Ode to Stalin even though he did not conform until his family was threatened

How is life different for elite (6)

-live in wealthy houses

-drive nice cars

-pleasure tips and glittering night lives

-have their own well supplied stores while normal shops were often empty of materials

-elite still aren't safe

How does Stalin protect himself

-didnt allow any floors to be carpeted so that he could hear if anyone was coming

-curtains had to be halfway doen so that you couldnt hide behind them

-sat in chairs that protected his back

Who else besides peasants are targeted

-experts

-military commanders>bad because they're's no one to lead in WWII

What are the benefits of communism

-Free public education and other programs (daycare) for kids

-get free housing

What are women like in the USSR

-still had motherly duties

-got same rights as men

-work load was almost unbearable

What were kids taught in the USSR (3)

-atheism

-love of Stalin

-collective farming

What is housing like for normal people

-start to build the ugly apartment buildings

What was the drawback of communism

-people still went without basic things

-almost no meat or fresh fruit

-always had bread

When does communism in Russia decline

1989 to 1991

Who started Russia's foreign policy and who ended it

Lenin>Stalin

What was the USSR's foreign policy

-want to spread communism everywhere and create the world as a classless society with no borders

-world wide revolution

What is Cominterm

-means international communes

-frightened everyone else

-in theory Russia is an ally with the Allies

What is the Red Scare and when did it happen

-1st in the 1920's and then again in the 1950'2 during the cold war

-people suspected of being communist were persecuted

-witch hunt against communism

What book is about the Red Scare

The Crucible

Did Russia join the league of Nations

yes

What are the west trying to contain in the Cold War

communism

What is another of the USSR's goals

pursues a nationalistic goal to make it strong

Describe Russia by the time Stalin dies

-modernized it but at a huge cost to the people

-set the world up for the Cold War

-People's lives were just as bad as under the Czar

-People had jobs but no prospect of improving their lives

What is the secret police called at this point

NKBN

How many people are enslaved by 1930

10 million

Describe Stalins 1st Wife

-1st wife died in 1907 after 3 years of marriage and the birth of his son

Describe Stalin's 2nd Wife

-miles away from him and very lonely

-wants to escape

-married him as a teenager

-becomes outspoken against him

-she is shot most likely by Stalin or his men but the public are told she died of a burst appendix

What is the Great Purge

when the intellectuals are removed

How does Stalin view himself after WWII

-invincible general

-conquerer of Hitler

-wants to be remembered as hero not scared politician

What is Stalin actually

-very inept military strategist

-anyone who knew of his failings when Hitler invaded in 1941 is liquidated

Hoe does Stalin tell everyone of his triumph

-makes propaganda film of his great victory in Berlin that didn't actually happen

What happened to Russia in WWII

-suffered tremendous losses

-developed atomic bomb at the end

What does Stalin do after the bomb is dropped in Japan

-concluded that he could survive a US strike

-pushes all of the US's buttons

What does Stalin do when he get paranoid

-blames a group and persecutes them

-only ever felt threatened by his own people

What does Stalin do regarding Jews

end of 1952 he starts a rumor that Jewish doctors are going to kill him

Who are Stalin's last targets

the Russian elite

What happens to Stalins children and his body after he dies

-Son Basali is thrown out of the army and into jail

-daughter leaves as a refugee

-body is exhumed

Why did that happen

-Successor pronounces him a animal

-de-stalinization

-attempt to destroy his memory

WHat races happens between US and RUssia

arms race and space race

Who did Russia back in WWII

-Germans 1st

-then Allies but not friends

-wants to contain Germany

Where is Russia's sphere of influence

-Poland, Czech, East Germany

-many of these countries get dictators/totalitarianism

Who becomes the new world leaders and why

-US and RUssia

-Europe is on its way out after 2 world wars

-US ends isolation because of communist Russia

-Beginning of the Cold War

What is the Cold War

-no active fighting

-state of tension and hostility between US and USSR

What does Stalin want

-control E. Europe

-contain Germany

-spread communism

What happens to Germany after WWII

-Germany is divided

-Berlin is split as well

-Berlin Wall is built in 1961

-E. Germany becomes the puppet of Russia

-people are not happy

Compare both East and West Germany

-West becomes wealthy and democratic

-East becomes black and white> people are grim and behind the times

-one man actually swam out

Why do Russia feel they deserve influence in the east

-the US closed in on Germany from the west and Russia from the east so they feel that the east should be communist

What do the World leaders decide to do about this request

-Churchill and Roosevelt deny Stalin but Stalin goes ahead and does it anyway

-he destroys all opposing parties and even assassinates democratic leaders

What is NATO

-set up in 1949

-North Atlantic Treaty Organization

-still around today

How do the Soviets respond to NATO

-set up Warsaw Pact in 1955

-crumbled after Soviet Union collapsed

What is Churchill's nickname for the Berlin Wall and when does the wall come down

-the Iron Curtain

-1989

What do the East countries under USSR influence do

-try to resist communism

-Poland and Hungary challenge it but their leaders get executed

-Czech/slovakia revolt in 1968 (Prague Spring) Warsaw pact responds by launching a massive invasion

Who is the leader of the USSR after Stalin

Khrushchev

What is Khrushchev like

-not as bad as Stalin>gives a few more liberties but there are still food shortages

-starts anti-Stalin campaign

-in power during Cuban Missile Crisis

How does Khrushchev de-stalinize

-takes him out off all propaganda films and pictures

How did the Cuban Missile crisis start

-Cuba had been taken over by Al Castro

-he's communist

-Americans encourage cuban exiles to invade Cuba

What happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis

-closest war got to WWIII

-US said they would attack if Khrushchev didn't remove his ships

-he did and no missiles were launched

What do the Soviets and US think of each other

-Soviet accuses West of being imperialists

-West accuses Soviets of being totalitarianism and dictators

What are children taught during Cold War

what to do in a nuclear attack

Who leads the witch hunt in the 1950s

-Senator Joseph McCarthy leads witch hunt for communist

-McCarthyism

What is the order of leaders in Russia

Lenin>Stalin>Khrushchev>Brezhnev>Gorbachev>Yeltsin>Putin>Medvedev>Putin

What is Brezhnev like

-leads mid 1960s to 1982

-hard liner on own people

-lightens things with west a little

-Detenté

What is Detenté

easing of tensions

What famous book serious is around at this time? Who wrote them

-time of James Bond Movies>spies

-Ian Fleming is the author

-his father died in WWI

WHo was Andrey Sakharov

soviet scientist who spoke out

WHo was Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

-wrote letter criticizing Stalin

-sent to prison camp

-released by Khrushchev

-wrote fiction about time in prison

-books banned and he is exiled