Impact of war: Authority, Opposition and the social impact

What did Stalin ignore before the war?

Warnings of impending German invasion

In the first four weeks of conflict how many red army units were destroyed?

319

What was Stalins political structure dependent on?

Him- his leadership

What did stalin do at the beginning of conflict?

Flees to his country home- may have had a breakdown

How did Stalin address the people in a speech on July 3rd 1941?

“Comrades!Citenzens!Brothers and Sisters!”- emphasised patriotic duty to everyone to fight off the invader

What did Stalin not do during the war?

Leave Moscow

What did Stalin establish himself as?

The supreme military commander - not suited

What was Stalins initial strategy ?

Organise counter attacks against German rather than organise tactical withdrawals to preserve the strength of th red army

By 1941 how many people had the red army lost?

6 million

What did Stalin insist on 1942 against the advice of generals?

Insisted on a series of counter attacks which ultimately helped the Germans to advance further into the southern USSR

What was the difference between Hitler and Stalin?

Stalin sited to advice and learnt from his mistakes

Who were the most influential generals?

* Zhukov- deputy supreme Commander
* Vasilevsky- Chief of the General staff

What did Vasilevsky and Zhukov plan?

A successful counter attack at Stalingrad

What did Stalin establish on return to Moscow in 1941?

GKO (Council for state defence)

What did the GKO replace in co-ordinating war effort ?

The central committee of the communist party and the Poltiburo

What did Stalin being the Chairman of the GKO and the chairman of the Stavka mean for his dominance?

His dominance of the USSR remained unchallengeable

How did Beria (head of the NKVD) ensure loyalty and commitment of the soviet people and armed forces?

* Order 227- NKVD offers would shoot deserters and those who who retreated
* Order 270- Anyone who surrendered to the enemy was considered a traitor and faced the death penalty

In the battle of Stalingrad how m any soviet troops were shot?

13,000

What was Ukraine accused of welcoming?

German Invaders

What was propaganda used for?

Cult of personality boosted people’s morale and confidence in stalin being a Great War leader who would lead them to victory

How was Stalin regarded by the end of the war?

A national superhero- convinced people that propaganda was true

How was Stalin celebrated?

Through song, posters, paintings and statues

What did Stalin continue after the war?

The use of terror against perceived enemies

What did the party become more aligned with?

The military

What did the party expand by during the war?

3\.6 million

How many members of the party were in the armed forces?

2\.5 million- 50% of membership

What was there not after the war?

Organised opposition

Who welcomed the German armies in as liberators ?

National minorities in the west of USSR such as the Baltic States as well as Ukraine

What did the Cossacks provide for the German army?

250,000 troops

How many of the “Russian Liberation Movement” fought on behalf of the Germans ?

50,000

Who did prisoners of war join?

The German forces- order 227/270

Who was wiped out due to their support of the German army?

The Cossacks

What had proved well suited to the demands of war?

The centralised command structure of the soviet economy

How many wagon loads of industrial plant and machinery were moved from Western regions to the Ural Mountains?

1\.5 million railway wagon loads

How many new factories were created dedicated to war production?

3,500

How many hours of T-34 tank was reduced by?

By 1/2

What was wrong with Soviet aircraft?

Proved to have been unsafe

What was Agriculture stripped of?

Men, horses and machinery

What percentage of collective farm workers were women by the end of the war?

80%

What continued after the war in agriculture?

Ruthless procuring of grain from collective farms

What was the “lend lease” scheme?

Britain making a contribution to USSR resources such as transport and food

What percentage of the GDP did Lend lease make up?

10%

What did the Russians do to prevent the Germans from taking valueble resources?

destroyed as much as possible “scorched earth” policy

How many villages/towns had been lost?

* Towns- 1,700
* Villages- 70,000

What percentage of Agricultural output was lost by the war?

40%

How many factories was lost by the war?

31,000

How many Km of railway track had been lost by the war?

65,000Km

How did Stalin initially view the war as?

An opportunity to expand soviet power and strengthen its control over national minorities

Due to the Nazi-Soviet pact of 1939 what had the USSR taken over?

Eastern half of Poland

How many poles were deported to villages and labour camps in Kazakhstan and Siberia ?

1\.5 million

IN April 1940 how many Polish army officers and polish elite were shot?

20,000

When did USSR lose eastern Poland to Germany?

1941

How many Volga Germans were deported to Siberia?

600,000

How many people from he Caucus regions were deported to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Siberia?

2 million

What happened when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were re-annexed in 1944?

Members of elite arrested and sent to gulags or shot

What percentage of those deported died in transit or within five years ?

25%

How many Soviet Citizens were stranded in German occupied Europe ?

5 million

How many of the 5 million were transported to a slave labour camp in USSR?

3 million

How were those stranded in German occupied states seen?

As potentially dangerous

How many women served in the armed forces?

1 million

How many German soldiers did female snipers kill?

12,000

In light industry what percentage of work force were women?

90%

How many days was Leningrad sieged for?

900 days

By what percentage did living conditions fall by?

40%

What did horrors of Nazi occupation provoke?

Mass determination to resist the invader at al costs

What was the average working week?

Over 70 hours and many workers slept in their factory

What percentage of the 27 million who died during the war were younger men?

70%

What percentage of deaths were caused by starvation?

25%

What percentage of the population had lived under German occupation ?

40%

What did propaganda focus on?

Nationalistic and patriotic themes

What did freedom of expression not allow?

Opposition to the soviet state

Who was able to broadcast patriotic poetry on the radio?

Anna Akhmatova

What restrictions were eased?

Restrictions on religion- had to swear an oath of allegiance