Stalin

Collectivisation during Stalin → nationalities

• Spread of collective farms in Poland and elsewhere

• Peasants in Ukraine opposed Stalin’s collectivisation (4,000 local rebellions against collectivisation) – Stalin blamed such behaviour on the kulaks; Ukrainian peasants suffered most in purges

• Collectivisation in Central Asia – forced settlement of nomads and creation of collective farms

Ukrainian famine in early Stalin rule

• Due to resistance Soviet rule especially seen with resistance to collectivisation

• 1932 and 1933, millions of Ukrainians were killed in the Holodomor, a man-made famine engineered by the Soviet government (Stalin)

• Up to 7m died

1936 ‘Stalin Constitution’ and the nationalities

• Supposedly created a federal system of government, but it was still highly centralised

• 1936 retained the status of Ukraine

• 1936 constitution gave full republican status to Georgia – but no guarantee of autonomy

• 1936 added Kirghizia and Tajikistan to list of states given full republic status. Also system that appeared to allow more representation of interests of separate nation-states in the centralised government of the USSR. In theory also gave right of members to secede from Union.

Baltic States in WWII

Early years of WWII 1939-41 the three Baltic states were annexed to the federal system of Russian government created under 1936 constitution – same rights as existing members, including legal right to secede, but behaviour tightly controlled from Moscow

Repressive measures and people deported during Stalin’s time in power

Germany invaded Russia 1941 - Stalin blamed some national minorities for collaboration – swathes of populations of the areas were deported to remote areas of Central Asia, e.g. Crimean Tatars in 1945 - just under 200,000

Tatars - stripped of rights, faced forced labour and strict supervision, thousands died, have to adapt to completely new way of life.

Finland and Stalin WWII

• Finland refused a request from Stalin to allow the USSR to set up military bases in Finnish territory - angers Stalin

• Stalin BOMBS Helsinki November 1939 → Winter War almost 400,000 casualties

• Soviet Union wins the Winter War

• The signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty in which Finland ceded 9% of its territory to the Soviet Union.

Finland and Stalin by 1948

Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Finland and Russia – Finns gained neutrality status, left alone by USSR

USSR and KMT/CCP

• USSR supports KMT/CCP against Japan.

• talin supports CCP efforts in 1941 by establishing Soviet air units at Nanking, Hankov, Chunking and Lanchow -> stop Japanese from making inroads further west.

USSR and CCP later

• Mao initially acknowledged hegemony of Stalin when it came to attempts to spread communism in post-war era → November 1949 Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance Mao and Stalin

• Mao and Stalin – cordial relations until Stalin’s death

USSR and Manchuria

Liberated by Russia August 1945 – following Yalta conference invasion – gave it back to China, but USSR kept jurisdiction of Port Arthur until death of Stalin 1953

USSR and Truman

USSR blamed by President Truman for influencing the original invasion of South Korea by Kim – heightened Cold War tensions

Mongolia

1945 occupied by Soviet forces, following year became Mongolian People’s Republic

Although an independent state, however, it remained under strong Soviet influence

USSR and Jewish people

• 1930s more ‘special’ settlements for Jewish were established – e.g. that at Khabarovsk

• In the early 1930s, around 40-50% of settlers left shortly after arriving because of severe living conditions, such as floods and harsh winters

• Doctor’s Plot of August 1952

• 15 Jewish leaders ultimately tried and executed