WHP-1750 7-2-5 Read - Communism in the Soviet Union - 1110L

What major challenges did the Bolshevik leadership face after the Russian Revolution?

They had to navigate out of World War I, address the famine of 1921–1922, and nationalize a lagging economy.

What economic policy did Lenin introduce in 1921?

Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP), which combined state control with elements of free market capitalism.

What was the purpose of Stalin’s forced collectivization?

To confiscate grain from farmers, arguing it was a vital national resource and waging class warfare against wealthy peasants.

What is the Holodomor?

The famine in Ukraine from 1932-1933 resulting in the deaths of around four million Ukrainians, seen as a moral disaster.

What did Stalin rely on to gain support for his regime?

He exploited party elite paranoia about 'class enemies' to justify purges and consolidate state power.

How did historians view Stalin's state in the 1930s according to Ronald Grigor Suny?

He described it as a disorganized, inefficient, and unresponsive leviathan.

In what way does the Soviet Union compare to fascism?

Both exhibited authoritarian impulses and sought totalitarian control through violence and state power.

What fundamental difference existed between Soviet communism and fascism regarding social structures?

Soviets aimed to erase class and gender inequalities, while fascists promoted social hierarchies that limited women's roles.

What does the term 'totalitarianism' refer to in the context of Stalin's USSR?

A political system aiming for total control, although not fully realized under Stalin due to various challenges.

What was the role of citizens in shaping Soviet governance during Stalin's rule?

Regular citizens developed strategies of survival and innovations to cope with state demands, impacting how governance evolved.