MWH Test Prep

15.1: The New Imperialism (1870-1914)

Pre new imperialism:  

• Imperialism: policy of one country’s political/economic/cultural domination over other lands and territories. 

• During the Age of Discovery (1400s-1600s) euro nations set up colonies in the Americas. Didn’t control any large territory in China/India/Africa, just traded there. 

Start of new imperialism (mainly start in 1870s): 

• Due to Ind. Rev, some Euro nations became rich/militarily strong -> aggressive expansion called “New Imperialism”. 

• Period when ind. Nations scrambled for territories that would give them raw materials/ markets for manufactured goods. Also could find investment opps in new countries/places to put growing populations. 

Political/military motivations: naval vessels needed bases to get coal/supplies (islands/harbors seized)

• Nationalism -> seizing of territories led to rival nations competing. 

• Thought they were spreading the blessings of western civilization to natives.

Social darwinism: 

• Felt racial superiority over those in the colonies originally. By taking over "weaker races" they were naturally improving humans by keeping the "fittest". 

Rapid spread of Western Imperialism (Late 1800s):

• While Euro nations became stronger, Ottomans/China/parts of India/West Africa were in decline. 

• Advantages of Westerners: strong economy, well organized gov, powerful military, tech (riverboats/telegraph), med knowledge (meds helped survive tropic diseases in Africa), weaponry (maxim machine gun, repeating rifles, warships), pitted rivals within a region against each other. 

• Africans/Asians tried to fight back or reform their society to stand a chance (but Euro had superior weapons). Western educated Africans/Asians joined national liberation movements with the help of enlightenment ideas.

Types of Imperial Rule: 

• Direct rule: France used it, sent officials/soldiers to make colonies and impose French culture. Wanted them to be French provinces. Reflected belief that colonial people are incapable of ruling themselves

• Indirect rule: Britain used it, British governor/council of advisors made laws for colonies, if a local leader was loyal to the governor, they could serve as an agent for the british. 

• Differences: indirect rule did not replace traditional rulers w/ European ones but either way the ruler had limited power and influence. 

• Protectorate: local rulers remained but had to follow European advisors advice abt issues. Cost less to run compared to colonies and lacked commitment of military forces.

Effects of Imperialism: 

• Political changes: euro govs in colonies reflected their own principles and didn’t take into account the traditional African gov that emphasized general agreement over “right and wrong”. Also drew made up borders around claimed colonies which split ethnic groups + lumped ppl with no shared heritage. 

• Economic changes: used natural resources in colonies, when resources lacked they would produce “cash crops” (cotton, palm oil, etc) which are exported for $ on the world market. 

• Colonies would produce resources/cash crops for Euro powers factories/economy and buy manufactured goods from Euro powers. Cycle that left colonies dependent on European markets. 

• Taxed colony members and the only way to make $ to pay for taxes was work in places owned by Euros. 

• Social/Cultural changes: 

• Ppl used to just grow/produce what they need and trade but now money is needed to survive w the new money economy. Close knit village life declined as families moved to colonial cities to get jobs. 

• Missionaries won over many colonial people who rejected traditional beliefs and converted. 

Benefits: 

-travel easier/faster w euro roads/railroads/telegraph systems. 

- colonial ppl gained new skills due to jobs 

- railroads linked plantations/mines to ports to easily export resources, allowed extended colonial control 

- hospitals/brought med advancements, increased food production, ending of local warfare 

15.2- European Colonies in Africa (1870-1914)

Africa pre Imperialism: 

• Islamic reform in W. Africa (1780-1880) : Fulani ppl in N. Nigeria. Usman dan Fodio denounced corruption of local leaders, called for reforms to revive Islam, helped create several new Muslim states. Ruled the Sokoto Caliphate (large empire) which was successful, inspiring other Muslim reform movements. 

• Euro powers would exploit the fact that small states under Asante rule didn’t want to be a part anymore. 

• E. Africa coastal cities center of trade. Slaves shipped from the interior to the middle east. 

• S. Africa: Shaka led Zulus as a major force(1800s) and people forced from their homes by Zulus migrated and tried to conquer others. In the 1830s, Zulus faced the threat of arrival of the Boers (descendents of Dutch farmers who migrated N from the Cape Colony). Boers defeat Zulus. 

• Impact of slave trade:  early 1800s Euro nations began to outlaw slave trade. 1787 British made Sierra Leone a colony for formerly enslaved people, 1847 Liberia became a state and was started by free black ppl from the USA. Well into the 1800s slaves were sent from Africa to the Middle East/ Asia. 

European contact increases: 

• Hadn’t explored the interior of Africa from 1400s-1700s bc diseases/difficult geography/resistance by Africans. In the early 1800s, people started to push into the interior. Some tried to map rivers. Most missionaries/Westerners had a paternalistic view of Africans as people who needed to be saved from their own traditions. 

• David Livingstone: British doctor/missionary who explored africa for 30 years, opposed slave trade, wanted to open interior of africa to Christianity/trade, named Victoria Falls. 

• Henry Stanely: found Livingstone in Tanzania 1871. Hired by Leopold 2nd of Belgium to explore the Congo river basin and arrange trade treaties. 

European Nations scramble for colonies:

• King Leopold ||: belgian, hired stanley to explore congo river basin and arrange trade treaties. This set off the scramble for Africa w/ France, Britain, Germany pressing rival claims to the region. 

• Berlin Conference: 1884 in Berlin Germany with European powers present to decide who gets what in Africa and keep peace. Called for free trade on Congo/Niger rivers even though Leopold has a claim to them. Decided Euro countries have to set up a government office in order to claim a territory so ppl quickly sent officials to claim places. 

• Leopold/wealthy Belgians exploited Congo's riches and tortured villagers/laborers. Leopold was forced to turn his colony over to the Belgian government. 

• France took a large share (Algeria, Tunisia, some of W./Central Africa). 

• Britain had a smaller/scattered share but heavily populated with more resources. (Chunks of W/E Africa, Egypt, most of S. Africa). 

• Cecil Rhodes: British, made a fortune from mining S. Africa. Wanted to build the “Cape to Cairo” railway that ended up expanding British rule by 1 mil sq mi. 

• Boer War: 1899-1902 caused because of diamonds/gold found in Boer Republics. British vs. Boers, British won. After in 1910, the British created the Union of South Africa led by Whites which led to longstanding racial segregation. 

African Resistance: 

• Female leaders in W Africa helped fight against British

• Ethiopia remained independent and was made up of princes who ruled their own domains. Menelik the 2nd: late 1800s, tried to modernize Ethiopia w/ roads/bridges, Western schooling, modern weapons, European army officers. Was able to defend Ethiopia from Italy due to these modernizations. 

• In E Africa, Germans used terror (killing resistance members/ burned farmland to cause starvation) to stop African resistance. 

• Some E Africans sympathetic to Euro expansion and rinderpest (cattle disease) that left people famine and unable to fight. 

16.1 World War 1 Begins (Late 1800s) (6 pages): 

• In an atmosphere of fear/distrust, countries formed alliances. 

• Kaiser William 2nd of Germany didn’t preserve alliances so he sought other alliances to join.

• The Triple Alliance: 1882. 1st major alliance. Germany/Italy/Austria-Hungary.  Bismarck knew France wanted to avenge their loss in the Franco-Prussian war but wouldn’t w/o help, so he created an alliance. 

• French/Russia secret treaty in 1893 b/c France wanted to balance Germany's growing power. 

• The Triple Entente: 1904, France and Britain signed an entente (agreement to follow common policies, less formal than treaty). Britain later signed one w/ Russia, creating Triple Entente. Joined tg out of fear that Germany would dominate Europe. 

• Britain allows Belgium to stay neutral in any conflict, Italy had a secret treaty w/ France not to attack it, Russia treaty w/ Serbia, Britain treaty w/ Japan. 

• All these alliances led to tension b/c one conflict would spark a large war. 

Major causes of WW1: 

Economic/ Imperialism: 

• France + Germany previously had multiple conflicts over who gets Morocco. 

• Britain felt threatened by Germany’s rapid economic/military growth.

• Germany worried abt econ competition from Russia. 

Militarism: glorification of the military. 

• Armed forces/readiness for war became important/glorified

• Arms race: Great powers began to build their armies/navies due to increasing tensions. Britain/ Germany had huge naval rivalry where as Germany began to build their navy, Britain got suspicious and started building theirs even more. 

• Military leaders gained influence due to this arms race. 

Nationalism: 

• Germans proud of new empire’s military power/industrial leadership

• France mad about their defeat in the Franco-Prussian war and wanted provinces Alsace and Lorraine back 

• Pan-Slavism in Russia = the duty to protect all Slavs bc of shared nationality. Wanted to defend Serbia (young slavic state). 

• Austria-Hungary thought nationalism would divide minority populations within. Ottoman Turkey felt threatened by near new nations. Serbia’s South Slavic state could take land from Turkey/Austria-Hungary. 

• Balkan Wars: In 1912, the Balkan states (Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro) attacked Turkey and took a large amount of land. In 1913, they fought among themselves. Heightened tensions. 

Balkan Powder Keg explodes (metaphor):

• Archduke Francis Ferdinand of A-H decided to visit Sarajevo in Bosnia (Serbia) Nephew of Austrian emperor. Bosnia under A-H control and they viewed Austrians as foreign oppressors. On June 28th, 1914 Gavrilo Princip, a member of The Black Hand (terrorist group) assassinated Franz Ferdinand and his wife. 

• Austria is backed by Germany to send Serbia an ultimatum 

• July 28th 1914, Austria declares war on Serbia due to their partial refusal of terms saying they needed to stop opposing Austria and investigate anyone involved in the murder. 

Alliance system leads to war: 

• When Nicholas 2nd’s pleas for Germany to tell Austria to soften its demands against Serbia failed (Russia allied with Serbia), Russia mobilized its forces for war. August 1st 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. 

• The French decide to join w/ Russia because they want to avenge Franco-Prussian loss and refuse Germany’s request that they stay out of the conflict. -> Germany declares war on France. 

• Italy chooses to stay neutral for the time being 

• Schlieffen plan= made by General Alfred Schlieffen years earlier to avoid 2 front war. March through neutral Belgium, defeat France and move east to Russia who was slow to mobilize. 

• Germans invaded Belgium despite the treaty w britain/ france ensuring Belgian neutrality. Outraged, Britain declared war on Germany the next day despite their previous non-commitment to either side. 

• Many nations started to mobilize very quickly without any room for negotiations. 

16.2 Fighting the Great War (6 pages):

• The Schlieffen plan failed because Russia mobilized faster than expected, causing Germans to send troops east, weakening their army. Belgians resisted more than expected. 

• Sept 1914, First battle of the Marne when the British/French pushed back Germans along the Marne River. 

• Trench warfare was a defense tactic but led to a stalemate on the W Front. 

• Western front built lots of trenches w/ underground networks of bunkers, communication trenches and gun emplacements. When orders to go “over the top” were stated, soldiers would go into no mans land to attack, facing counterattacks. Both sides would rush in reinforcements to replace the dead, creating a cycle. 

• To break the stalemate on Western Front… 1916 Germans attacked French at Battle of Verdun. 11 month battle w/ over half a million casualties for both sides. 

Battle of Somme: Britain vs Germany, 1916, 5 month battle, more than 1 mil deaths without either side winning an advantage. First tank.

•  These two were at the same time, the French asked the British for help fighting off the germans.

Modern Military Technology: 

• Machine guns mowed down soldiers

• Long range artillery allowed troops to shoot from 10 miles away, shrapnel killing many 

• Poison gas used to stop the stalemate, gas masks eventually created making it less useful, winds could blow it back on soldiers launching it. Banning of poison gas in 1925 (geneva protocol) 

• Gas powered engine-> tanks/airplanes/submarines 

• 1916 Britain introduced 1st armoured tank w/ machine guns. Designed to go across no mans land 

• Originally planes for surveillance. In 1915, Germany used zeppelins. Both sides used planes w machine guns later

• German U-Boats  sank merchant ships. Allies organized convoys in retaliation: merchant ships protected by warships

Other European fronts: 

• East front did not use trench warfare

• Aug 1914 Russians push into E Germany but have to withdraw at the Battle of Tannenberg. Post battle the armies fighting in the E fought on russian soil. 

• Russians had a bunch of soldiers but not industrialized/ having good transport systems/advanced weapons

• In 1915, Bulgaria joined the Central powers because they’re rivals with Serbia. In 1916, Romania joined allies hoping to get Austrian land but was defeated by the central powers. 

• In 1915, Italy declared war on austria-hungary and later Germany, because allies would give it land from A-H if they won. 

A global conflict: 

• Japan joined in 1914 bc they wanted german outposts in china/pacific. 

• Ottomans cut off Dardanelles (black sea-> med sea) from allies 

• Battle of Gallipoli: 1915, allies sent BIANZ to try to regain the strait. Ottomans trapped allies on beaches of Gallipoli peninsula. 10 months long, 200k casualties, Allies withdrew from Dardanelles and ottomans won

• T.E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia): colonel sent by the British to support the Arab revolt. (Ottoman empire contained Arab land and Arab nationalists wanted to revolt against the Ottoman gov). They led guerilla raids against Ottomans, forcing them to lose a lot of territory to the Arabs. 

• Ottomans fighting Russia in the Caucasus mountains, home to Armenians who as Christains were a minority in the empire. 

• 1915 Ottoman gov calls for mass deportations of Armenians bc they are traitors for joining Russian forces (not all of them did). 600k to 1.5 mil Armenians were killed or died from hunger. Had to flee to other countries and couldn’t return. 

• Allies overran German colonies in Africa/Asia. Recruited soldiers from colonies. 

16.3 World War 1 Ends (9 pages):

Governments direct total war:

• Total war: channeling of a nation's entire resources into a war

• Military conscription aka the draft 

• Financial strain on regular ppl, rations on products, and economic controls in order to maximize war efforts. 

• The British navy had a blockade in the N sea to stop goods from going in/out of Germany. Contraband was allowed to be confiscated but the British took all kinds of goods. German/Austrians became famine. As retaliation, U boats created a blockade to sink all British ships. 

• In May 1915, a German u-boat shot down the Lusitania and killed 1,200 passengers including 128 americans. Justified the attack saying the boat had weapons. 

•  Woodrow Wilson said if Germany didn't stop unrestricted sub warfare they would break ties so Germany agreed to restrict it through the 1916 Sussex Pledge. 

• Propaganda occurred: Allies played up the brutality of the German invasion of Belgium. The British/French created false stories of atrocities. 

• Women took on men's jobs during war, led to right to vote

• Morale lowered bc casualties, famine, and bad leadership 

• The March 1917 bread riots in St Petersburg led to a full revolution that brought down Russian monarchy 

• Allies welcomed rev bc maybe russia will make a democratic gov but the 2nd revolution brought V.I Lenin to power in 1917. In 1918, Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany to withdraw Russia from the war. Germany could focus on W front now

United States Entered War (1917):

• 1. In 1917, a year after the Sussex Pledge to stop unrestricted warfare, Germany was desperate to end stalemate so they resumed unrestricted sub warfare. Wilson got really mad at this. 

• 2. Most Americans supported allies because cultural/language sharing with Britain and France is a democracy. Unrestricted submarine warfare made people more mad at Central powers and more supporting of Allies. 

• 3. Zimmerman telegram: In 1917, the British intercepted a message from German minister Arthur Zimmerman to his Mexican ambassador saying that if Mexico joined Germany then they would help them get  Texas, New Mexico and Arizona back from the U.S. and the U.S was super mad. 

• In April 1917, Wilson wanted to join war to make the world safe for democracy. By 1918, 2 mil soldiers had joined to fight on the W Front. American troops/financial aid helped allies morale. 

• In Jan 1918, Wilson made a 14 point plan for peace. Some examples: freedom of the seas, free trade, large scale reductions of arms, end to secret treaties. He wanted E Europe to have self determination (ppl choose their own gov). He wanted to create a League of Nations to maintain peace. 

The great war ends: 

• In March 1918, Germans launched an offensive on the W front b/c they had more troops due to no more Russia. They drove allies back 40 mi but then the Americans arrived and pushed the Germans back through France/Belgium. 

• William 2nd stepped down in early November 1918 because hungry city folk were mad. 

• AH was also mad because the government was tottering and oppressed nationalities within revolted. The German gov sought an armistice with the Allies. 

• At 11 am on Nov 11, 1918, the war ended, the Allies won

• 8.5+ mil ppl died and stuff got worse bc influenza in 1918 killed 20+ mil. 

• Citizens/refugees had to rebuild lives, Allies wanted reparations from losers. 

• Radicals wanted to build new social structures from chaos. Colonial soldiers left a skewed version of European power. 

Making the peace:

• Paris Peace Conference: central + russia didn’t partake. Wilson wanted 14 points. British prime minister David Lloyd George wanted to build postwar Britain “fit for heroes” (would need money). French leader Georges Clemenceau wanted to weaken Germany so it wouldn’t be a threat to France. (BIG THREE) 

• Italian prime minister Vittorio Orlando wanted A-H lands that Allies had promised. 

• Wilson wanted peace, the others wanted revenge

• People ruled by Russia, A-H or Ottoman wanted their own states, hard to satisfy all, ethnic groups became minorities in new states. 

• Wilson doubled down on 14th point (League of Nations) to preserve peace for all. 

• Treaty of Versailles: June 1919, Wilson created it at Versailles. Forced Germany to assume full blame for war. Had to pay over 400 bil in today's $ for reparations (including pensions for allied soldiers). Limited size of military. Gave Alsace and Lorraine to France. Removed German overseas colonies. Took land from W+E germany. Germany was really mad at this, and would later influence support of Nazis. 

• Self determination (value in Wilson’s 14 points) led to new nations in E Europe: Poland, Latvia, LIthuania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia. 

• Mandates: territories established by Western powers. Taking of colonies that belonged to the Central powers. Supposed to be in place until colonies could stand alone but ended up in possession of the allies long term.

• Italy was mad because they did not get all the land they were promised. Japan was mad because Westerners didn't recognize its territory in China (wanted manchuria). Russia was mad because they were  not included and had their land taken for Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. 

• League of nations: 40+ nations involved. Negotiate over war and take action against aggressor states. Republican Senators like Henry Cabot Lodge wanted to keep the U.S from being required to fight shall there be a war. Wilson refused, causing the senate to refuse ratification of the treaty, so the US never joined. The League lost power/political authority because of this and soon realized that they couldn't prevent war anyways. 

The Russian Revolution 

16.4- Revolution in Russia. 

The Romanov family:

Alexander ll - freed the serfs (slave peasants), killed by a bomb

Alexander lll - Repressed minorities in Russia, had Okhrana as secret police

Nicholas ll - not ready to be Tsar (like the french guy), went to war with Japan to show authority, lost the Battle of port Arthur. He was internationally humiliated. Peasants were mad and on the verge of revolution. A priest named Father Gapon led a peaceful protest asking for more freedom and the government reacted very badly, shooting the protestors, this is known as Bloody Sunday. This is like the powder keg of the October revolution of 1905. He was the last Tsar of Russia

Alexei - son of Nicholas ll and Alexandra, hemophilia

Nicholas ll went to go fight on the eastern front to show authority and left his GERMAN wife, Alexandra, and Rasputin to run the country. He even further ruined Nicholas’s reputation and made people hate the government even more. Eventually, he stepped down from power and left Russia in need of a government.

Causes of the february revolution in 1917: 

• Sergei Witte gave Russia factories which means workers

• Two revolutions, Russians call them feb and oct, westerners call them march and nov. The Russian calendar was 13 days behind until 1918 when they adopted a new calendar.

• Pytor Stolypin put anyone who didn’t like the Tsar to death

• Priests, nobles, and the autocratic tsar ruled Russia in 1914. Large peasant class in poverty. As Russia industrialized, a small middle class + working class emerged. 

• After the 1905 rev, Nicholas ll failed to solve Russia's problems and the elected Duma had no real power. Ppl wanted to limit his authority. Nicholas relied on secret police to impose his will. Corrupt bureaucracy + overburdened court. Marxists wanted to ignite revolution among the proletariat. 

• The 1914 war made people have national pride, but WW1 quickly strained Russian resources. Factories couldn’t make enough, the transport system broke down, many soldiers had no rifles/ammo, poorly led. 

• Nicholas 2nd went to the front to be patriotic, he wasn't very good and left duties to Alexandra. Alexandra relied on advice from Gregory Rasputin (self proclaimed holy man/illiterate peasant) who “helped” her son from hemophilia.  On Dec 29,1916, Russian nobles killed Rasputin bc they wanted to keep power and were worried the public would revolt against the gov due to rasputin/alexandra’s bad decisions. 

• March 1917, fuel/food shortages, disasters on battlefield collapsed monarchy. St. Petersburg (aka petrograd) strikes for bread. Troops refused to shoot protestors. The Tsar abdicated on advice of other leaders. The Duma set up a temporary government. The Constitution for the new Russian republic began to be created. No more death penalty and no more secret police (for now). War continues at the SAME TIME. 

• Socialist groups took advantage of the lack of gov and tried to take over. Soviets worked in government until the Bolsheviks, a radical socialist group took over, led by V.I. Lenin.

All about Lenin:

• Vladimir Illyich Ulyanov, renamed Lenin as a revolutionary. When 17, his older brother was arrested/killed for plotting murder against the tsar. He made his family a threat to the government and made Lenin hate the tsarist gov. He read Karl Marx and shared Marxist ideas. Married Nadezhda Krupskaya in Siberian political prison for revolutionaries. Later, he was exiled to Switzerland with her and spread revolutionary ideas. 

• Adapted marxist ideas to fit Russia. Marx thought the proletariat would rise to revolt against capitalism, but Russia didn't have a large proletariat so Lenin wanted an elite group of intellectuals to lead the revolution (dictatorship of the proletariat). 

• Bolsheviks = Majority, even though the elite group represented a small number of socialists. Mensheviks = Minority. Both groups are communists, the Bolsheviks are just more intense.

• Only Revolution could bring needed changes, he thought that slow socialism reforms like higher wages and welfare programs are “capitalistic tricks”. 

• In 1917, Lenin was in exile in switzerland. Germany saw a chance to weaken Russia so they sent Lenin on a train to Russia. “Long live the worldwide socialist revolution!” 

• “Peace, land, and bread!”

The October revolution: 

• Russians were tired of war, troops were withdrawing, peasants wanted land, workers wanted an end to shortages. Provisional government was badly run by Alexander Kerensky. 

• Kornalov took over

• In July 1917, Kerensky offensive against Germany. Troops protested, peasants seized land. 

• In Nov 1917, Lenin and the Red Guards (armed factory workers) joined sailors in overthrowing the temporary government. The Bolsheviks took over Moscow and used the Kremlin center as their hq. 

• Bolshevik reforms: no more private ownership of land, distributed land to peasants, worker control of factories/mines, new red flag w sickle + hammer for union between peasants + workers. 

Civil War in Russia:

• Lenin sought peace with Germany quickly. Lenin signed the Brest–Litovsk treaty in March 1918 to cede territory to Germany and remove Russia from ww1

• 3 year long civil war between “reds” (communists), “whites” (counterrevolutionary). Allies intervened to help whites because they wanted to overthrow communists and gain their support in condemning germany. This is the reason for current tension between Russia and the west

• Reds appealed to nationalism, telling citizens to drive out “foreigners” and Allied support of the whites led to communist distrust of the West. 

• Cheka: secret police force led by communists that executed revolutionary citizens. Communists set up forced labor camps in 1919- later gulags under Stalin. 

• Leon Trotsky: fellow communist leader w/ Lenin. Turned Red Army into a good one w tsarist officers under watch of commissars. Ruled w fear. 

• 1921- communists defeated whites. 

Communist soviet union emerges: 

• In 1922, Lenin created the USSR (union of soviet socialist republics). Made up of euro + asian people. They produced a constitution that was both socialist and democratic. Elected legislature, the Supreme Soviet, gave citizens over 18 voting rights. Power/resources/production belonged to workers/peasants. 

• Communist party used army/secret police to enforce will, just like tsars. Russia dominated other republics. 

• “War communism”. Lenin abandoned this in 1921 bc industry output fell and peasants stopped producing grain bc gov would take it. 

1921: New Economic Policy which allowed some capitalist ventures such as small businesses to open for private profit. (the government still controlled banks, foreign trade, and large industries). Peasants could have small plots of land, could sell crops. 

• This compromise with capitalism healed the economy + ended armed resistance. 

• Lenin died 1924 (54). Death set off the question of who is next in power. 

• Leon trotsky: brilliant marxist thinker, skillful speaker, architect of bolshevik rev. Wanted worldwide rev against capitalism. 

• Joseph Stalin: shrewd political operator, behind the scenes organizer. Wanted to build socialism at home first before spreading it. 

• 1929 Stalin stripped Trotsky of party membership and Trotsky fled to Mexico. In 1940, a Stalin agent murdered him with an ice pick in Mexico. 

• Lenin was worried about Stalin’s power and lack of caution before he died. 

17.7 The Soviet Union Under Stalin: 

• Stalin preserved Lenin's body in the Red Square for 65 years to show that he’s carrying on goals of revolution. 

• Created a totalitarian state controlled by bureaucracy for 30 years despite Marx’s idea that the state would fade away under communism. 

• 1928, proposed the first 5 year plan for Russia to better the economy and turn it into an industrial power. Brought all economic activity under government control (command economy). Set high production goals esp for heavy industry +transport. Gave workers who met goals bonuses and punished those who didn't. 

• While the west was in great depression, the soviet union didn't have much international trade so didn’t face these effects. 

• Impressive industrial progress seemed like a success, but the standard of living was low, worker strikes were forbidden, and consumer goods were scarce. Central planning was inefficient meaning too much or too little of certain goods (or low quality goods bc workers were stressed about meeting production #s). 

• Improved heavy industry = pro. Making consumer goods is nowhere near the success of capitalist societies = con.

• He wanted farmers to produce more grain to feed city workers, and sell grain abroad. Stalin thought NEP (allowed peasants to own small plots of land) was a threat to state power/inefficient. Wanted all peasants to farm on state owned farms or collectives that many peasants shared. 

• The Government provided equipment/training for peasants but the state set all prices and controlled access to the farm supplies. 

• Peasants would revolt against collectives by killing farm animals, destroying tools and burning crops. Stalin wanted to eliminate “kulaks” (wealthy farmers). In 1929 he decided to “liquidate the kulaks as a class”, so the gov took kulaks land and sent them to forced labor camps. 

• The Terror Famine: 1932, angry peasants grew only enough grain for themselves so the government was punished by taking all grain and giving it to the city, leaving peasants to starve. This + poor harvests led to the famine, which killed 5-8 mil people. 

• Despite collectives and Stalin's ability to gain control over peasants, food production barely improved. 

• Secret police + Stalin ruled by fear and invaded privacy such as planting listening devices or spying on anti communist people. Many anti revolutionaries were sent to the Gulag, a soviet forced labor camp. 

Stalin’s great purge:

• 1934, launched The Great Purge, where he arrested Old Bolsheviks, army heroes, industrial managers, writers, citizens, etc. (anyone who might plot against him). They were charged w all kinds of crimes. 

• 1936-1938: staged “show trials” where former Communist leaders confessed to crimes after officials tortured them or threatened their families. Many were sent to Gulags. +4 mil ppl purged during Stalin reign. 

• Impact of the great purge: got rid of old revolutionaries, now just young communists. Increased stalin’s power. Some of the victims were experts in industries, most of the military leaders and half of all military officers. (this would backfire in 1941 when Germany invades soviet union.)

Stalin builds a totalitarian state:

• Radios, movies, theaters, billboards, newspapers, and schools, citizens heard abt communist success and evil of capitalism, requirements of production quotas or the idea that enemies at home are foreign agents overthrowing communism. 

• Stalin used propaganda to build a “cult of personality” around himself, aka making himself a godlike figure. 

• Arts/writing suffered (had gotten freedom previously during Bolshevik rev) b/c stalin censored books/music/art and forced everyone to follow “socialist realism” where socialism/soviet life is always positve and criticisms are only of the bourgeoise past. Commonly depicted peasants, workers, heroes of rev, Stalin. 

• Russification: imposing Russian culture on diverse soviet empire. U.S.S.R made of 15 separate republics, w Russia as the most dominant. Stalin used to promote autonomy of new nations but now requires russian language be used, and appointed russians in non russian republics. 

• Atheism became the official Soviet state policy (aligning w Marx). Earlier, communists had targeted Russian Orthodox Church who supported tzars and Roman Catholics, Jews and Islam. Communist ideology overtook religion. Sacred texts= marx/lenin. shrine=lenin’s tomb. 

Soviet society under stalin:

• Instead of classless society (Marxism), created a few elite groups acting as the ruling class. Small fraction of citizens could even join communist party, and most did it to get ahead rather than belief in communism. 

• Soviet elite: party members, industrial managers, military leaders, scientists, some artists/writers. Lived in best apartments, best vacation homes, shopped specially for scarce goods. Even tho stalin targeted the elite. 

• All children attend free communist built schools. State supported tech schools + universities too. Taught communist values (love stalin, atheist, collective farming) while providing out of school sports, political classes, etc. 

• Pro: Free med care, day care, cheap housing, public recreation. Con: Housing was still scarce, big fams in one room, small amt of goods available. 

• Women won equality, education and wide range of jobs. By 1930s, women in science, medicine, etc. Needed women to work bc men +women earned low salary. 

Soviet Foreign Policy: 

• 1919: Lenin formed Communist International aka Comintern to encourage worldwide rev by aiding rev groups around world + encouraging colonial ppl to rise against imperialism. Made Westerners sus of the soviet union 

• “Red scare” early 1920s United States fear of Bolshevik plots. 

• Britain temp broke relations w Soviet Union when hearing SU wanted to turn 1926 general strike-> revoluion. 

• Even during comintern, SU sought international recognition and trade w capitalist countries. 

• 1933, US +SU set up diplomatic relations, 1934, SU joined League of Nations. US still mistrusting bc of great purge esp. 

• SU isolated most of the time until 1939 when stalin feared Nazi germany and tried to make an alliance against germany w britain, france, russia but westerners too sus to come to an agreement. 

• Finally, Stalin made an alliance with Nazi germany instead. 

BATTLES: this is chat gpt or from adriennes quizlet bc i cant even read my own notes from the presentations 

Battle of Tannenberg (1914): Germans vs Russians

Cause: Russia invaded E Prussia, the Russian generals Sansonov and Rennenkompf had poor communication leading to their troops spliting up, Germany knew this and launched a surpise attack.

Effect: Russia lost horribly, Samsonov killed himself

Result: Morale blow to Russia and fueled Russian unrest

Battle of Gallipoli (1915): Allies +ANZAC vs Ottoman empire 

Cause: Allies wanted Dardenelles to get supplies to Russia. And also knock the Ottomans out of the war.  British navy attacked. 

Effect: moved to the land and allies fought in trench warefare and lost. Fought by English commonwealth (ANZACs)

Result: victory for the Central Powers and no new supplies for Russia.

Battle of Verdun (1916): French vs Germans

Cause: Germany wanted to “bleed france white”. Wanted to take Verdun bc it was symbolically important to France. Wanted Fort Dumont and road to Paris. Sent a ton of troops and France wasn't ready.

Effect: Longest, most devastating battle, Germans v.s. French with Germans on the offensive-- the road the Germans were trying to take would make a straight shot to Paris.

Result: France won because Germany pulled out troops as too much life was lost. Morale boost for France.

Battle of the Somme (1916, 5 months into battle of verdun): British + French vs Germans 

Cause: Britain wanted to help relieve pressure on France in Verdun by distracting German troops, rushed into it. Took place along Somme river in France. 

Effect: Helped end battle of Verdun and mass casualties as the English troops were poorly trained. Over 1 mil casualties, bloodiest battle. 

Result: Battle lines barely shifted despite casualties. British first used tanks. Considered an allied victory (bc broke stalemate) but debatable bc not much progress on either side. 

Battle of Jutland (1916): british navy + german navy (off of jutland peninsula in Denmark)

Cause: Militarism between Germany and Britain of their navies. Dreadnoughts were super expensive massive warships that fought each other. Germans wanted to break the British naval blockade of the North Sea. 

Effect: Only naval battle where both Germany and GB claimed to have won

Result: Loss of ships and life.