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13 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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How was Soviet Union similar to Nazi Germany? |
- authoritatian control through terror - secret police - labour camps - cult of the leader - propaganda and censorship - state control of the arts and sciences - only one political party |
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Details on The Great Purges |
Lasted from 1934 to 1938 Millions of Russians from all walks of life arrested and shot. Public show trials.
Purges were brought about to keep everyone in terror and remove anyone who even questioned Stalin, eg Kirov. Stalin falsely claimed there was a conspiracy against himm and using the atmosphere of fear created by the murder he ordered arrests. |
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How did the Purges affect the Russian people? |
Anybody suspected to be opposing Stalin wasn't safe. "opposing" could be driving train too fast, making a joke about Stalin. Secret police was the NKVD. Childrens were encouraged to inform on parents, neighbours on neighbours. People lived in fear of denunciation, paranoia and terror. |
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Details on the end of the Purges. |
in 1938, Stalin called a halt to the purges, because things were out of hand. The NKVD was purged so that knowlege of what happened could be forgotten. by 1939 some 20mil Russians had been taken to labour camps- 12mil died. As a result of the terror, Stalin's position was unchallengeable, creating a party totally loyal to him who carried out his orders and didnt remember the old revolution. |
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Why did Stalin carry out the purges? |
He was a distrustful man, had a sickly suspicion and general distrust even towards Party workers who should be loyal always. Stalin was convinced that he was the only person who could transform the Soviet union. Anyone who tried to stop him was in his eyes, a traitor, and should be executed. The terror leaves the people scared and those left over, fiercely loyal. |
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How did Stalin control ideas? |
Terror and Propaganda People were too frightened to speak out against the state. - the arts - education - The Church - Cult of Personality |
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Details on Stalin's control over the arts and education. |
Propaganda campaign in posters, films, radio, books, and newspaper, to push the government's views. It glorified the achievemnts of Soviet workers and peasants, and Stalin. Curriculum strictly controlled. In 1932, a rigid programme of education introduced. History important, rewritten to suit Stalin. |
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Details on Stalin's control over The Church and what was his Cult of Personality? |
Attacks on the Orthoxdox church/ religious ideas increased in the 1930s. It was hit harder as the purges continued, with most of its bishops arrested. One feature of totalitarian society is the glorification of the leader as an almost godlike being. Propaganda pushed Stalin everywhere, how lucky everyone was to have him as a leader. |
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How did Stalin change history? |
He rewrote it to suit himself. Got rid of old communists, photographs were doctored, as if some people just never existed. |
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What was life like in the mid 1930s? |
- liberal ideas for women lessened, family glorified again. Abortions not so easy, sex not encouraged, divorce made hard but women were valued in the workplace. - living standards better, great increase in facilities and doctors and teachers - housing still a problem. Moscow, 6% of households had 1< room. - leisure was better, encouraged, every worker was entitled to a holiday. clubs, sports etc
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Was Stalin a disaster for the Soviet Union? |
"gravedigger of the revolution" = he spoilt everything the original 1917 revolutionaries hoped to achieve. Turned Russia into a totalitarian state, condemned as a mass murderer. Turned Russia into a modern and industrialised country. |
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Points Against Stalin. |
- death of millions during collectivisation and the Purges - got rid of some of the Union's best brains - destroyed the Communist party - responsible for 30 years of terror and fear - collectivisation wasn't successful despite the life cost. - living standards didn't go up much |
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Points For Stalin. |
- turned Russia into a powerful, modern nation in only 30 years - didn't personally order all the excess purges, secret police got out of control - advances in medicine and education - living standards beginning to rise - forced industrialisation saved Russia from Hitler. - strong leadership helped Soviet Union to win WW2 |
