2.2.5

Recovery from War after 1945

Test yourself

Political Consequences of Stalin's War Leadership

Although Stalin was a great war leader, there were still many political issues in the Soviet Union in the 1940s.

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The emerging Cold War

  • Stalin played a key role in the emerging Cold War.
  • The wartime conferences between Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister), Franklin Roosevelt (American President) and Josef Stalin both solved wartime issues and sowed the seeds for ongoing conflict.
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Spreading communism

  • Historians have wondered if Stalin was trying to use the war to spread communism and take over large parts of the world.
    • He was successful at spreading communism to Eastern Europe.
  • But at the Yalta Conference with Churchill and Roosevelt, Stalin allowed Britain to have control of Greece, even though communists were winning the civil war.
  • Stalin also gave no help to the Chinese communists.
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Interpretations

  • Historian's view:
    • Richard Pipes: 'The countries that survived [the war's] unprecedented tensions were those able to create governments of national unity in which state authority and politicians of all persuasion buried their differences and joined forces to work for victory. Such cooperation was simply not possible in Russia.'
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Interpretations cont.

  • Historian's view:
    • Robert Service in A History of 20th Century Russia: 'In practical terms, then, it was the attitude to the war taken by civilians and soldiers in Soviet-held territory that was the crucial component of the USSR's victory. They had quickly understood what was in store for them if Hitler were to win. ... The regime, moreover, had the sense not to over-fill the press with eulogies to Stalin, Marxism-Leninism and the October Revolution.'

Social Consequences of the Second World War

The Second World War also had significant social consequences for the people of the Soviet Union.

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Psychological damage

  • Millions of Soviet citizens died during the war.
  • This caused enormous psychological trauma for those who survived.
  • 25 million had also been left homeless because of the destruction of towns and cities.
  • 90% of the city of Stalingrad had been destroyed.
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Civilian deaths

  • 30 million Russians died in the war.
  • More people had died in Leningrad than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the USA had dropped atomic bombs.
    • 3 million citizens of Leningrad had died in the siege.
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Interpretations

  • Historian's View:
    • A. Wood in 'Stalin and Stalinism': 'Apart from the physical mutilations, masses of Soviet citizens were left psychologically scarred for life. Indeed, the shocking slaughter left a deep and irremovable trauma in the mind and soul of the Soviet people. The sheer scale of the human suffering and material destruction is unimaginable. Complete cities, towns, villages and settlements were obliterated.'

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1Communist Government in the USSR, 1917-85

1.1Establishing Communist Party Control, 1917-24

1.1.1The Creation of a One-Party State

1.1.2Government under Lenin

1.1.3Centralisation of Power

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Establishing Control

1.1.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Establishing Control

1.2Stalin in Power, 1928-53

1.2.1The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.2The Purges of the 1930s

1.2.3End of Topic Test - The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.4Stalin's Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.5Stalin's Power During & After the Communist Party

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Stalin in Power

1.3Government, 1953-85

1.3.1Changes in Leaders' Control of the State

1.3.2Khrushchev's Attempts to Reform Government

1.3.3End of Topic Test - Government 1953-85

1.3.4Stability & Stagnation, 1964-85

1.3.5End of Topic Test - Stability & Stagnation

1.3.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Government 1953 - 85

2Industrial & Agricultural Changes

2.1Towards a Command Economy

2.1.1Nationalisation of Industry, Communism & the NEP

2.1.2End of Topic Test - Towards a Command Economy

2.2Industry & Agriculture in the Stalin Era

2.2.1Five Year Plans & Industrial Change

2.2.2Five Year Plans & Industrial Change 2

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Five Year Plans

2.2.4Agricultural Collectivisation & its Impact

2.2.5Recovery from War after 1945

2.2.6End of Topic Test - Collectivisation & Recovery

2.3Changes in Industry & Agriculture, 1953-85

2.3.1Light Industry, Chemicals & Consumer Goods

2.3.2Investment in Agriculture & Virgin Lands

2.3.3Attempts at Reform after 1964

2.3.4End of Topic Test - Industry & Agriculture

2.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Industry & Agriculture

3Control of the People, 1917-85

3.1Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.1State Control of Mass Media & Propaganda

3.1.2Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices

3.1.3Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices 2

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.5Cults: Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev

3.1.6A-A*/ - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.2The Secret Police

3.2.1Attacks on Opponents of the Government

3.2.2The Roles of Yagoda, Yezhov & Beria

3.2.3Andropov & Late Opposition to Soviet Rule

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Secret Police

3.3The State & Cultural Change

3.3.1Proletkult, Avant-Garde & Socialist Realism

3.3.2Nonconformity from the 1950s

3.3.3End of Topic Test - State & Cultural Change

3.3.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Control of the People

4Social Developments, 1917-35

4.1Social Security

4.1.1Full Employment Benefits

4.1.2Housing & Social Benefits

4.1.3Khrushchev, Brezhnev & Stable Society

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Social Security

4.2Women & Family

4.2.1Changing Status of Different Groups

4.2.2Changing Attitudes to Family

4.2.3Changing Attitudes to Family 2

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Women & Family

4.3Education & Young People

4.3.1Growth of Primary, Secondary & Higher Education

4.3.2Reduction of Illiteracy

4.3.3State Control of the Curriculum

4.3.4End of Topic Test - Education & Young People

4.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Social Developments

5Historical Interpretations

5.1What Explains the Fall of the USSR, 1985-91?

5.1.1Economic Weakness

5.1.2Attempts at Economic Reform

5.1.3Failure To Reform The Communist Party & Soviet Gov

5.1.4Impact of Reforms

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Economic Reform

5.1.6Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.7Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence 2

5.1.8End of the USSR

5.1.9Gorbachev & Yeltsin's Responsibility

5.1.10End of Topic Test - Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Explaining the Fall of the USSR

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Agricultural Collectivisation & its Impact

End of Topic Test - Collectivisation & Recovery