Lenin Economy
Name a minimum of 3 economic policies laid out by Lenin.
1. Land Decree 1917, 2. Decree of Workers Control 1917, 3. State Capitalism, 4. War Communism, 5. New Economic Policy
Who was the Tsar previous to the setting up of the Provisional Government?
Double points: What was the name of his family dynasty which ruled for Russia for over 600 years?
Nicholas II
House of Romanov
Stalin's economy primarily aimed to do what?
Rapid industrialisation
True or false: Stalin was named a potential successor of Lenin in his testament
Double points: What was Lenin's reason for this?
1000 points: Quote Lenin's view in his testament of Stalin (This will be adjusted according to the accuracy of your quotation)
False
He thought Stalin was too powerful and would be reckless with it, he also found hiim rude.
"Comrade Stalin, having become Secretary-General, has concentrated an enormous power in his hands, and I am not sure whether he will always be able to use that power with sufficient caution. In dealing with his colleagues, Comrade Stalin is too rude, and this defect, although quite tolerable in our environment and in dealing with ordinary people, becomes intolerable in a secretary-general.
Name the Secret Police under Lenin and Stalin.
Double points: What was the Secret Police called in between the two primary Secret Polices of Lenin and Stalin.
Cheka and NKVD
Before becoming the NKVD, the Cheka developed into the GPU
What were the 4 stages of Marxism and where did Russia sit?
1. Feudalism, 2. Capitalism, 3. Socialism, 4. Communism
Russia was in the feudal stage
Specialist term in Lenin's government that allowed discussion of party policy before taking a unanimous approach.
Democratic Centralism
Name the two classes that were declared class enemies when Stalin took command of the economy.
Kulaks and Nepmen
Double points: Define who they were or what kind of people made up those classes.
Name the government position Stalin had where he could control appointments and promotions to fill positions with his own supporters.
General Secretary
Explain the difference in how the Secret Police operated between Lenin and Stalin.
The Cheka was primarily targeted counter-revolutionaries during the Russian Civil War whilst the NKVD targeted anyone deemed by Stalin to be an opponent of his in order to consolidate his power.
Give evidence for two sides of the debate on whether War Communism was an ideological or pragmatic policy.
In an ideological sense, War Communism has been interpreted as Lenin attempting to speed up the process of achieving communism through grain requisitioning, strict labour discipline, and outlawing private trade. On the other hand, War Communism was seen as practical for the simple fact of its policies occurring at different stages as a response to the Russian Civil War.
Explain why Lenin made his government more centralised.
He believed that the survival of the revolution depended on the unity and discipline of the party. A strong, unified government was necessary to defend the revolution, control the economy, and suppress opposition. Lenin also believed that centralisation would prevent fragmentation of the Soviet state, allow for efficient decision-making, and maintain discipline within the Communist Party.
What is thought to be the highest number of people who died in the Holodomor?
Wild card (Winner takes all): The group to the nearest millionth steals the points.
7 million
How many "Show Trials of Old Bolsheviks" were there?
Double points: Name them and put them in order
1936, Trial of the Sixteen
1937, Trial of the Seventeen
1938, Trial of the Twenty-One
Explain the difference between cultural and artistic expression between Lenin and Stalin.
In order to score full points, you must provide a minimum of 3 specialist terms and a full explanation of the differences.
Under Lenin, cultural and artistic expression was relatively more open, with the government promoting "Proletkult" which allowed a degree of experimentation, especially in the early years of the revolution. Artists, writers, and filmmakers were encouraged to explore revolutionary themes and new forms of expression, resulting in movements like Constructivism and Avant-garde art.
Under Stalin, however, artistic expression became highly restricted and tightly controlled. Stalin's regime promoted Socialist Realism, an art style that idealized Soviet life and portrayed the state, party, and working class in a glorified and often exaggerated manner.
Explain how the Scissors Crisis under NEP worked.
Grain requisitioning was replaced with a tax-in-kind, where peasants had to use part of their grain as a tax to the government.
The government significantly reduced spending which meant factories no longer received support through the allocation of raw materials and capital by government agencies.
As the prices of industrial manufactured goods increased, the prices of agricultural goods decreased as peasants needed to sell more grain in order to buy a manufactured good.
This led to peasants to be reluctant to sell grain which affected food supply to urban consumers and exports.
Name the Russian term for a class of workers who effectively became an elite with their own values and attitudes. These attitudes tended to be self-serving rather than aimed at benefiting the industrial proletariat.
Double points: How many people made up this class?
Nomenklatura
5,500 were part of the nomenklatura.
Chronicle and explain the successes and failures of the first 3 Five Year Plans.
1st Five Year Plan: Arguably the most disastrous FYP due to outrageous targets and quotas, no one sought to correct the system out of fear for their lives. Consumer goods were neglected and the population suffered.
2nd Five Year Plan: Problems of the first FYP were acknowledged. Investments were made into infrastructure such as railway and training schemes. There was still under/overproduction, but not as much as the first FYP.
3rd Five Year Plan: Growth stagnated under this FYP, but an industrial base for a powerful arms industry was created.
Chronicle how Stalin defeated his opponents in the power struggle.
1924. Lenin’s funeral and Lenin’s Testament
1925. Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin ally against Trotsky
1927. Stalin and Bukharin ally against Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky
1928. Stalin opposes Bukharin
1929. Stalin wins the power struggle
Name the 4 heads of the Secret Police under Lenin and Stalin
Double points: Put them in the correct order of succession
Triple points: Include their first names
1. Felix Dzerzhinsky
2. Genrikh Yagoda
3. Nikolai Yezhov
3. Lavrenti Beria
Explain the political divide on the NEP at the 10th Party Congress of 1923.
Evgenii Preobrazhensky, Left Opposition, argued for a transfer of resources from peasant agriculture to pay for industrial development. To achieve this through price mechanism, peasants must pay more for consumer goods.
Nikolai Bukharin, majority, needed an alliance between working class and peasantry as any quarrel between the two would lead to a fall in the revolution. Industry should move at snail’s pace, while peasants should enrich themselves.
What was the structure of Soviet Government from the top down?
Double points: Explain the functions for each of them
Points can be awarded proportionately based on what you get correct.
Council of People’s Commissars, Sovnarkom (Head of Govt Departments)
Central Executive Committee (Oversaw Administration of Govt)
All Russian Congress of Soviets (Parliament. Supreme law making authority)
Provincial and City Soviets (Govern cities and regions)
Local and District Soviets (Carry out Govt. policies at local level)
Give the years of the 4 five year plans under Stalin
1st Five Year Plan 1928-1932
2nd Five Year Plan 1933-1937
3rd Five Year Plan 1938-1941
4th Five Year Plan 1946-1950
Explain four main tactics Stalin used to maintain total power after WW2.
First, he purged potential rivals, executing or exiling those who posed a threat to his authority.
Second, he controlled propaganda, ensuring that all media, education, and cultural output reinforced his image as the unquestionable leader.
Third, Stalin maintained a tight grip on the economy, centralizing control and suppressing any attempts at reform or decentralization.
Finally, he expanded the secret police (NKVD), using fear and surveillance to crush dissent and eliminate opposition within the party and society. These strategies helped Stalin secure his dominance, even after the war's end.
Name of Shostakovich's famous waltz
Waltz no. 2