Russia 1917-1924
What was the name of the Russian Secret Police during 1917-1922? (For a bonus 300 points, what was the estimated number of deaths at the hand of this secret police carried out between 1918-1920 - to the closest 1000)
The Cheka (Bonus answer: Official records said 13,000 however more recent estimates put it closer to 300,000 - So either of those two figures can be accepted as answers).
What type of class background was Stalin born into? (working/peasant; middle-class; upper class)
Working/peasant class
In 1930, prisoners sentenced to more than 3 years in jail were generally sent where? Bonus 100 points if you can explain why this was done.
To labour camps (gulags) to provide cheap labour. Bonus answer: To deal with the labour shortages
What was the name of Stalin's plan to eliminate private property in agriculture? (Farmers were expected to give up their property to the state and communally farm the state's land with other farmers)
Collectivisation
When was the Comintern
(Third Communist International)was used to influence and spread Communist ideology abroad
When the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, Lenin persuaded his party to sign an unfavourable treaty to halt fighting with Germany in WWI. Russia lost almost half of all its human, industrial and agricultural resources. What was the name of this treaty?
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Name one positions Stalin held within the Bolshevik party and explain how it supported his power base.
Party Secretary (gave him some control over agendas of Politburo meetings + what other information party members might receive); Control of party membership (supervised enrollments to the party so he could get rid of more radical students/soldiers and replace them with urban workers, poorly educated ex-peasants); Control of party organisation (could pack congress meetings with his supporters); Positions within Orgburo/Secretariat (could control some appointments and put his supporters into key positions to decide how members voted)
What were the show trials? What happened?
Eliminate the old guard of the Revolutionaries. E.g. Trotsky, Bukharin, Rykov etc
This is the name given to the class of wealthy, land-owning peasants. Stalin "liquidated" them and redistributed their land to the poorer peasants.
Kulaks
What agreement in 1921 with Britain marked the first positive contact with the USSR since the Russian Revolution?
Anglo-Soviet trade agreement
When the Russian Civil War broke out in 1918, Lenin implemented a harsh series of economic policies known as what? (This was done to ensure workers stayed in cities to produce essential war supplies and goods, as well as requisitioning grain from peasants to supply food to the workers.)
War Communism
During Lenin's death and funeral, name 3 things Stalin did to boost his prestige and respect over other Bolshevik leaders.
Told Trotsky he wouldn't make it in time for the funeral; Was a pallbearer for the coffin; Made a speech which prompted Leninism and suggested he would take up the mantle.
What was 'dekulakisation' and how did Stalin try to carry this out in order to terrorise middle and poor class peasants into joining the collective farms?
The process of eliminating the kulaks (rich peasants) which began in 1929. Stalin enlisted an army of 25,000 party activists to root out kulaks and persuade peasants to sign up to collective farms. Each region was given a number of kulaks to find who would be killed or deported.
What law was passed in 1917 that affected women?
The New Divorce law (either partner could now terminate the marriage)
What treaty essentially ended the isolation of both Germany and the USSR in 1922? Bonus 200 points if you can describe two parts of the treaty and what is aimed to do.
Rapallo Treaty. Bonus points: Re-established diplomatic relations between the two countries, renunciation of financial claims from both sides, promise of economic collaboration.
In the early 1920s, after it became clear that a world revolution would not take place anytime soon and that the USSR was the only Communist state in the world, Trotsky and Stalin developed two different lines of policy that the USSR should follow - What were they and which policy belonged to whom? (i.e. Trotsky's policy was... and Stalin's policy was...)
Trotsky believed in a 'Permanent Revolution' and Stalin believed in 'Socialism in One Country'
In 1926, which three party members joined together to form the 'United Opposition' against Stalin? (For a bonus 100 points, what happened to this group?)
Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky. Bonus answer: Stalin accused them of factionalism and they were expelled from the party in 1927.
What was the ideal Soviet man?
The Soviet man was to be selfless, learned, healthy, muscular, and enthusiastic in spreading the communist Revolution. Adherence to Bolshevism, and later Marxism–Leninism, and individual behavior consistent with those philosophies' prescriptions, were among the crucial traits expected of the New Soviet man.
E.g. Stakhanovite movement
Stalin made a 'Great Turn' away from the New Economic Policy in 1928 after a couple of stagnating years of economic growth. What were the name of the plans that he changed towards?
The Five Year Plans
In 1926, which treaty reaffirmed the 1922 treaty between Germany and Russia for the next five years? Bonus 100 points if you can give a reason why this treaty came about?
Treaty of Berlin. Bonus answer: It was to reassure the USSR after Germany had just signed the 1925 Locarno Pact with Britain and France.
There are two questions, each worth 250 points. Q1: In 1921, who mutinied against the Bolsheviks? Q2: Also in 1921, what was introduced to the Bolshevik party in order to promote cohesion? (Hint: The penalty for breaking this was expulsion from the party - introduced by Lenin).
Q1: The Kronstadt sailors Q2: The ban on factions (factionalism)
In what year was the nomenklatura system implemented and how did this increase the centralisation/control of the USSR under the Bolsheviks?
The Great Terror during Stalin's reign intensified during 1937-38. This is highlighted by the NKVD order 00447 and the implementation of a quota system for arrests.
Why was there a great terror? What was the impact?
During the upheaval caused by collectivisation, a concern grew over birth rates. To combat this Stalin enforced new social policies. In 1936, he implemented the new Family Code. What were two aspects of this change?
Abortion was mostly outlawed; divorce was made harder; women with 6 or more children received significant cash payments
What were the advantages of the German and USSR relationship strengthened throughout the 1920s and 1930s
Russia was supplied with key materials for their heavy industry. By 1932, 47% of Russian imports came from Germany