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Summary A* essay - reason why USSR won great patriotic war
A* level essay - Russia revolution and dictatorship
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Stalin’s victory in the Great Patriotic War owed more luck than due to his great leadership.(25 marks)
Introduction: Stalin’s decisive political and military leadership was most significant and
leading to victory in the great patriotic war. Indeed the USSR was blessed with natural
resources and a vast population but it was Stalin's inflexible mentality of endurance and
totalitarianism that led to Soviet victory
Point 1: luck/circumstance
Stalin benefitted from a great deal of natural advantages that allowed for the USSR’s
triumphant result in WW2. For example, the Soviet Union had natural military exploits such
as a vast geographical size that would have made it increasingly difficult for the Germans to
strike a decisive blow. The population of the USSR (171m in 1941) was nearly three times
the size of the German’s. Therefore, simply by circumstance, it was easier for the USSR to
replace losses in a way impossible for the German army. The 7th of Dec 1941 Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbour (a US naval base) strategically pulled the USA into the war – this
military surprise actually benefitted the USSR in which the USA gave the USSR $11 bill in a
Lend-Lease foreign aid programme. The flow of American war supplies was a significant
factor in the Soviet war effort, but particularly in the winters of 1942-43 when the USSR was
recovering from heavy losses earlier. Characteristically, the USSR had vast natural resources
(such as oil) that were taken advantage of during the war (for the rebuilding of aircrafts and
military goods), helping to secure a Soviet victory. In 1943, especially, the USSR simply
outproduced the German war industries who had dwindling economic and human
resources. Therefore, the natural circumstances of the USSR in terms of size and supplies
were greatly advantageous. However, Stalin’s leadership skills also proved decisive in the
outcome of the Great Patriotic War. Whilst the German forces constantly faced problems of
dangerously overstretched lines of communication over the Soviet Union’s great land mass,
Stalin made the successful decision to mobilise the economy and bring in new industrial
bases away from German reach. For example, 3500 new factories were set up to focus
specifically on armament production. A key part of the Soviet victory lies within Stalin in
which his centralised command economy system led to the unconstrained gearing towards a
war economy. The USSR did benefit from many natural advantages, however, it was Stalin’s
ability to take advantage of these fortunes with effective polices that led to victory.
NOTE: the difficulties of post war recovery were intensified due to the sudden ending Lend-
Lease payments in August 1945.
Point 2: Stalin’s leadership
Stalin’s strong effort as a war-time leadership overwhelmingly led to victory in the Great
Patriotic War. Stalin was an effective rallying force constantly referring to citizens as
“Comrades! Brothers and Sisters!” to unite the country in his famous July 1941 speech. He
showed inspiring leadership qualities of using patriotic and motivating tactics to be expected
in desperate time. Stalin implemented effective delegation as the war continued which
proved highly successful. Unlike Hitler who sacked many of his best generals mid-war and
replaced them with ‘yes-men’, Stalin’s generals were greatly competent such as Zhukov –
the hero of Leningrad and Moscow. Stalin also allowed the Russian Orthodox Church to re-
establish its Patriarchate. Russians saw the war as a great national struggle, and many
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