This is for A LEVEL history students. This is every potential question that could come up in the 2024 exam , divided into sections. This helped me achieve an A* in 2022. Practice under timed conditions
To what extent did the great patriotic war
change the development of the soviet society
WW2 = 1939-45
The period 1928-45 transformed Russian society, but, the outbreak of war did little to alter the
courseof development of Soviet society, instead taking themes in its development to their extreme..
A return to traditionalism was furthered during the war, as Stalin’s massive propaganda machine
portrayed the Soviet war offensive in patriotic terms to galvanise the loyalty necessary for victory.
The feeling of many that it brought them close to the state than before, was, unfortunately, only an
effect of Stalin’s emphasis of a more traditional ‘Russianness’, which awoke the nationalistic fervour
which served as a guise for the extreme hardship of Soviet life.
Change Continuity
WORKERS WORKERS - PARADOX
increase, in the brutal hardship which had been the
= marked a period - outbreak of patriotism. main theme of their lives since 1928.
‘it was not their country then, but our Standards of living from 1928-41, = the intense
country’. The siege of Leningrad meant that overcrowding which characterised Stalin’s time =
Leningraders developed a strong sense of migration of 20 million peasants to urban areas
independence from the centralised meant that 25% of workers lived in mud huts they
government in Moscow, encouraging the built themselves.
romanticism of the vibrant literary culture Standard of living decreased as focus on heavy
rooted in the values of the nineteenth industry resulted in a decline in consumer goods;
century: Shostakovich’s seventh symphony and many NEP men were squeezed out of the
captures both the resilience against Nazi economy because of shortages in fuel and raw
militarism and the spirit of patriotism. materials.
WOMEN WOMEN
In industry women had made up 41 per cent When Stalin praised the contribution of Soviet
of the workforce before the war and between women to the war effort, he only mentioned those
51 and 53 per cent during the years 1942–45. at the home front; the million women who had
In light industry 80–90 per cent of the served in the armed forces were omitted and were
workforce were women. In 1942, in power not allowed to participate in the Great Moscow
stations over half of the turbine operators Victory Parade. After the war any image of Soviet
were women. By the end of 1944, 41 per cent woman as a military officer or pilot was buried by
of workers in the restored Donbass mines the overwhelming official emphasis on the Soviet
were women. In the countryside able-bodied woman as mother, wife and builder of society.
women outnumbered men by almost 4:1.
POLITICALLY POLITICALLY
The period 1934-6 came to be known as the According to Robert Service, ‘Stalin’s discomfort
‘three good years’ because of relaxation in was sharpened by the reports that broad segments
rationing A smaller impact was the cultural of society yearned for him to abandon the policies
effect of division of minority groups. It and methods of the past.’ But any hopes of change
brought the whole Group together to stand were swiftly crushed. In 1946, Stalin announced
united against the German forces once that the victory had demonstrated the vitality of the
people realised the extreme racial policies Soviet socialist system. The 1930s model of Soviet
the Germans had. Many Russians wanted a society was re-imposed and Stalin returned to the
continuation of the more relaxed atmosphere tried and trusted pre-war methods to tighten his
at the end of the war; there had been control. He believed that any relaxation would have
rumours that things were going to get better. imperilled his personal supremacy and vision for
society.
, To what extent was Stalin’s political
authority changed by the great war
change continuity
Societal – change – new ideas Societal – back to repression
The period 1934-6 came to be known as the According to Robert Service, ‘Stalin’s discomfort
‘three good years’ because of relaxation in was sharpened by the reports that broad
rationing. A smaller impact was the cultural segments of society yearned for him to abandon
effect of division of minority groups. It brought the policies and methods of the past.’ But any
the whole Group together to stand united hopes of change were swiftly crushed. In 1946,
against the German forces once people Stalin announced that the victory had
realised the extreme racial policies the demonstrated the vitality of the Soviet socialist
Germans had. Many Russians wanted a system. The 1930s model of Soviet society was
continuation of the more relaxed atmosphere re-imposed and Stalin returned to the tried and
at the end of the war; there had been rumours trusted pre-war methods to tighten his control.
that things were going to get better. He believed that any relaxation would have
imperilled his personal supremacy and vision for
society.
The army – had more power The army was essentially eliminated
The army was a potential threat to Stalin: it Stalin made sure the top generals did not receive
was powerful and popular after its wartime too much praise, he reserved this for himself. He
success. Geoffrey Roberts writes, ‘He listened removed generals who might turn on him or side
more to the advice of his High Command, the with other leaders in a power struggle. Marshall
advice got better, and he got better at taking Zhukov, the war hero and master strategist, was
it.’ Stalin came to rely increasingly on three accused of being involved in a plot against Stalin
very able men: Vasilevsky, appointed Chief of and sent to distant Odessa as commander,
the General Staff; Antonov (his deputy); and where he was out of the way. Top generals, such
Zhukov, the hero of Leningrad and Moscow. as Antonov, shared a similar fate; others fared
Victory helped transform relations between worse, being executed or given long prison
Stalin and his generals and led to a better sentences. Returning Red Army soldiers were
balance between his power and their expertise. regarded with suspicion as they had seen
Stalin accepted Zhukov’s rejection of his plans countries in the West with standards of living
for a ‘pre-emptive offensive’ in favour of the way above that of the USSR. They might infect
latter’s defence in depth at Kursk – also backed Russian society with ideas of ‘democracy’ and
by Vasilevsky and Antonov. their experiences of different ways of living.
Reliance on western countries Reversal = antiwesternism
The Soviet Union was not alone. Stalin himself Stalin was determined to cut access to political
said that it was ‘the coalition of the USSR, and cultural ideas from the West – ideas that
Great Britain and the USA against the German- might pollute the socialist state. People who had
fascist imperialists’ that made the defeat of been in contactwith the democracies of the West
Hitler inevitable. He also acknowledged the were screened. Few foreigners were allowed In.
value of Lend-Lease to his close associates: ‘If Russians were not allowed to travel abroad and
we had had to deal with Germany one-to-one special permission was required to travel widely
we could not have coped because we had lost inside Russia. Relatives of people who had spent
so much of our industry.’ Further, the Allied time outside the Soviet Union became suspects.
landings in Europe and the impact of their Information from the outside world was cut off.
strategic bombing of Germany contributed to Internal censorship was more rigorously applied,
the comparative ease of the Red Army’s harking back to tsarist times.
advance in the second half of 1944.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller izzymuchie. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
