Stalinism, politics and control, 1929–1941 (A-level only) study guide

Study Guide for Stalinism

1. Dictatorship and State Terror

• NKVD: Understand the role of the NKVD in enforcing Stalin's policies and instilling fear.
• Early Purges: Examine the significance of Kirov's murder and its impact on the purges.
• Show Trials: Analyze the purpose and outcomes of the show trials.

2. The Yezhovshchina

• Mass Terror: Explore the scale of repression and its effects on society.
• Gulags: Investigate the conditions and purpose of the labor camps.
• Death of Trotsky: Discuss the implications of Trotsky's assassination for Stalin's consolidation of power.

3. Culture and Society

• Social Changes: Assess how Stalin's policies affected women, youth, and the church.
• Urban vs. Rural: Compare the experiences of urban and rural populations under Stalin.
• Cultural Impact: Evaluate the changes in cultural expression and the concept of 'socialist man'.

4. International Relations

• Pacts and Alliances: Review Stalin's foreign policy decisions, including the Nazi-Soviet Pact and involvement in the Spanish Civil War.
• Response to Aggression: Analyze how Stalin reacted to Western appeasement and Japanese expansion.