Communist government in the USSR, 1917–85 — Edexcel A-Level History
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Communist government in the USSR, 1917–85 explained
Communist government in the USSR, 1917–85 covers 3 specification points, including The creation of a one-party state and the… and The elimination of opponents in government and….
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Establishing Communist Party control, 1917–24: the creation of a one-party state and the party congress of 1921; the nature of government under Lenin; the growing centralisation of power.
After October 1917, Lenin's Bolsheviks moved from a coalition with Left SRs to a one-party state. The Constituent Assembly was dissolved in January 1918 after the Bolsheviks lost the election. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and Civil War (1918–21) accelerated centralisation: the Cheka, War Communism and the Red Army imposed control. The Tenth Party Congress (March 1921) banned factions within the party, ending internal debate, while the Kronstadt rebellion was crushed. Under Lenin, government combined Sovnarkom, the Politburo and the party apparatus; by 1924, power was increasingly centralised in the Politburo and the party Secretariat, with opposition suppressed. Lenin's illness and death in 1924 left a one-party state with centralised authority.
Stalin in power, 1928–53: the elimination of opponents in government and party; the purges of the 1930s; Stalin’s power over party and state.
Between 1928 and 1953, Stalin eliminated rivals and consolidated a personal dictatorship. After defeating the Left and Right oppositions, he used the 1930s purges to remove Old Bolsheviks, army officers and ordinary citizens. The show trials (1936–38) and the Great Terror, directed by the NKVD under Yezhov, removed potential challengers. Stalin controlled the party through the Secretariat and the Politburo, and the state through the NKVD and the army. By 1939, the party and state were subordinated to Stalin's will. After 1945, the Leningrad Affair and the Doctors' Plot showed continued repression. Stalin's power rested on terror, propaganda and patronage, making the USSR a totalitarian state.
Government, 1953–85: changes in leaders’ control of the state across the period; Khrushchev’s attempts to reform government including de-Stalinisation; the return to stability under Brezhnev, 1964–82; growing political stagnation, 1982-85.
After Stalin died in 1953, collective leadership gave way to Khrushchev's personal rule. He tried to reform government by reducing the secret police's arbitrary power, separating party and state roles, and promoting de-Stalinisation: the 1956 Secret Speech condemned Stalin's crimes, and destalinisation removed his cult from public life. But reform destabilised the elite and his erratic style led to his removal in 1964. Brezhnev restored stability through collective leadership, cadres' security ('stability of cadres') and conservative appointments, but this bred gerontocracy and corruption. From 1982 to 1985, under Andropov and then Chernenko, ageing leaders and economic decline produced growing political stagnation, with little reform before Gorbachev.
Your focus
- Explain how the Bolsheviks established a one-party state between 1917 and 1924, including the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly and the ban on factions.
- Analyse the nature of government under Lenin, including the roles of Sovnarkom, the Politburo and the party Secretariat.
- Evaluate the extent to which power became centralised under Lenin by 1924, using evidence from the Cheka, War Communism and the suppression of opposition.
Show all 9 objectives
- Explain how Stalin eliminated opponents in government and party between 1928 and 1953, including the defeat of oppositions and the removal of Old Bolsheviks.
- Analyse the purges of the 1930s, including the show trials, the Great Terror and the role of the NKVD.
- Evaluate the extent of Stalin's power over party and state by 1953, using evidence from terror, propaganda and patronage.
- Describe the main changes in Soviet leadership and government from 1953 to 1985.
- Explain Khrushchev's attempts to reform government, including de-Stalinisation.
- Analyse the extent of stability under Brezhnev and stagnation from 1982 to 1985.
Communist government in the USSR, 1917–85 flashcards
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One-party state
Communist government in the USSR, 1917–85 exam tips
Marking Points
- Explains how the Bolsheviks moved from coalition to one-party rule, including the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in January 1918 and the removal of other parties.
- Analyses the significance of the Tenth Party Congress (1921) in banning factions and suppressing internal opposition, linking it to the creation of a one-party state.
- Assesses the nature of government under Lenin, including the roles of Sovnarkom, the Politburo, the Central Committee and the party Secretariat.
- Evaluates the growing centralisation of power through the Cheka, War Communism, the Red Army and the suppression of the Kronstadt rebellion.
- Uses specific evidence, such as the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918) and the Civil War (1918–21), to explain how external pressures increased party control.
- Develops a judgement on the extent to which Lenin's government was centralised by 1924, considering both party and state institutions.
- Explains how Stalin eliminated opponents in government and party, including the defeat of the Left and Right oppositions and the removal of Old Bolsheviks.
- Analyses the purges of the 1930s, including the show trials (1936–38), the Great Terror and the role of the NKVD under Yezhov.
- Assesses Stalin's power over the party, including control of the Secretariat, the Politburo and the party congresses.
- Evaluates Stalin's power over the state, including the NKVD, the army and the government apparatus.
- Uses specific evidence, such as the assassination of Kirov (1934), the Trial of the Sixteen (1936) and the Leningrad Affair (1949), to support analysis.
- Develops a judgement on the extent to which Stalin's power was total by 1953, considering terror, propaganda and patronage.
- Explains how leadership control changed from collective rule after 1953 to Khrushchev's personal dominance, then back to collective stability under Brezhnev.
- Identifies Khrushchev's reforms: limiting secret police powers, party-state separation, and de-Stalinisation including the 1956 Secret Speech and removal of Stalin's cult.
- Assesses the consequences of de-Stalinisation: elite insecurity, opposition, and contribution to Khrushchev's fall in 1964.
- Explains Brezhnev's return to stability: 'stability of cadres', conservative appointments, and suppression of reform, 1964–82.
- Analyses growing political stagnation, 1982–85: ageing leadership under Andropov and Chernenko, corruption, and economic decline.
- Evaluates the extent of change across the whole period, comparing leaders' control and the limits of reform.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Plan your answer around the three clauses: creation of a one-party state, the 1921 party congress, and the nature and centralisation of government under Lenin.
- 💡Use precise dates and terms, such as January 1918, March 1921, Sovnarkom, Politburo and Cheka, to support your analysis.
- 💡Make a clear judgement about how far power was centralised by 1924, and support it with evidence from both party and state institutions.
- 💡Link the Civil War and economic crisis to political centralisation, showing cause and consequence rather than listing events.
- 💡Structure your answer around the three clauses: elimination of opponents, the purges of the 1930s, and Stalin's power over party and state.
- 💡Use precise dates and names, such as 1934, 1936–38, Yezhov, Kirov and the Trial of the Sixteen, to support your analysis.
- 💡Make a clear judgement about how far Stalin's power was total by 1953, and support it with evidence from both party and state.
- 💡Link terror, propaganda and patronage to explain how Stalin maintained control, rather than listing events.
- 💡Plan essays around change and continuity in leaders' control, using specific dates and terms like de-Stalinisation and stability of cadres.
- 💡Use the 1953–85 timeframe to structure comparisons: Khrushchev's reform, Brezhnev's stability, and stagnation under Andropov and Chernenko.
- 💡Support arguments with precise evidence, such as the 1956 Secret Speech, the 1964 removal, and the ageing Politburo of the early 1980s.
- 💡Address the wording 'changes in leaders' control' by analysing how far each leader dominated the state apparatus.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Assuming the one-party state was created immediately in October 1917. Correction: It emerged gradually through the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, the exclusion of other parties and the ban on factions in 1921.
- Error: Confusing the 1921 ban on factions with the elimination of rival political parties. Correction: The ban on factions at the Tenth Party Congress applied internally to groups within the Communist Party, whereas rival parties had already been suppressed.
- Error: Treating the Cheka as identical to the later NKVD. Correction: The Cheka was established in December 1917 and was the first Soviet secret police, later reorganised under different names such as the GPU and OGPU during this period.
- Error: Overlooking the role of the Politburo in centralising power. Correction: The Politburo became the key decision-making body, superseding Sovnarkom, especially during Lenin's illness, and its importance grew by 1924.
- Assuming the purges were only in the 1930s; correction: repression continued after 1945, for example the Leningrad Affair and the Doctors' Plot.
- Confusing the NKVD with the Cheka; correction: the NKVD was the secret police in the 1930s, while the Cheka was the earlier organisation under Lenin.
- Treating the show trials as genuine legal proceedings; correction: they were staged to eliminate opponents and intimidate the population.
- Overlooking Stalin's control of the party apparatus; correction: control of the Secretariat allowed Stalin to appoint loyalists and remove rivals.
- Treating de-Stalinisation as only a cultural thaw; correction: it also involved political reform, such as reducing terror and restructuring party-state relations.
- Assuming Brezhnev's stability was purely positive; correction: it also meant stagnation, gerontocracy, and resistance to necessary reform.
- Confusing Andropov and Chernenko's short terms; correction: Andropov (1982–84) tried limited anti-corruption measures, while Chernenko (1984–85) was largely inactive.
- Overstating Khrushchev's success; correction: his reforms were partial and contributed to his removal in 1964.