Russian Civil WarCauses?
Bolsheviks had limited support – SR’s had moreLandowners wanted their land back
Kadets wanted democratic organisationForeign countries wanted Russian support to end WWI
Nationalists wanted independenceThese all formed a coalition of the “Whites” led by Denikin,
Yudenich and KolchakWhite problems?
Unity, aims and propagandaGeography and language
LeadershipRed strength?
Propaganda – defending RussiaTrotsky and the Red Army
Lenin and War CommunismUnity and aimsImpact of war?
Devastation and famine all over the countryIndustrial production down
Empire reduced
Exam Question:Explain why Bolsheviks won/Whites lostHow useful is this source?
War CommunismWhy?
Supply and feed the Red armyWhat?
Nationalised industries of 10 workers of moreRequisitioned grain
Impact?Kulaks were angry and produced less
Starvation – 5 million died in 1921Strikes and mutinies – squashed by Trotsky’s Red Guard
New Economic Policy (NEP)So?
Mutiny by Kronstadt sailors was the “flashlight that lit up reality”Needed to re-establish popular support – March 1921 NEP
What?End of grain seizures
Peasants able to sell produceSmaller industries privatised
Production increased
Exam Question:Explain how the Bolsheviks won back support after the Civil War
1913 1921 1926
Grain (million tonnes) 80 37 77
Electricity (million kWhs) 1945 520 2441
Coal (million tonnes) 29 9 27
Steel (million tonnes) 4 0.2 3
Successes and Failures of Gustav Stresemann 1924-1929Who?
Chancellor August to November 1923 – then Foreign Minister until 1929Economic hero?
New currency – RentenmarkEnded passive resistanceDefeated Munich Putsch
Dawes Plan 1924 – loans from USA (800m gold marks) and reparations reduced to what Germany could afford
Young Plan 1929 – extend reparations repayment to 1988. Reduced to £2.2billion
Faced oppositionWall Street Crash – reparations cancelled in 1932
Foreign friend?Regain foreign trust and trade
Aimed to improve relations to negotiate Eastern bordersLocarno Treaty 1925 – impose Western borders. Defensive and offensive
impactLeague of Nations 1926 – permanent member of its Council
Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 – use diplomacy, not war, to negotiate dealsPolitical stability?
Extremist parties had less popularityEbert replaced as President by Hindenburg
Cultural impact?New plays, operas, openness and creativity – traditional backlash
Exam Question:To what extent did Germany recover between 1924-1929?Explain achievements – general and foreign
Challenges to Weimar 1919-1923Problems at birth?
Diktat – “November Criminals”President could run country (Article 48) and appoint Chancellor
Proportional representation – no one party in powerSpartacist challenge?
Communist group wanting to follow Russian exampleJanuary 1919 – uprising led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl LiebknechtCrushed by Freikorps (R/W military group). Then, Ebert ordered the
Freikorps to destroy Soviet Republic in MunichFreikorps response?
Gained popularity and confidence after being used by the governmentSo?
March 1920 – Wolfgang Kapp5000 Freikorp marched on Berlin
Government fled, but called a General StrikeKapp’s government collapsed after 4 days
Hitler’s moment?8th/9th November 1923 – Pressured Bavarian government
Support from LudendorfMarched on Bavarian government, but stopped by police
Arrested and imprisoned in Landsberg PrisonWrote Mein Kampf
Exam Question:Source suggest about THREATExplain consequences of Munich Putsch for the Nazis.
Stalin consolidate controlBrutality?
NKVD created in 1934 – ensure no criticism of CommunismEquality?
1936 Constitution – written to Bukharin and declared the “most democratic in the world”
Guaranteed people their rightsSupreme Soviet to be elected
BUT, only met twice a year and Communists onlyStalin had real control
Purge? Why?Stalin was insecure, especially around old Bolsheviks
Good way of excusing failureNationalism and loyalty increased
What happened?Started with murder of Kirov in December 1934
Kamenev and Zinoviev then arrested – conspiracyShow Trials
Organised to justify purging of Old Bolsheviks1936 – 14 Bolsheviks killed
NKVD (Yagoda), Communist Party members all on trialThen what?
Great Terror – around 12 million civiliansInspired fear and “snitching” culture
Surely not the army too?1937 – military coup – executed 75/80 members of Supreme Military Council
½ the officers were shot, including most generalsWeakened army – Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939
Exam Question:Explain the impact of Purges/TerrorHow did Stalin use “X” to consolidate his power?
NEED TO KNOW: Difference between Terror and Purges
Opposition to HitlerCatholics
Von Galen – opposed euthanasia. Goebbels told Hitler not to arrest himNiemoller – opposed Third Reich Church and set up “Confessing Church”.
ArrestedPope – “With Burning Concern” was read in Catholic Churches
The White Rose MovementMunich students (Sophie Scholl) who produced 6 pamphlets against the
Nazis. Arrested and executedEdelweiss Pirates
“Swing” groups – rejecting Nazi valuesEdelweiss Pirates more violent – beat up Nazis
Killed Gestapo officer in Cologne in 1944 – 12 hung for itKreisau Circle
Middle Class/educated group - professionalsPlanning for removal of Hitler and the future of Germany
Von Stauffenburg bomb plot – 1944Operation Valkyrie
Chief of Staff to Nazi General July 20th – Wolf’s Lair, attempted to blow up Hitler
Failed, arrested and executedThings to note:
Varied social groups, numbers, methods, success
Exam Question:New topic – no questions. Explain how people opposed the NazisOpposition to the Nazis was unsuccessful. Do you agree?
Dien Bien Phu and US escalation (1954-1964)What?
French defeated at Dien Bien Phu by Ho Chi MinhDivide along 17th parallel into North (Communist) and South Vietnam (not
communist – supported by USA’s “Domino Theory”)Economic aid and military advice provided
Vietminh – N. Vietnamese Communists led by MinhVietcong – “VC” were S. Vietnamese Communists (1960)
Then what?1964 – Gulf of Tonkin
North Vietnamese Navy fires upon US ship off of N. Vietnam. Maybe, we think, definitely, not.
USA use this as an excuse to “up the ante” - LBJUS de-escalation (1968-1973)
Peace talks started in 1968. US want S. Vietnam independence, N. Vietnam want S. Vietnam to be free from “foreign” influence – unite?
Nixon hoped to pressure N. Vietnam by bombing Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and Cambodia – led to Kent State protest
1972 – “Madman Theory” Nixon could use nuclear bombs, so discuss peace
Christmas 1972, huge bombing campaign, Jan 1973, Paris Peace talks resume – signed by N. Vietnam and USA
April 1973 – no US troops left, P-O-W’s released, N. Vietnamese to recognise S. Vietnamese government, referendum on unification in the
future
Exam Question:Explain why the USA withdrew from Vietnam by 1973.
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