*Five five facts about Stalin before 1917 (1 about his childhood, 1 about his family, 1 about his education and youth and 2 about his political background before 1917)

*Check back to the notes you took about Stalin when you watched the Movie “Hitler and Stalin”. What notes did you take about Stalin before 1917?

*Create a poster on your table called ‘Who was Stalin’

*Add some pictures

Complete this reading for homework about Stalin’s political background and carry out the thinking routine Connect – Extend – Challenge

In class share your connections and extensions. Can you add any further information to your poster?

Make a list of challenges. Post them in the classroom and  take them down as they get resolved.

Here are some excellent resources to help you to understand how Stalin was able to succeed Lenin as the leader of the USSR

Stalin’s rise to power (2) by Michael Lynch
Stalin’s rise to power (SHP)
Stalin’s rise to power checklist

This article is by a famous historian of Russian history, Robert Service:
Stalin’s rise to power

The link below give access to an excellent website with a clear summary of historiography about Stalin’s rise to power and the Historians associated with it:
http://www.adjunkten.com/Historical%20interpretations%20of%20Stalinism.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/13/russia-shuts-history-website
http://www.adjunkten.com/Historical%20interpretations%20of%20Stalinism.htmExcellent link for all Soviet History:
http://www.soviethistory.org/index.phpThis article comes from History Today and compares both Stalin and Mao:
Comparing Stalin & Mao

These extracts are from Corin, C and Fiehn, T (2011). Russia under Tsarsim and communism 1881 – 1953. London: Hodder Education.
Introduction to the Purges
The purges
Cult of Personality
Stalin v Tsar
This link has a clear explanation of the purges:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/russia/stalinpurgesandpraisesrev1.shtml

This extract is from  Todd A and Waller S, (2011) Authoritarian and Single- Party States, UK: Cambridge;
Purges and Consolidation of Power

Questions to consider:
* Why did Stalin carry out the purges?
* Who were the victims?
* To what extent was Stalin’s personality to blame for the purges?
* How long did the purges last and did they change characteristics during that time?

The picture opposite is of Alexei Stakhanov.  Who was he and what was his significance in Stalin’s Russia?What was the policy of giganticism? See the pictures of the Moscow metro below:
http://www.beeflowers.com/moscowmetro/index.htmStalin’s industrial policy is explained here:
Success and failure in industry
Stalin’s industrial policy – by Micheal Lynch

The article below is from The Telegraph newspaper and is about a railway built by prisoners from Stalin’s gulags:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18116112What methods did Stalin use to industrialise the USSR?

Stalin’s programme of Collectivisation:
Stalin and Collectivisation
Collectivisation – Michael Lynch

What were the human and economic consequences of collectivization and what are the different responses of the Historians to collectivization?For the Historical debate this extract is helpful:
Stalin and Collectivisation (Allan Todd and Sally Waller)
A Soviet photograph of a pro-collectivisation demonstration in 1930.  The banner reads ‘We demand collectivisation’ and ‘Liquidate the Kulaks as a class’.

Your Task:

Discover

1. In your groups COLLABORATE to fill a discovery board with information about Stalin’s social policy  between 1928 and 1939. You have 2 lessons.

Step1: What do we need to know? Write at least 15 factual questions and 3 conceptual questions.

Step 2:  Find out the answers and post them in the classroom.

Step 3: Give feedback to each other’s work. Fix up the information based on the feedback you have received.

Define the problem:

Conduct an interview to discuss Stalin’s social and economic policies. Write a to what extent question.

Brainstorm

Brainstorm the answers to the question.

Conduct further research to ensure the answer is accurate.

Protoype

Write an answer to the question in the form of an essay

Evolve the product

Finalise the product

How did Stalin maintain his power?
http://wis2008.wikispaces.com/How+Did+Stalin+Maintain+Power%3FThis extract is from  Todd A and Waller S, (2011) Authoritarian and Single- Party States, UK: Cambridge;

Past paper question:

Work in pairs. (a) Summarise the arguments of the pluralist group and the totalitarian group by making two charts. (b) How valid is the claim that Stalin was just the front man for the bureaucratic elite that began to emerge after 1917. You must support your argument with specific details / events / names of Historians.
Totalitarianism
Stalin created a Cult of Personality to portray him as ‘Lenin’s Rightful Heir’, ‘The Father of the Nation’ and the ‘Saviour of the Motherland’. Find examples of posters, statues or art works to support each of these things. Were these propaganda techniques effective and why?

After the Civil war the Bolshevik Party was the only legal party in the USSR. Most opposition ha been removed. Opposition to Stalin really only came from within the Party e.g. Trotsky and his supporters, other rivals for power.

• Kulaks
• Supporters of the NEP e.g Bukharin
• Supposed threats to power e.g. Kirov

What methods were used to remove opposition? Consider – propaganda, cult of personality, purges, show trials, NKVD, Gulag, manipulation of the Party Congress attendance, use of position as Membership Secretary, The Great Turn (against the NEP), Socialism in One Country, exiling of enemies eg Trotsky, aligning himself with Lenin.

How successful was Stalin at removing opposition?

In 1917 the USSR was isolated in Europe and beyond.  Many countries refused to recognise the new Bolshevik government.  In 1945 the Soviet Union was hailed as a saviour as it defeated the Nazis.  How did Stalin’s foreign policy move the USSR from pariah to saviour?Stalin balanced these three broad aims in his foreign policy:
1. Desire to spread revolution
2. Establishment of working relationship with world powers
3. Defence of Soviet interestsThe document below outlines the factors that determined Stalin’s foreign policy:
Stalin’s foreign policy