Exercises on the Soviet Union

(Unesp) In the late spring of 1921, a great article by Lenin defines what the NEP [New Economic Policy] will be:suppression of requisitions, imposed in kind (for the peasants); freedom of commerce; freedom of artisanal production; concessions to foreign capitalists; freedom of enterprise — it is true that restricted — for Soviet citizens. […] At the same time, he refuses any political freedom to the country:“The Mensheviks will remain in prison”, and announces a purge of the party, directed against revolutionaries from other parties, that is, not imbued with the Bolshevik mentality.

(Victor Serge. Memoirs of a Revolutionary, 1987.)

The text identifies two features of the constitution process of the Soviet Union:

a) the reconciliation between the main social-democratic factions and the implantation of a political system that gave all power to the soviets of soldiers, workers and peasants.

b) the recognition of the political and social failure of communist ideals and the reestablishment of liberal capitalism as the hegemonic mode of production in the country.

c) the nationalization of companies and foreign capital invested in the country and the nationalization of all means of production, with the implementation of the so-called war communism.

d) the sharp centralization of power in the hands of the ruling party and the temporary re-establishment of some capitalist practices aimed at accelerating the country's economic growth.

e) the end of Russian participation in the World War, defended by the main leaders of the Red Army, and the legalization of all socialist parties.

In August 1939, a few days before the start of World War II, the Soviets and Germans signed an agreement that became known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact or Non-Aggression Pact. Of the direct consequences of this agreement, we can point out:

a) Consolidation of peace between Germans and Soviets throughout World War II.

b) Secret division of Polish territory between the two nations.

c) Invasion of Soviet territory by the Japanese, marking the beginning of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.

d) Flight of thousands of Jews, since a secret clause stipulated the extradition of Soviet Jews to Germany.

e) End of existing trade agreements between the two nations in exchange for a false peace.

During the Brezhnev Era, the Soviets began their phase of decadence and stagnation due to the lack of reforms and economic dynamism in the country. The Brezhnev government was also noted for contributing significantly to the development of corruption in the country's bureaucratic circles. One of the most important events of that government and that had significant weight for the end of the Soviet Union was:

a) De-Stalinization

b) Chernobyl Nuclear Accident

c) Fall of the Berlin Wall

d) 1973 Oil Crisis

e) 1979 Afghanistan War

Little by little, the Bolshevik bodies marginalized the soviets in whose name the revolution had been carried out; they also eliminated all business bodies and social organizations that could diminish ministerial power. Thus, the main revolutionary institutions of 1917 — soviets, factory committees, trade unions, cooperatives, associations et cetera — were gradually subsumed under the new bureaucracy or completely extinguished.

ORLOVSKY, Daniel T. Russia in War and Revolution (1914-1921). In.:FREEZE, Gregory L (org.). Russian history. Lisbon:Editions 70, 2017, pp. 317-318 (adapted).

This passage mentions the events that took place in Russia after the Bolsheviks took power in the country through the Revolution of 1917. From the passage, we can understand that Lenin

a) promoted a process of centralization of power, dismantling forms of popular participation.

b) applied a process of democratization of the revolution by increasing the involvement of the workers.

c) immediately abolished all institutions historically linked to tsarism.

d) implemented a policy of distributing income and land to workers registered with the Bolshevik factory committees.

e) expanded the state bureaucracy by transforming the soviets into government ministries.

(Furb) “Slowing down would mean falling behind. And those left behind are defeated. But we don't want to be defeated. No, we refuse to be defeated! A feature of the history of old Russia was the continual beatings it suffered […]. Everyone won it—because of its backwardness, because of its military backwardness, cultural backwardness, political backwardness, industrial backwardness, agricultural backwardness. They beat her because it was profitable and could be done with impunity. […] This is the law of exploiters — defeating the backward and the weak. It is the law of the jungle of capitalism. You are late, you are weak - therefore you are wrong; therefore, you can be defeated and enslaved. You are powerful — therefore you are right; therefore, we must be cautious with you. That's why we shouldn't be left behind anymore.”

Joseph Stalin, speech delivered at the first All-Union Conference of the Leading Personnel of Socialist Industry, February 4, 1931.

The meaning of Stalin's speech reflects the Soviet economic context, which can be understood from:

a) Stalin's effort to develop a war industry that would place the USSR on favorable terms in the arms race.

b) the implementation of the New Economic Policy, which centralized economic decisions and Soviet resources for the rapid development of wealth.

c) from the “war communism” phase, which militarized the workforce, nationalized union actions and promoted the State's appropriation of surplus production.

d) the need to introduce capitalist measures, especially private property and the strong performance of the banking sector, to strengthen the Soviet economy.

e) the adoption of five-year plans in order to coordinate economic production with Soviet social needs.

(Ieses) In the period from 1945 to 1989, there was a permanent situation of antagonism between the United States of America and the Soviet Union, caused by the ideological opposition of these two powers. This period was called:

a) World War II.

b) Iron Curtain.

c) Cold War.

d) Treaty of Berlin.

e) Arms Race.

(Fundatec) After the Second World War, a period known as the Cold War began, in which the United States and the Soviet Union fought for world power. The conflict between these two superpowers became emblematic through:

a) spread of terrorist attacks in the West.

b) end of totalitarian regimes in Latin America in the 1960s.

c) emergence of regional economic blocs.

d) formation of a bipolar world order.

e) strengthening of Islamic fundamentalism.

Which of the following shows a country that was NOT part of the Soviet Union:

a) Slovenia

b) Moldova

c) Ukraine

d) Lithuania

e) Tajikistan

He was the ruler of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1924:

a) Leon Trotsky

b) Vladimir Lenin

c) Josef Stalin

d) Alexander Kerensky

e) Nicholas II

The invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany in 1941 took place through which operation:

a) Overlord

b) Valkyrie

c) Blue

d) Barbarossa

e) Sandstorm

The first satellite sent by the Soviet Union into space became known as:

a) Laika

b) Soyuz

c) Vladimir Lenin

d) Baku

e) Sputnik 1

The last ruler of the Soviet Union was:

a) Mikhail Gorbachev

b) Konstantin Chernenko

c) Yuri Andropov

d) Leonid Brezhnev

e) Nikita Khrushchev

LETTER D

The New Economic Policy, better known as the NEP, was an economic recovery plan for the Soviet Union after the Bolsheviks emerged victorious from the Russian Civil War (1918-1921). The NEP consisted in the reintroduction of the country to the market economy. In practice, Lenin authorized the reintroduction of capitalism temporarily as a way of recovering the economy destroyed after the country's involvement in two wars.

LETER B

The Non-Aggression Pact was an agreement signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. This agreement came as a great shock to the world and secured the temporary interests of Hitler and Stalin. The former managed to get assurances that he could initially concern himself with Western Europe before fighting the Soviets. The second bought time to prepare for the inevitable fight against the Germans. In a secret clause, both countries agreed to invade and divide Polish territory, with the Germans to the west and the Soviets to the east.

LETTER E

One ​​of the most catastrophic events for the Soviet economy was the Afghan War of 1979. This war took place because the Soviets sought to defend the communist government of Afghanistan. To stop the rebels (called Mujahideen) from overthrowing the Afghan communists, the Soviets invaded the country to fight them. They stayed there for 10 years, didn't defeat the rebels and spent billions of dollars on the conflict.

LETER A

The passage in question speaks of Vladimir Lenin's actions to centralize power itself from the dismantling of the popular committees that supported and made the revolution in 1917. With that, Lenin removed workers and members of the soviets of power and guaranteed the permanence of the old tsarist bureaucracy by renaming the old institutions.

LETTER E

The context of this speech coincides with the time when the Five Year Plans were implemented in the Soviet Union. These plans were the way out found by Stalin to promote the industrialization of the USSR. They had significant results in Soviet industrial development.

LETER C

The dispute between the United States and the Soviet Union in the ideological, economic and political field became known as the Cold War and lasted for almost the entire second half of the 20th century. Throughout this period, a number of indirect disputes were held between the two nations.

LETER D

The Cold War was marked by establishing a bipolar order in the world, in which nations were divided into who supported the United States and who supported the Soviet Union. This gave rise to some closed blocs such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact. From the 1960s onwards, some nations began to defend a third way, without allying with either side.

LETER A

Of the mentioned nations, the only one that was not part of the territory of the Soviet Union was Slovenia. This country emerged in 1991 and was the result of the breakup that Yugoslavia suffered in the 1990s.

LETER B

Vladimir Lenin was the Bolshevik leader who organized the seizure of power in Russia in the so-called October Revolution. He also ruled the country during the Russian Civil War, fighting for revolution, and proposed the economic reconstruction of the country through the New Economic Policy.

LETER D

The invasion of the Soviet Union took place in June 1941 and was the result of Nazi Germany's policy of expansion and the destruction of Bolshevism. In this action, the Germans mobilized more than three million soldiers, who entered Soviet territory during Operation Barbarossa. The objective was to conquer the Soviet Union in a few weeks.

LETTER E

Sputnik 1 was the name of humanity's first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviets on October 4, 1957. The launch was part of the space race, the technological dispute that the Soviets and North -Americans fought for space exploration.

LETER A

The last Soviet ruler was Mikhail Gorbachev, who led the country from 1985 to 1991. He was responsible for launching the Soviet Union's reform programs known as perestroika and glasnost. . After Gorbachev's resignation, the Soviet Union dissolved, and 15 new countries emerged.