World History Questions
Name: ___________________________
Chapter 14, Section 2: Totalitarianism in Stalinist Russia
1. Review: Who took over as leader of the Soviet
Union after Vladimir Lenin died in 1924?
439
2. Whereas Lenin’s goal had been to unite the
working class of the world, Stalin focused on
transforming the Soviet Union into a totalitarian
state. Define: Totalitarianism.
440
1.
3. A totalitarian leader often uses secret police for
what two purposes?
440
4. Totalitarian states try to control people’s beliefs
through indoctrination. Define: indoctrination.
440
5. For what two purposes do totalitarian states
control the education of youth from an early age?
440,
442
6. Totalitarian states have a set of beliefs and goals
that are to be accepted by all citizens without
questioning. This is called its __? (starts with “i”.)
441
7. In a totalitarian state, is the state set up to
protect individual liberties or is the individual
expected to sacrifice for and obey the state?
441
2.
1.
2.
1.
8. Name four ways a totalitarian state enforces its
will on its citizens (people).
2.
441
3.
4.
9. Name two 20th century technologies that help
totalitarian governments keep tabs on and control
their citizens.
441
10. Which of the following does the central
government in a totalitarian state seek to control:
politics, the economy, education, housing, religion,
the media, people’s private lives, or all of the
above?
441
11. Name a totalitarian state that still exists today.
441
12. Totalitarian states also control people’s beliefs
through propaganda. Define: propaganda.
442
13. Totalitarianism is built on fear. What two easily
identified groups do totalitarian regimes often
blame when things go wrong and persecute in
order to strike fear into the hearts of all citizens?
442
1.
2.
1.
14. Name three ways Stalin’s secret police
controlled the population.
442
15. Why do you think children turned their own
parents into the secret police?
442
An
16. What was the goal of Stalin’s Great Purge,
during which up to 13 million Russians died?
442
17. What could happen to teachers or students
who questioned official Communist party
interpretations of history or science?
443
18. What did the Communist’s attitude toward
religion and religious beliefs?
443
19. Why do you think the Communists tried to
wipe out religious belief? (hint: read box on 443)
443
20. Stalin instituted (put into place) a command
economy. Define: command economy.
443
21. What was the goal of Stalin’s Five Year Plans:
increase the output of consumer goods or increase
the output of industrial goods? Did they work?
443
22. What methods did Stalin use to bring
agriculture under state control? How did the
peasants react to these measures?
444
23. The Kulaks were wealthy peasants who fiercely
resisted collectivization (combining small farms
into big state run collective farms). What did
Stalin’s soldiers do with the Kulaks?
445
box
2.
3.
1.
24. In what three ways did change under Stalin
come “at a great cost” to Soviet citizens? (How
was daily life under Soviet rule hard?)
444
25. What profession in Russia was dominated by
women by the mid 20th century?
445
26. Which of the posters on page 446 would have
been the most effective propaganda (=best at
advancing the government’s beliefs) Why?
446
27. Why were the people standing next to Stalin in
the first photograph on page 447 removed from
later versions of the picture?
447
2.
3.