1 | Page
AQA A-Level History Russia - The Great Patriotic War
and High Stalinism 1941-53 Questions and Correct
Answers/ Latest Update / Already Graded
Stalin as a poor wartime leader
Ans: - The vast purge of high-ranking Red Army officers which Stalin launched in
1937 had a traumatic effect. Morale was shattered, initiative and independence of
action were stifled. Red Army seen as a 'broken shell' by political allies abroad.
Reinforced by its poor performance in the war against Finland in 1940.
- Russia was unprepared for the German attack with disastrous consequences and
ignored 80 warnings of German troop build-up. Red Army had lost 6 million men,
either killed in action or taken prisoner.
- Stalin admitted after that 'Lenin left us a great legacy, but we, his heirs, have
messed it up.'
- Stalin's inflexible, stand-fast mentality in 1941-2 prevented tactical withdrawals
which would've avoided the catastrophic losses.
- Stalin was not remorseful about sending millions to death in battle.
Stalin as a strong wartime leader
Ans: - Rallying force and showed the leadership qualities expected in desperate
times.
- His speeches in 1941 can be compared to Churchill's in 1940-41 in their effect.
Both leaders inspired their armed forces and civilians to fight on. Stalin referred
to Russians as "my friends" which moved them as they desired friendship with
their leaders.
- Setbacks of 1942 had a sobering effect on Stalin. He listened more to the advice
of his High Command, the advice got better and he got better at taking it.
- Stalin came to rely on Vasilevsky (Chief of the General Staff), Antonov (his
deputy) and Zhukov (Deputy Supreme Commander of the Soviet Armed Forces).
- In his ability to learn and to trust his High Command in many operational
matters, Stalin comes out well in comparison with Hitler who listened to his
senior generals less and less.
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
The GKO
Ans: - GKO given power over all existing Party and state bodies. Supervised the
military and political and economic life of the country. Orders were binding on all
institutions and all individuals. Formally, centralised control was brought to its
peak.
- GKO could not organise everything in the chaos and confusion of the early
months of the war. Local authorities and managers were given wider discretion
and autonomy in things like organising rationing or securing labour.
- The war economy was able to devote 50% of GDP to the war whereas other
countries could only use a maximum of 20% - this was largely due to the GDP.
The Stavka
Ans: - Responsible for all land, sea and air operations.
- Stalin shaped it and insisted that all leading politicians should belong to it.
- Stalin became Chairman in August and his supremacy was not in doubt.
- Stalin brought together the GKO and Stavka.
The role of propaganda
Ans: - To persuade the people to make effort and sacrifice required to achieve
victory. Also to build confidence in the government and its leader's ability to
defeat the enemy.
- Image of Stalin as brave and all-seeing was conveyed to the public. It was
necessary, even if it was distant from reality.
- Stalin's soldiers fervently believed in him, and cut his photo out from
newspapers and stuck it on their walls.
- Stalin gave responsibility to the troops during the Moscow crisis in 1941. "The
whole world is looking to you as the force capable of destroying the plundering
hordes of the German invaders."
- Cult of personality at its height. The message was that victory had been achieved
through popular support for and unity behind Stalin. He was an all-powerful
leader and appeared to be impregnable.
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Repression of nationalities
Ans: - Soviet takeover of any territory involved mass arrest, deportations and
executions.
- In territory taken as a result of the Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939-40, 1.5 million were
uprooted and deported to gulags and exile villages in Kazakhstan and Siberia as
they were considered potentially hostile.
- In April 1940 more than 20,000 officers, police and members of Polish elite
were shot and buried in mass pits. Stalin was determined to hold on to territory
and eliminate any potential opposition in advance.
- Potential 'Nazi spies' deported in 1941 with no real evidence.
- Exaggerated reports that some more western members of the population had
collaborated with the Germans. This infuriated Stalin and it was used as a pretext
to punish entire nations.
- 2 million members of ethnic minorities were deported to the Soviet interior.
Ethnic cleansing - Stalin wanted to be rid of troublesome, deeply anti-Soviet
people. Their homelands were wiped off the map.
- Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian elites were arrested and either shot or sent to
camps.
- 1/4 of deported nationalities died in transit or in the first 5 years in special
settlements.
The role of the NKVD
Ans: - Increased in size during the war.
- Responsible for counteracting panic and monitoring Party efforts to maintain
morale.
- Special department set up to lead struggle against Red Army spies and traitors.
Had the authority to execute deserters on the spot.
- Any officer caught infringing the order would be shot on the spot or sent to
punishment companies.
- Any soldiers guilty of cowardice or wavering faced the same fate.
- Punishment companies overseen by NKVD and more than 430,000 men served
in them, their numbers swollen by gulag inmates and criminals. They were sent
through minefields or on almost suicidal missions.
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
AQA A-Level History Russia - The Great Patriotic War
and High Stalinism 1941-53 Questions and Correct
Answers/ Latest Update / Already Graded
Stalin as a poor wartime leader
Ans: - The vast purge of high-ranking Red Army officers which Stalin launched in
1937 had a traumatic effect. Morale was shattered, initiative and independence of
action were stifled. Red Army seen as a 'broken shell' by political allies abroad.
Reinforced by its poor performance in the war against Finland in 1940.
- Russia was unprepared for the German attack with disastrous consequences and
ignored 80 warnings of German troop build-up. Red Army had lost 6 million men,
either killed in action or taken prisoner.
- Stalin admitted after that 'Lenin left us a great legacy, but we, his heirs, have
messed it up.'
- Stalin's inflexible, stand-fast mentality in 1941-2 prevented tactical withdrawals
which would've avoided the catastrophic losses.
- Stalin was not remorseful about sending millions to death in battle.
Stalin as a strong wartime leader
Ans: - Rallying force and showed the leadership qualities expected in desperate
times.
- His speeches in 1941 can be compared to Churchill's in 1940-41 in their effect.
Both leaders inspired their armed forces and civilians to fight on. Stalin referred
to Russians as "my friends" which moved them as they desired friendship with
their leaders.
- Setbacks of 1942 had a sobering effect on Stalin. He listened more to the advice
of his High Command, the advice got better and he got better at taking it.
- Stalin came to rely on Vasilevsky (Chief of the General Staff), Antonov (his
deputy) and Zhukov (Deputy Supreme Commander of the Soviet Armed Forces).
- In his ability to learn and to trust his High Command in many operational
matters, Stalin comes out well in comparison with Hitler who listened to his
senior generals less and less.
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
The GKO
Ans: - GKO given power over all existing Party and state bodies. Supervised the
military and political and economic life of the country. Orders were binding on all
institutions and all individuals. Formally, centralised control was brought to its
peak.
- GKO could not organise everything in the chaos and confusion of the early
months of the war. Local authorities and managers were given wider discretion
and autonomy in things like organising rationing or securing labour.
- The war economy was able to devote 50% of GDP to the war whereas other
countries could only use a maximum of 20% - this was largely due to the GDP.
The Stavka
Ans: - Responsible for all land, sea and air operations.
- Stalin shaped it and insisted that all leading politicians should belong to it.
- Stalin became Chairman in August and his supremacy was not in doubt.
- Stalin brought together the GKO and Stavka.
The role of propaganda
Ans: - To persuade the people to make effort and sacrifice required to achieve
victory. Also to build confidence in the government and its leader's ability to
defeat the enemy.
- Image of Stalin as brave and all-seeing was conveyed to the public. It was
necessary, even if it was distant from reality.
- Stalin's soldiers fervently believed in him, and cut his photo out from
newspapers and stuck it on their walls.
- Stalin gave responsibility to the troops during the Moscow crisis in 1941. "The
whole world is looking to you as the force capable of destroying the plundering
hordes of the German invaders."
- Cult of personality at its height. The message was that victory had been achieved
through popular support for and unity behind Stalin. He was an all-powerful
leader and appeared to be impregnable.
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Repression of nationalities
Ans: - Soviet takeover of any territory involved mass arrest, deportations and
executions.
- In territory taken as a result of the Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939-40, 1.5 million were
uprooted and deported to gulags and exile villages in Kazakhstan and Siberia as
they were considered potentially hostile.
- In April 1940 more than 20,000 officers, police and members of Polish elite
were shot and buried in mass pits. Stalin was determined to hold on to territory
and eliminate any potential opposition in advance.
- Potential 'Nazi spies' deported in 1941 with no real evidence.
- Exaggerated reports that some more western members of the population had
collaborated with the Germans. This infuriated Stalin and it was used as a pretext
to punish entire nations.
- 2 million members of ethnic minorities were deported to the Soviet interior.
Ethnic cleansing - Stalin wanted to be rid of troublesome, deeply anti-Soviet
people. Their homelands were wiped off the map.
- Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian elites were arrested and either shot or sent to
camps.
- 1/4 of deported nationalities died in transit or in the first 5 years in special
settlements.
The role of the NKVD
Ans: - Increased in size during the war.
- Responsible for counteracting panic and monitoring Party efforts to maintain
morale.
- Special department set up to lead struggle against Red Army spies and traitors.
Had the authority to execute deserters on the spot.
- Any officer caught infringing the order would be shot on the spot or sent to
punishment companies.
- Any soldiers guilty of cowardice or wavering faced the same fate.
- Punishment companies overseen by NKVD and more than 430,000 men served
in them, their numbers swollen by gulag inmates and criminals. They were sent
through minefields or on almost suicidal missions.
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
