POLI 419 Chapter Notes - Chapter 0: Tehran Conference, Yalta Conference, Potsdam Conference
28 May 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
During world war two, millions of people in the soviet union thought that there would be change after the war. They thought that political and cultural liberalisation was a possibility. The veterans and the soviet citizen expected the state to reward them for their efforts and sacrifices. The war shaped the soviet people"s national identities especially ethnic russians. The latter had weak national self- awareness in comparison to other ethnic groups in the ussr. After the war in 1946, many soldiers were demobilised and had to adapt to everyday life most became drunkards, loafers, and thieves. Only a party career offered a path for their social and political aspirations. The war had drained the country to the core. The victory of the war helped strengthen the bond between the ruling elite and stalin. Russified majority with the civilian and military bureaucracies revered stalin as a national and war leader.
