In this lesson, we continued our study of Stalin's Soviet Union by analysing his political impact. We found out how he used a combination of propaganda and terror to control the population.

3. Collectivisation
Rapid
industrialisation

4.  What was the political impact of Stalin’s rule?
 How do we interpret propaganda posters?

5. Propaganda
&
The Great Terror
(1934-1938)

6.  What is propaganda?
 Official government communication
 Could be posters, songs, news articles, etc.
 Designed to manipulate public opinion

7.  Patterns in Stalin’s propaganda
 Cult of the leader
 Stalin portrayed as the rightful successor to Lenin
 Made himself a father-like figure
 All of the USSR’s successes were credited to him

8. Patterns in Stalin’s propaganda
 Representation of Stalin as humble
 Usually portrayed wearing ordinary clothes
 Interacting closely with normal people

9. Patterns in Stalin’s propaganda
 Remove memory of Stalin’s rivals, esp. Trotsky

11. An adapted description of a Soviet council meeting in
1938
When asked by Stalin about the number of recent plane
crashes, air force commander Rychagov (who was slightly
drunk) blurted out: ‘There will continue to be a high level of
accidents because you force us to go up in the air in flying
coffins.’
The room fell silent as a graveyard, and after a long pause
Stalin murmured: ‘You shouldn’t have spoken like that.’
Rychagov was shot a few days later.

12. What was the Great Terror?
 Lasted from 1934-1938
 Characterised by:
 Public show trials
 Labour camps (known as ‘gulags’)
 Police surveillance
Objective
Remove all of Stalin’s enemies
(including potential enemies, suspected enemies,
people who disagreed with him, etc.)

13.  Main Targets
 Political rivals (e.g. Kamenev, Zinoniev, Bukharin)
 Red Army officers (formerly led by Trotsky)
 Intellectuals and skilled workers (resisted Stalin’s
policies)
 ‘…close to 39 million were executed and 3 million
imprisoned in forced labour camps’ (p.50)

14.  Labour camps (Gulags)
 Many of Stalin’s opponents were sent to gulags
 Forced to work in horrible conditions
 Many people froze to death

15.  Purges & show trials
 Public trials where the verdict was already decided
(GUILTY)
 Instilled fear and obedience among the people
 Targeted kulaks (rich peasants) & political enemies

16.  Arrests & interrogations
 Friends and family were forced to inform the police of
anyone who voiced opposition to Stalin’s rule
 Anyone could be arrested and executed (or sent to
the gulags) without trial

17. ‘Visit the pyramids of the USSR!’

18. Propaganda
&
The Great Terror
(1934-1938)

19.  Communist Party & the Red Army were filled with
people loyal to Stalin
 There was a prevailing atmosphere of fear in the
USSR
 The mass executions of intellectuals and skilled
workers reduced the workforce  industrialisation
slowed down; government became inefficient

21.  What do you see in the
picture?
 Basic: Objects + People
 Stalin
 Children
 Toys & Instruments
 Higher: Interaction
 Children smiling and
enjoying their toys
 Children showing
affection for Stalin

22.  What is the message?
Low level
 Stalin likes children
 Stalin is nice to children
High level
 Stalin will bring great
improvement to the lives
of children in the USSR
 Children should be
grateful to Stalin and
should respect him

23.  What do you see in the
picture?
 Basic: Objects + People
 Stalin
 Large crowd
 Map
 Factories and cities
 Higher: Interaction
 People supporting and
adoring Stalin
 Stalin pointing the way
toward industrialisation

24.  What is the message?
Low level
 Stalin is the leader
 People should support Stalin
High level
 Stalin will lead the Soviet
Union towards industrial
development, which will
improve the lives of the
people
 Stalin’s leadership will
benefit people all over the
Soviet Union