Transcript The Soviet Union Under Stalin – Part II

The Soviet Union Under
Stalin – Part II
Chapter 13
Section 4
Stalin Controlled People’s Minds
Issued propaganda
 Censored opposing ideas
 Imposed Russian culture on minorities
 Replaced Religion with communist ideas
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Propaganda
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Stalin made himself god-like
He constructed a “cult of personality” about
himself
Communist State engaged in frequent
propaganda
Propaganda is information, ideas, or rumors
deliberately spread widely to help or harm a
person, group, movement, institution,
nation, etc.
Students learned about communist
principles in school
Movies began first with communist
successes and criticisms of capitalism
Billboards and posters around the Soviet
Union urged workers to meet their
production requirements
Propaganda
Propaganda
Censorship and the Arts
USSR controlled books published
 USSR controlled music heard
 USSR controlled art
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Cultural Life in Russia
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Stalin demanded that artists and writers create works in
a style called socialist realism – program designed to
show Soviet life in a positive light and promote
communism
If artists/writers refused to conform to government
expectations, they faced persecution
Russification
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Another way Stalin controlled cultural life
was to promote russification
Russia was the largest, most populous
republic of the USSR
But the USSR had other republics
(Ukraine, Georgia, etc.) with minority
ethniticies and different languages
The goal was to force people of nonRussian nationalities to become more
Russian
Schools were forced to teach the Russian
language instead of, for example,
Ukraninan.
Russification
Religion
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The official Communist Party belief in
atheism led to the cruel treatment of
religious leaders
Atheism = the doctrine or belief that
there is no God.; disbelief in the existence
of a supreme being or beings.
Members of the Russian Orthodox Church
were specifically targeted because they
had previously supported the tsars before
the Russian Revolution (1917)
Communists also targeted Jews and
Muslims
Social Order
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Communists destroyed the old social
order
Communism was supposed to be a
classless, equal society
Instead of creating a society of
equals, Communist Party members
became the heads of society
Few Soviet citizens could join the
Communist Party
The leaders of the Communist Party,
the elite in society, some military
leaders and scientists had more
privileges such as the best housing,
best food, etc.
Communism
Benefits of Communism
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Still, under communism most people enjoyed free
medical care, day care for children, cheaper housing,
and public recreation
Communist Party established sport, cultural activities,
and political groups for young people to train to become
party members
Communist Party provided families with housing – but
entire families might live together in one single room!
Women had equal rights by law – women became
doctors, engineers, scientists
KGB = Soviet Spy Agency
Soviet Foreign Policy
Soviet leaders had two foreign policy goals between
1917-1939
 First goal - spread Communism worldwide
 Second goal - to ensure their nation’s security by
winning the support of other countries
 These contradictory goals caused Western powers to
mistrust the Soviet Union for many years
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Communism
Comintern
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Lenin formed the Communist International (Comintern)
in 1919
Purpose: encourage worldwide communist revolution
Comintern support of revolution made western powers
nervous and suspicious about the USSR
Fear of Bolshevism, or “Red Scare” infiltrated the USA
Despite early suspicions, western countries eventually
recognized the Soviet Union and increased trade with the
USSR
Early mistrust of the USSR damaged the Soviet Union’s
relations and image with western countries
The End