The Soviet Union Under Stalin

1
The Soviet Union Under Stalin Part II

• Chapter 13
• Section 4

2
Stalin Controlled Peoples Minds

• Issued propaganda
• Censored opposing ideas
• Imposed Russian culture on minorities
• Replaced Religion with communist ideas

3
Propaganda

• 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

4
Propaganda
5
Propaganda
6
Censorship and the Arts

• USSR controlled books published
• USSR controlled music heard
• USSR controlled art

7
Cultural Life in Russia

• 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

8
Russification

• 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 non-Russian
  nationalities to become more Russian
• Schools were forced to teach the Russian language
  instead of, for example, Ukraninan.

9
Russification
10
Religion

• 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

11
Social Order

• 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.

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Communism
13
Benefits of Communism

• 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

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15
KGB Soviet Spy Agency
16
Soviet Foreign Policy

• Soviet leaders had two foreign policy goals
  between 1917-1939
• First goal - spread Communism worldwide
• Second goal - to ensure their nations 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
18
Comintern

• 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
  Unions relations and image with western countries

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Powerpoint Questions Part II(15 points)

• 1. How did the Communist Party spread ideas and
  teach the people about Communism? Provide
  examples.
• 2. What did the Communist Party do to control
  how much information Soviet citizens received?
  Explain.
• 3. What was socialist realism?
• 4. Identify the goal behind russification.
  Provide an example.
• 5. What was the official Communist attitude
  toward religion? Explain.

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Powerpoint Questions Part II(15 points)

• 6. In reality, why wasnt the Communist Party a
  true classless, equal society?
• 7. What benefits did most Soviet citizens enjoy
  under Communism? (4 points)
• 8. Women were not treated equally under Soviet
  law True or False.
• 9. Identify the first goal of Soviet foreign
  policy.
• 10. Identify the second goal of Soviet foreign
  policy.
• 11. Why did Lenin form the Comintern?
• 12. How did Western powers view the Soviet Union
  for many years?

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The End