Stalin

Question 1

How did Stalin use censorship?

Answer 1

• Removed his opponents’ work from libraries.
• Stalin edited works to remove any association to his past political opposition and removed any positive comments Lenin made about them.
• Emphasised Stalin’s role in the revolution.
• Restrictions placed on all kinds of ‘bad news’.

Question 2

How did Stalin portray himself?

Answer 2

• Stalin portrayed himself in a duumvirate consisting of Lenin and Stalin.
• ‘The Myth of Two Leaders’ led to soviet people to believe the victories of Lenin were aided by Stalin.

Question 3

How did Stalin change how he was portrayed after/during the war?

Answer 3

• Stalin was portrayed as a Generalissimo or war leader.

- Reflected an increasing emphasis on Stalin as a military figure.

Question 4

How did Stalin treat the church to begin with?

Answer 4

Closed many down as they aided resistance to his policies.

Question 5

How did the war change Stalin’s treatment of the churches?

Answer 5

• He allied with the Church to boost patriotism.
• The Russian orthodox church was linked to national identity.
• The church provided comfort for bereaved families.
• Soldiers found comfort in the thought that God would welcome them into heaven.
• Anti-religious propaganda ceased to exist
• Stalin granted the Church’s senior figure an official residence in Moscow.
• Stalin promised to end censorship of religious magazines.
• Stalin reopened 414 churches during the final year of the war.
• Churches expanded from 9,254 in 1946 to 11,827

Question 6

How did Stalin treat Muslims?

Answer 6

• The secret police attacked group that had been set up to defend Islam in 1920s to defend them from Soviet attacks.
• By the end of 1936 Sufi groups had been destroyed.

Question 7

How did the role of the secret police change under Stalin?

Answer 7

• In 1937, the NKVD was purged as some members were opposed to the terror, therefore, the removal of these members sped up the terror.
• The new NKVD recruits enjoyed the power they had which increased the violence and speed of of the terror.

Question 8

Why did Stalin promote socialist realism?

Answer 8

Once Stalin was in power, posters quickly became the new medium for educating illiterate peasants on daily life.

Question 9

How did the terror affect art?

Answer 9

• Artists were purged

- Climate of fear lowered the amount of artistic dissidents