The Personality Cults Of Stalin, Khruschev, Brezhnev Flashcards
What impact did religion have on the personality cults of soviet leaders?
They were opposed to religion BUT they understood its power
SO
From 1918, the government used personality cults (similar to religious cults) to consolidate their power.
Each cult SUPPORTED the Communist regime BY inspiring PERSONAL LOYALTY to the leader
Leaders: presented as wise, humane, benevolent
What did the cult of Stalin build on?
The cult of Lenin ( a decade old by the time Stalin emerged as leader )
What was the cult of Lenin?
From 1918– Lenin’s images and sayings were used regularly in soviet propaganda
Represented in religious terms: prophet, leading soviet people to a better future
Described as being saintly: willing to suffer and sacrifice his life for his people
How was Stalin presented by his personality cult?
Emphasised that Stalin was the legitimate ruler of the Soviet Union: he was the “Lenin of today” (1924)
Presented as a visionary, leading he way to socialism
The ‘vozhd’— ultimate authority
From 1941— presented as the ‘Generalissimo’: emphasising his role as the military leader who led the Soviet Union to victory in wwii
How was history altered to serve Stalin’s personality cult?
Suggest that Lenin and stalin had led the revolution together since 1917
From the early 30s:
• photographs were altered
• histories were written
Stressing Stalin’s role and the treachery of former leaders such as Trotsky
What did Khrushchev have to say about Stalin’s cult of personality?
Why was this problematic?
Criticised it
From 1955-64 images of him were largely dropped from the soviet media
YET
• he continued to use the cult of Lenin in propaganda
• became the centre of his own cult
(Still, his image not used as widely as Stalin’s had been)
How did Khrushchev’s cult present him?
1) DISCIPLE OF LENIN: completing his journey
2) responsible for NEW SUCCESSES: the Soviet space programme, rising harvests in the Virgin Lands
3) respected STATESMAN: negotiated with the US president as an equal
4) WWII hero
5) An AUTHORITY on literature, art, science, industry, agriculture 📘🖌⚗️🌾🏭
6) the GREAT REFORMER: perfecting the soviet system
What were the problems with Khruschev’s cult?
Problems with his POLICIES undermined the claims about him in the media:
Smaller scale of the cult +
Khruschev’s obvious failures =
Soviet public NEVER RESPECTED him as much as Stalin or Lenin
What happened to the other cults under the cult of Brezhnev?
Soviet propaganda dropped references to Khrushchev
Rarely referred to Stalin
BUT Lenin cult persisted
How was Brezhnev presented according to soviet propaganda?
- sexy
- a great LENINIST: continuing Lenin’s work
- MILITARY HERO who fought bravely in WWII
- dedicated to ensuring WORLD PEACE: detente
- true MAN of the PEOPLE (began his career in the steel industry)
Why was the Brezhnev cult counter productive?
He was clearly a PRIVILEGED BUREAUCRAT, not a GREAT REVOLUTIONARY
^^^
Soviet citizens laughed at official claims that he was a hero
Stalin: cult —> respected and feared
Brezhnev: cult —> ridicule
