Theme 3 Cult of Personality Flashcards
- Define what is meant by a ‘cult of personality’.
The adoration of an individual
through the use of art and
popular culture. It was used as a method of enhancing the
status of an individual leader
and creating a sense of loyalty
to them.
What are is the key reason for using a cult of personality?
Reinforce personal power of individual leaders and detach them from the collective leadership that the Politburo pushed for. It was done to raise the power of leaders and their social status. Ideologically, it went against socialist focus on collectives and turned a dictatorship of the proletariat to a personal dictatorship.
What evidence is there that the cult of personality was developed AFTER Lenin’s death?
He was hailed as a hero after he was buried. Images of Lenin appeared and newspapers, statues and cinema used his image further emphasised his image.
Stalin used this newfound cult of personality of Lenin to make himself seem the best option for his successor by appearing close to him.
There was a long queue of people to see Lenin’s embalmed body.
What evidence is there of Stalin’s cult of personality being established in the 1920s and 1930s?
Stalin promoted himself as the defender of Lenin’s work to reinforce himself as the successor.
He highlighted links between himself and Lenin, who people loved for his revolutionary ideas and civil war.
- Tsaritsyn renamed Stalingrad
- “Stalin is the Lenin of Today”
- Artists used his image to represent him as an all-present and all-knowing leader
- Showed himself in pictures with children and women to become a “family man”. Children looked up to him as a hero.
- Statues of Stalin were erected in cities and towns.
- Volga-Don Canal project
-Stalin’s background was almost entirely fabricated. His image of being a “devoted son” was a lie (he often referred to her as “Old Whore” and barely saw her).
-His home town was made into a shrine to him.
How did Stalin’s cult of personality develop during World War Two?
Posters of Stalin in military uniform was common to show him standing with the masses, a down to earth man. Ironically, he rarely met the average man.
What is hagiography and how was it used for Stalin?
Hagiography = Writing which praises a person on purpose, turning into a saint like image.
The official History of the All-Union Communist Party was published which gave Stalin an important role in policies since Lenin’s death. He was also shown as being a key part of the revolution.
Trotsky, who actually did have a key part, was removed from public eye and even edited out of pictures.
- What evidence is there of Stalin’s cult of personality reaching absurd levels by the early 1950s?
Many towns were renamed after Stalin
The Volga-Don canal was built which features several statues of Stalin alongside the water.
By the end of the 2nd world war, many saw Stalin as the saviour of socialism and Mother Russia.
He recieved nick names such as “Brillian Genius of Humanity” and “Gardener of Human Kindness”
- What evidence is there to suggest the cult of personality was not entirely manufactured by Stalin?
Film makers, poets, writers and artists used Stalin in their artwork to further enhance his personality cult.
The Film “The Fall of Berlin” which depicted Stalins role in the fall of berlin in ww2 was heavily altered to show Stalin in a good light.
Stalin’s speeches were hurriedly produced and distributed around the Soviet Union.
- What evidence is there to suggest Khrushchev wanted to remove the use of a cult of personality?
Khrushchev condemned Stalin’s use of his cult of personality in his Secret Speech in 1956.He heavily criticised his glorification as leader and began “de-Stalinisation”
What advantages were there of Khrushchev building his own cult of personality?
Khrushchev came from a humble, peasant background, he was only taught to read in one of Lenin’s adult schools.
He used this position to take charge of agriculture and become closer to the people by visiting collective farms.
It made him seem more important than other party leaders.
How did Khrushchev develop his cult of personality?
He personally met with Soviet Citizens on a much greater scale than Stalin. This included visiting peasants on collective farms.
It also reflected Khrushchev’s own ego where he used cinema, radio and tv to promote himself and cover up his failed policies.
How similar was Khrushchev’s cult of personality to Stalin’s?
Khrushchev’s personality cult was never to the same level as Stalin’s.
Following Beria’s death prior to Khrushchev’s appointment as leader, there were no more political killings. However, his corruption and bad personality made him unlikeable enough to be overthrown in 1964.
- What evidence is there to suggest that Brezhnev’s cult of personality was a substitute for real power?
Brezhnev used his personality cult as a substitute for power rather than a method for securing power.
His reluctance to change made him popular among conservatives.
- He awarded himself medals and award to make him seem powerful. This included the prestigious “Lenin Prize for Literature” for his poorly written account of WW2.
- Why did his cult of personality take on a more practical element after 1975?
Brezhnev’s health deteriorated after 1975 following a series of Strokes and heart attacks.
- The last 6 years of his life he was clinically dead.
- What were the advantages of using a cult of personality for the Party?
- Served political interests of leader by enhancing their power
- Create a focus and loyalty in one person.
- A human face for socialism and a figurehead that the state could identify to.
- Filled the gaps created by the restrictions of religion.
