UNIT 3: HOW DID THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT EXERCISE CONTROL OVER THE MEDIA, PROPAGANDA AND RELIGION? Flashcards
How did the government use newspapers to control the people?
By early 1920s, all non-Bolshevik papers were eliminated.
Access to the printing press restricted to those working in the interests of the workers and Socialist order.
All editors and journalists were employees of the government.
All articles needed to be approved by Glavlit - censorship office.
Daily newspapers e.g. Pravda (communist party newspaper) used as propaganda to highlight the achievements of the government and socialism such as exceeding targets of economic plans. - papers were cheap and widely available posted on boards and in workplaces ~ Pravda had a circulation of 10.7 mill in 1983.
Newspapers had prohibited topics such as anti-soviet propaganda, and reporting on disasters were delayed e.g. Kyshtym disaster in Sept 1957 where a nuclear tank exploded which exposed 270000 people to dangerous radiation levels.
How did the government use the radio to control the people?
By 1921, programs were being broadcast on the radio such as “The spoken newspaper of the Russian telegragh agency” which featured news and propaganda.
Radio broadcast on public loudspeakers so everyone got the intended message. - successful as 65% of population were illiterate.
Government was unsuccessful in restricting access to foreign radio stations e.g. BBC by mass producing cheap radios with limited reception
How did the government use the television to control the people?
By 1958, the USSR had 3 mill TV sets and by early 1980s, most of the rural population had access to a TV.
TVs broadcast a mixture of news, documentaries and childrens programmes.
Shows presented Soviet life as joyous, whereas life under capitalism consisted of crime and homelessness.
How successful were the government’s attempts to control the people using newspapers, radios and television?
The development of technology provided opportunity for heavy use of propaganda which will act as a distraction from the realities of socialism.
However, it also made it difficult for the government to restrict the population’s access to information. E.g. video recorders.
Why was a personality cult used?
To highlight a leader’s qualities and achievement.
To reinforce the power of leaders which will present them higher than the supposed collective leadership of the politburo.
What were the features of the cult of Lenin?
Presented as hero of the revolution.
Newspapers, statues and the cinema consisted of images of Lenin to motivate the population to imitate his commitment to the revolution.
Petrograd renamed the Leningrad in 1924 in honour of his achievements.
His corpse was embalmed and put on display in the mausoleum in red square.
What are the features of the cult of Stalin?
Presented as Lenin’s closest colleague and defender of his work, hero of the Civil War and the Saviour of the Revolution.
Images used presented him as a God like figure or a father figure.
The history of the All union Communist Party 1938 highlighted how Stalin’s role was essential in saving the revolution.
Many towns were renamed after Stalin = Tsaritsyn to Stalingrad
Government officials could not recognise Stalin in person because of the exageration.
What are the features of the cult of Khrushchev?
Condemned Stalin’s use of a personality cult in his secret Speech in 1956.
It made him seem as the most important party leader when power was shared with Malencov.
Visits to peasant farms were good photo opportunities to be used in newspapers, posters, etc.
Had a desperate tone for publicity because of his failing policies.
Not at the same scale as Stalin’s cult.
What are the features of the cult of Brezhnev?
It was made to see him that he had power, even though he didn’t.
Reluctant to use his power to bring about change.
Awarded more than 100 medals, including the Lenin Prize for Literature.
What was the Bolshevik view on religion?
The bolsheviks saw religion and its institutions as a threat to the imposition of socialist ideology.
The Bolsheviks were athiests.
The Russian Orthodox chuch - which had been closely tied to the old order and took the word of spiritual leaders seriously - posed a threat to gov control.
Describe the measures introduced to limit the influence of religion.
1918 decree on Freedom of Conscience separated the Orthodox church from the state and removed its privileged status - it publications outlawed and religious education outside the home was banned.
Churches destroyed and converted to other purposes. Valuable church objects were seized to pay for food, priests denied the vote, denied rations during the civil war and were victims of the red terror - over 1000 killed.
1929 the League of the Militant Godless was a propaganda campaign against religion - launch events to disprove God’s existance e.g. taking peasants on plane ride to disprove heaven.
Partly unsuccessful as 55% of peasants were active christians in mid-1920s. Most church members refused to support the government after Metropolitan Sergei of Moscow called on them.
Red terror 1921-22
Describe the features of changes to religious policy under Stalin.
Churches closed, village priests labelled as kulaks and deported.
Attacks on religion during the Great Purge 1936-39.
After German invasion 1941, the church supported the war effort = churches reopened, seminaries set up to train priests.
Religion sustained morale during hardships of war.
Describe the features of changes to religious policy under Khrushchev.
Khrushchev aimed to tighten state control over religious institutions by limiting their influence to ensure loyalty to the state through the anti-religious campaign 1958-59.
Khrushchev’s government actively propagated atheistic ideologies, promoting the idea that religion was a relic of the past and clashed with the principles of communism.
Baptists and jews had restrictions on their right to worship and the role of priests limited to spiritual advice.
Describe the features of changes to religious policy under Brezhnev.
Active persecution of the church declined because previous policies towards the church prevented the USSR from conducting foreign policy.
Council of Religious Affairs monitored religious services.
Orthodox Church expected to support Soviet policies.
The Bolsheviks saw Islam as a threat to social cohesion
How was Islam attacked?
Most mosques were closed.
Mullah’s were removed and forced to publicly admit to being deceivers of the people.
Ramadan was condemned as it interfered with work discipline.
Campaign against the veiling of women on International Women’s Day 1927 where veils were thrown in a bonfire.
