Rise of Dictators: Stalin

1. Rise of Dictators: Stalin Propaganda and Education

2. Propaganda • Definition of propaganda:Propaganda is an information which is false or which emphasizes just one part of a situation, used by a government or political group to make people agree with them

3. Propaganda • Stalin’s purpose of using propaganda was: To establish a personal dictatorship To support, build and expand soviet power To attack enemies To control people To increase the war effort Create a feeling of unison

4. Propaganda • Stalinist propaganda was based on: the control of media a fostered personality cult a claimed legacy

5. Propaganda Propaganda was one of the main means with which Josef Stalin could rise his power and make people believe in him. Stalin’s propaganda’s main purpose was the creation of a heroic or godlike public image of Stalin’s personality, called: THE CULT OF PERSONALITY

6. Cult of Personality “The main reason to create a cult of personality is to obtain undying devotion of the people” (Rudolf Kral) • With cult of personality, Stalin was able to set up his dictatorship and run unopposed and unquestioned.

7. Cult of Personality There were 4 main ways with which Stalin’s cult of personality was created: • Censorship of anything that might reflect badly on Stalin • Propaganda everywhere - pictures, continuous praise and applause, Places named after him (e.g. Stalingrad) • Word of mouth: Mothers taught their children that Stalin was ‘the wisest man of the age’ • History books and photographs were changed to make him the hero of the Revolution, and obliterate the names of purged people (e.g. Trotsky).

8. Cult of Personality • There was only one way which could provide such a cult, and this was propaganda. • Propaganda was provided through mass media, posters, flyers, books and others. • Many methods were used to ensure that people would obey Stalin without questioning.

9. Stalinist Propaganda • There were 7 main ways in which propaganda was spread: Posters Art Literature Film News Education Youth groups

10. Stalinist Propaganda • The Department of Agitation and Propaganda (Agitprop) of the Central Committee of the Communist Party fed official propaganda to the media, closely scrutinized by the Soviet censors

11. How did the Propaganda help Stalin rising his power? As we have already said, Stalin used propaganda to make people follow him without questioning his abilities and his ideas. Stalin and his assistants achieved in creating a cult of Stalin’s personality, which helped him obtain the undisputed faith of the people, who supported him in every step he was taking, believing that he was unaware of any possible harmful decision.

12. “Stalin did not rely on terror alone, but also on the support of the majority of the people; effectively deceived by cunning propaganda, they gave Stalin credit for the successes of others and even for ‘achievements’ that were in fact totally fictitious.” Roy Medvedev, Soviet historian

13. What were some forms of Propaganda in Stalinist Russia? Postcard, 1917. Soldiers with sigh stating, “Watches -- gold and silver.” Postcard, 1917. Same photo, but signboard is replaced with slogans.

14. What were some forms of Propaganda in Stalinist Russia? Propagandists seize every opportunity to get their message across. In the original of this photo, the sign on the building says, "Watches, gold and silver." Now it reads, "Struggle for your rights." Likewise the flag being waved says, "Down with the monarchy - long live the Republic!" has no visible words in the original.  

15. Forms of Propaganda “Don’t fool Around!” This poster shows a young, beautiful man who represents the USSP talking to the rich but old and ugly Americans (atomic bomb). The message conveyed by this poster is that the USSR is trying to warn the Americans “not to fool around,” meaning that they should be very careful about their actions, showing USSR’s strength. How does this relate to propaganda?

16. Forms of Propaganda “Our strengths are uncountable” This poster shows a powerful healthy worker who is holding a gun and the red flag of the USSR. The message conveyed by this poster is that the state is trying to bump up the confidence of the Soviet people about the war. The people in the background may represent the supporters of those who fight in the war. How does this relate to propaganda?

17. Education Stalin’s diving aim was to modernize the Soviet Union and he believed that to achieve this, the population, especially the young, must be literate. Formal education was, therefore, a priority.

18. Education There was a need for discipline and order in the factories, and this rules should be passed on to the young people though education. Thus, the USSR education system should be developed based on the creation of the same serious, committed attitude that prevailed in the workplace.

19. Education • Key features of the education system developed under Stalin: • 10 years of compulsory schooling for all children • Core curriculum laid down: reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, geography, Russian, Marxist Theory. • State – prescribed text books to be used • Homework to be a regular requirement • State – organized tests and examinations • School uniforms were compulsory • Fees to be charged for the last three years of non compulsory secondary school.

20. Education Initiation behind these requirements: To create a disciplined, trained generation of young people fully ready to join workforce. Results of the Reforms: The number of children attending school rose from 12 million in 1929 to 35 million in 1940 Between 1926 and 1940 the literacy rate of the population over the age of 9 increased from 51% to 88%

21. Education • Private education and tuition became normal for the elite of the Soviet society. • The intelligentsia, who formed the nomenklatura had greated opportunity to education • The Party had the right to nominate those who were to receive the higher grade training.

22. Education • Private education and tuition became normal for the elite of the Soviet society. • The intelligentsia, who formed the nomenklatura had greated opportunity to education • The Party had the right to nominate those who were to receive the higher grade training.

23. Education This Educational and promotional process had an important political aspect. It enhanced Stalin’s power by creating a class of privileged administrators who had every motive for supporting him since they were his creatures.

24. Hymn to Stalinby A. O. Avidenko Thank you, Stalin. Thank you because I am joyful. Thank you because I am well. No matter how old I become, I shall never forget how we received Stalin two days ago. Centuries will pass, and the generations still to come will regard us as the happiest of mortals, as the most fortunate of men, because we lived in the century of centuries, because we were privileged to see Stalin, our inspired leader. Yes, and we regard ourselves as the happiest of mortals because we are the contemporaries of a man who never had an equal in world history.

25. Hymn to Stalinby A. O. Avidenko The men of all ages will call on thy name, which is strong, beautiful, wise and marvelous. Thy name is engraven on every factory, every machine, every place on the earth, and in the hearts of all men. Every time I have found myself in his presence I have been subjugated by his strength, his charm, his grandeur. I have experienced a great desire to sing, to cry out, to shout with joy and happiness. And now see me--me!--on the same platform where the Great Stalin stood a year ago. In what country, in what part of the world could such a thing happen.

26. Hymn to Stalinby A. O. Avidenko I write books. I am an author. All thanks to thee, O great educator, Stalin. I love a young woman with a renewed love and shall perpetuate myself in my children--all thanks to thee, great educator, Stalin. I shall be eternally happy and joyous, all thanks to thee, great educator, Stalin. Everything belongs to thee, chief of our great country. And when the woman I love presents me with a child the first word it shall utter will be : Stalin.

27. Hymn to Stalinby A. O. Avidenko O great Stalin, O leader of the peoples,Thou who broughtest man to birth.Thou who fructifies the earth,Thou who restorest to centuries,Thou who makest bloom the spring,Thou who makest vibrate the musical chords...Thou, splendour of my spring, O thou,Sun reflected by millions of hearts.

28. Bibliography Avidenko, A. O. "Hymn to Stalin." Hymn to Jasef Stalin. Modern History Sourcebook. Paul Halsall, 1997. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/stalin-worship.html>. Borade, Gaynor. "Stalinism: The Use of Propaganda by Joseph Stalin." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Buzzle.com, 26 May 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/stalinism-the-use-of-propaganda-by-joseph-stalin.html>. Govorkov, V. I. Do not fool around! 1948. Museum of Russian Poster. Plakaty.Ru. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. <http://eng.plakaty.ru/posters?cid=5&sort=name&part=D&thumbs=1&page=4&id=47>. Koretskij, V. B. Our strengths are uncountable. 1941. Museum of Russian Poster. Plakaty.Ru. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. <http://eng.plakaty.ru/posters?cid=5&sort=name&part=O&thumbs=1&page=2&id=39>. Kral, Rudolf. "The Cult Of Stalin And Propaganda." The Student Education Forum. 4 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=627>. Lynch, Michael J. Stalin's Russia, 1924-53. London: Hodder Education, 2008. Print. Postcard 1917. 1917. Photograph. Newseum, Washington D.C. NEWSEUM. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. <http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishes/propaganda.htm>. "Stalin's Russia." Casahistoria. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.casahistoria.net/Stalin2.htm#The_Stalinist_State>.