Totalitarianism: Stalinist Russia

Section 2Ch.30

Political Reforms in Russia To keep nationalism from splitting the country apart,

Russia was divided into self-governing republics. All of these would report to the central government. In, 1922, Lenin renamed Russia the Union of Soviet

Socialist Republics. (USSR)

Stalin Takes Power Lenin died in 1924 and Joseph Stalin took over the

Communist party. He planned to build the perfect communist

government by having total control of the gov. and the people.

Totalitarianism Totalitarianism describes a government that

takes control over all aspects of society and some aspects of citizens private lives.

Aspects of Totalitarianism

1. Police Terror- terror and violence are used to crush opposition and force obedience.

1. In these types of states, the police are used to enforce government policy, not to protect the citizens.

2. Indoctrination- education is key to indoctrination as it is used to glorify the leader and convince all that their unconditional loyalty and support is needed.

Aspects of Totalitarianism

3. Propaganda and Censorship- biased, incomplete information is spread through the media in order to sway people to accept certain actions or beliefs.

4. Religious or ethnic persecution- “enemies of the state” are created to blame for anything goes wrong.

Stalin builds a Totalitarian State

The police under Stalin used tanks and armored cars to stop riots.

They also monitored phone lines, read mail, and planted informants.

The Great Purge From 1937-1938 Stalin used the Great Purge to

get rid of any communist who might threaten his power.

Thousands were executed or sent to labor camps for “crimes against the Soviet state.”

At the time of Stalin’s death in 1953 an estimated 8-13 million had been killed.

Russian Propaganda and Censorship

Stalin’s gov. controlled all sources of public information and entertainment.

Writers, composers, and artists were not allowed to show individual creativity.

They could only produce works that glorified the state, communism, or Stalin and his economic programs.

Russian Indoctrination The gov. controlled all levels of education and

taught children the virtues of communism. The importance of hard work, sacrifice, and

loyalty were big themes at all grade levels.

Russian Religious Persecution Stalin set out to replace religion with the ideals of

communism. Propaganda was spread to show that religious

beliefs were superstition. Churches and synagogues were destroyed and

religious leaders sent to labor camps.

Stalin’s Five-Year Plans

In 1928, Stalin planned a command economy, a system in which the gov. makes all economic decisions.

Quotas were set for steel, coal, oil, and electricity. To reach these targets the gov. limited production

of consumer goods. The goal of these plans was economic growth.

Collective Farms

In 1928, the gov. began to seize over 25 million privately owned farms and combine them.

Kulaks, wealthy peasants, protested against these collectives and they were eventually eliminated.