Cover photo from history.com
Intro
With the Russian Revolution of 1917, Lenin wanted to establish a provisional government of Bolsheviks, and hoped that eventually, this would evolve into the communist state envisioned by Karl Marx. However, after Lenin’s death, this temporary dictatorship became a permanent one. Leon Trotsky, an influential general of the Red Army, continued to push for the communism Lenin and Marx were hoping for. His rival was Joseph Stalin, who believed that the Soviet Union could only be powerful under one-man rule.
Propaganda
Propaganda was one of Stalin’s most useful tools, and it would continue to be heavily prominent in the Soviet Union after Stalin’s reign. Stalin used propaganda to win over Trotsky, who was exiled and assassinated. Propaganda was powerful, because it covered up the discrepancy between the original communist dream, and the reality of awful working conditions of the Soviet Union. Art propaganda grew into the “socialist realism” aesthetic - depictions of Soviet people profiting off Soviet productivity, which Stalin had brought.
Five-Year Plans
After he was in power, Stalin established Five-Year Plans, state regulated policies that made sure each individual was contributing to the Soviet economy. Stalin hoped these plans would bolster Soviet industrial production and catch the nation up to the economic power of western countries. Privately owned lands were given up to the state, and agriculture was collectivized. As the state now essentially controlled production, peasants suffered from famines during climate change.
A Reign of Terror
Taking advantage of his absolute power, Stalin purged the nation of anyone who criticized the dictatorship, as he wanted to preserve the image that his rule was faultless. This quickly turned into a reign of terror. Suspects were given show trials to terrorize the Soviet people to submission. Throughout Stalin’s reign, thousands were sent to gulags (labor camps) or executed. Although he sought to preserve the image of communism, Stalin was operating just like typical dictatorships of the past.
Conclusion
Stalin died on March 5, 1953, after suffering a stroke. Despite causing the death of hundreds of thousands of people, Stalin had solidified the Soviet Union as a powerful nation in Europe. He was buried next to Lenin. However, after Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization process, his body was relocated outside the walls of the Kremlin.
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