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Rise of Dictators: Stalin
Propaganda and Education
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
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
Propaganda
• Stalinist propaganda was based on:
the control of media
a fostered personality cult
a claimed legacy
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
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.
Cult of Personality
There were 4 main ways with which Stalin’s cult of personality
was created:
1. Censorship of anything that might reflect badly on Stalin
2. Propaganda everywhere - pictures, continuous praise and
applause, Places named after him (e.g. Stalingrad)
3. Word of mouth: Mothers taught their children that Stalin
was ‘the wisest man of the age’
4. History books and photographs were changed to make
him the hero of the Revolution, and obliterate the names
of purged people (e.g. Trotsky).
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.
Stalinist Propaganda
• There were 7 main ways in which propaganda was spread:
Posters
Art
Literature
Film
News
Education
Youth groups
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
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.
“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
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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%
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.
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.
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.
Hymn to Stalin
by 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.
Hymn to Stalin
by 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.
Hymn to Stalin
by 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.
Hymn to Stalin
by 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.
Bibliography
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Halsall, 1997. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/stalinworship.html>.
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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-josephstalin.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>.