Life In A Totalitarian State Sec. 3 Bell Work #4 First ramona prepared a menu secondly deciding on a program and third she invited special guests.
AN “IRON AGE.” OF TOTALITARIAN CONTROL Marx had predicted that under communism the state would wither away. The opposite occurred under Stalin. He turned the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state- In this form of government, a one party dictatorship attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of its citizens. To ensure obedience, Stalin’s Communist party used secret police, censorship, and terror.
Propaganda Using modern technology, the party bombarded the public with relentless propaganda. Radios and loudspeakers blared into factories and villages. In movies, theaters, and schools, citizens heard about communist successes and the evils of capitalism. Billboards and posters urged workers to meet or exceed production quotas. Those who supported Stalin’s aims were often glorified as heroes. For example, the government put up statues honoring a 14 year old boy who turned his own father over to the secret police for associating with kulaks.
War on Religion In accordance with the ideas of Marx, atheism became the official policy of the state. The party seized most religious property, converting many churches into offices and museums. Many priests and other religious leaders were killed or died in prison camps. Muslims living in the Soviet Union generally faced fewer restrictions, partly because the Communists hoped to win support among colonized peoples in the Middle East.
Communist ideology The Communist replace religion with their own ideology. The writings of Marx and Lenin and its own shrines, such as the tomb of Lenin portraits of Stalin replaced religious icons in Russian homes.
Changes In Soviet Society The Communist transformed Russian life. Instead fo creating a society of equals, as they promised, they created a society where a few elite groups emerged as a new ruling class. The New Elite- The Soviet Elite enjoyed benefits denied to most people. They had the best apartments in the cities and vacation homes in the country, They could shop a t special stores for scarce consumer goods. This distinguished the elite form the common citizen.
Education Educated workers were needed to build a modern industrial state. Schools taught communist values, such as atheism, the glory of collective farming, and love of Stalin. Women- Alexandra Kollontai became the only high ranking woman to serve in Lenin’s government. She vigorously campaigned for women’s rights. Under the Communists, women won equality under the law. They gained access to education and a wide range of jobs. Within the family, their wages were needed because men earned low salaries. The government provided day nurseries for children. Despite new opportunities women were expected to shoulder a double load. They spent a full day on the job, followed by a second shift caring for children and doing housework.
Socialist Realism Under Stalin however, the heavy hand of state control gripped the arts. Stalin forced artists and writers to conform to a style called socialist realism- Its goal was to boost socialism by showing Soviet life in a positive light. Censorship- Government controlled what books were published, what music was heard and which works of art were put on display Artists who ignored socialist realist guideline could not get materials, work space, or jobs. Under Stalin, writers, artists, and composers faced persecution. The Jewish poet Osip Mandelstam was imprisoned, tortured, and exiled for composing a satirical verse about Stalin. Anna Akhmatova, one of Russia’s greatest poets, fell out of favor because her poetry did not stress communist ideas.
Looking Ahead Strict censorship, massive propaganda, and terror were instruments used by Stalin to ensure personal power and to push the Soviet Union toward modernization. By the time he died in 1953, the Soviet Union was a world leader in heavy industry, steel, and oil production. Yet Stalin’s efforts ignited a brutal price.