1. 30.2-Totalitarianism in Stalin USSR
Student Objectives
Explain the rise of Stalin
Define totalitarianism and analyze how countries enforce totalitarian rule
Using Stalin’s USSR, analyze how Stalin maintained a totalitarian state both through control of society and the economy
Evaluate daily life under Stalin

2. Intro/Background Bolsheviks came to power in new USSR
Renamed Communist Party
Lenin suffered stroke in 1922
Future of USSR between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky
Stalin- “man of steel”
Cold, hard, and impersonal
Moved his supporters in positions of power
Distrusted by Lenin
1928-Stalin officially dictator of USSR
Trotsky sent into exile
What were some of the personality characteristics used to describe Stalin? How does the name Stalin (meaning man of steel) fit him well?
Lenin was distrustful of Stalin. Read the quote from Lenin above. What is this saying about Stalin according to Lenin?

3. Understanding Totalitarianism
Stalin set up a totalitarian system of government
Government that takes total, centralized, state control over every aspect of public and private life
Backed by Dynamic Leader
Unites people but often does so through fear
Police Terror
Use secret police to enforce government’s policies
Spy on citizens-often use brutal force including murder
Indoctrination (instruction of government’s beliefs)
Control education to convince all citizens that unconditional loyalty are required
Propaganda and Censorship
Control all aspects of media to convince people of ways
Nothing can be published without permission of state
Not allowed to question government
Scapegoats
Often religious or ethnic groups blamed for problems and issues
What is totalitarianism?
Based on both this slide as well as the handout, what are some important characteristics of totalitarianism? How do leaders keep control?
How is totalitarianism so much different than the situation and life people are exposed to in the United States?

4. Stalin Builds Totalitarian State
Police State
Wanted to crush all enemies
Listened to phone calls, children encouraged to sell out family members
Great Purge-eliminate anyone that threatened his power (including Communists)
People went on trial: sent to camps or executed
Gained total control of USSR million killed
1. How did Stalin use the Secret Police to increase his power in the USSR?
2. What occurred during the Great Purge? How was Stalin able to cement his power?

5. Other Totalitarian Initiatives
Propaganda and censorship
Controlled all newspapers and media
No individual creativity
Education and Indoctrination
Controlled all education-no questioning of history
Youth groups trained children
Religious Persecution
Stalin tried to set up Atheist League
Russian Orthodox Church
No rights or freedoms in the Communist state
How did Stalin and his government control the media? What does this piece of propaganda put out by the Communist government suggest about Stalin?
Why did Stalin’s Atheist League fail? What does this say about the power of religion?
3. What are basic rights that you, and other American citizens have, that were not present in Stalin’s Soviet state?

6. Stalin’s Control of the Economy
Move to command economy
Political leaders identify country’s economic needs and decide how to fix them
Five-Year Plans
Set very high quotas on steel, oil, electricity, etc.
Consumer goods limited
Did produce huge amount of goods
Agricultural Revolution/
Collective Farms
Government seized land from private farms and put them into collective farms
Heavy resistance-5-10 million killed
Also state farms-wages
What is meant by a command economy? Why is this different from what you are used to in the US?
Why were the Five-Year Plans on Stalin successful? Why were they unsuccessful?
Why did people resist Stalin’s collective farms? What happened to them?
How did the collective farms compare to the state farms? What happened to the production of wheat and other products?

7. Daily Life Under Stalin
People more educated and more skills
Great cost-no freedoms, little consumer goods, and no speaking out against government
High demand for skilled workers- increase in higher education
Women Gain Rights
Joined labor force and new rights
Huge price-also expected to take care of household and produce new loyal citizens
Stalin in complete control
What was the cost that people had to endure in the USSR?
What were some of positives for ordinary people and women under the Stalin regime? Why was this accompanied by so many negatives?