1. The Rise of Totalitarianism: Russia
History of the Modern World
The Rise of Totalitarianism: Russia
Mrs. McArthur
Walsingham Academy
Room 111

2. The Rise of Totalitarianism
Section 4: The Soviet Union Under Stalin , pp
Witness History Audio: The Heart of the Party
Look at the posters, pp. 904 and title slide of this presentation. What image do they convey of Stalin? Along with the quote from Pravda, what was the official view of Stalin? What might the private views be?
A Totalitarian State
In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin set up a totalitarian state. He took away all free market rights and made every enterprise and farm state owned. This gave workers little incentive to produce quality products or extra food and the country struggled to feed its people.
Notes: Listen to the Witness History audio. Then read aloud the main idea for each subheading in this section and show the related visuals.
After listening to the Witness History audio, ask, “Based on clues in the image and the selection from Pravda, what do you think the official view of Stalin was?” (He was to be viewed as the ideal leader.)
When showing Color Transparency 170, tell students that Stalin used the threat of these labor camps to control life in the Soviet Union. Ask students to predict other methods that Stalin used.
Note Taking Transparency 169
Progress Monitoring Transparency
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3. Section 4: The Soviet Union Under Stalin, pp. 904-911
Stalin’s Terror Tactics
Stalin was ruthless against anyone perceived as being disloyal. He set up Gulags where people would be sent to work and he even took food away from farm families in what was called the Terror Famine. The country lost many of its best and brightest.
Color Transparency 170: Gulag Prisoners, by Nikolai German
Communist Attempts to Control Thought
Stalin used propaganda to boost his popularity. Posters, loudspeaker announcements, and newspaper articles extolled Communism. Books, music, and other art forms that were critical of Stalin were censored. He also tried to replace religion with communist ideology.
Notes: Listen to the Witness History audio. Then read aloud the main idea for each subheading in this section and show the related visuals.
After listening to the Witness History audio, ask, “Based on clues in the image and the selection from Pravda, what do you think the official view of Stalin was?” (He was to be viewed as the ideal leader.)
When showing Color Transparency 170, tell students that Stalin used the threat of these labor camps to control life in the Soviet Union. Ask students to predict other methods that Stalin used.
Witness History Audio: Anna Akhmatova
How long has her son been in prison?
What feelings does she describe in this poem?
Based on clues in this passage, how effective was censorship in controlling writers?
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4. Section 4: The Soviet Union Under Stalin
Soviet Society Under Stalin
There was still a class order under Communism, but this one put party members at the top. All others endured shortages of food and consumer goods, although they did get free education and health care, and women were treated as equals to men in the workplace.
Soviet Foreign Policy
The Soviets encouraged communist revolutions in other countries through an organization called Comintern. This organization supported revolutionary groups around the world and created a “Red Scare” in the United States.
Notes: Listen to the Witness History audio. Then read aloud the main idea for each subheading in this section and show the related visuals.
After listening to the Witness History audio, ask, “Based on clues in the image and the selection from Pravda, what do you think the official view of Stalin was?” (He was to be viewed as the ideal leader.)
When showing Color Transparency 170, tell students that Stalin used the threat of these labor camps to control life in the Soviet Union. Ask students to predict other methods that Stalin used.
Looking Ahead
Stalin succeeded in making his country a military superpower, but it was also home to people with a much lower standard of living than the rest of the developed world.
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5. Note Taking Transparency 169
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6. Color Transparency 170: Gulag Prisoners, by Nikolai Getman
What was the Gulag?
What was its purpose(s)?
What is the artist trying to convey in this painting? Consider:
What do the men’s faces tell the viewer?
What does the piece of bread on the table stand for?
How does the artist use color to make his point?
Russian artist, Nicolai Getman was convicted in a 7-min. trial in He was sent to the Gulag where he spent 8 years. He survived one of the darkest periods of Soviet history. Upon his release he resumed his career as a painter. Publicly he was politically correct but in secret he also painted a visual record of what he witnessed. This slide depicts one of his paintings from this testimony. It is particularly important since there is little documentation of what the Gulag was really like.
What do the men’s faces tell the viewer?
What does the piece of bread on the table stand for?
How does the artist use color to make his point?
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7. Progress Monitoring Transparency (1 of 2)

8. Progress Monitoring Transparency (2 of 2)

9. Assignment 1 (due 2/14) Read film review: Mission to Moscow
Answer questions beneath captions for section 4.
Complete map skills, pp. 907
Take Section Auto-test

10. Assignment 2:due 2/15
Read text, pp , identifying 5 new terms and answering 3 Checkpoint questions.
Take Section Auto-test.
No Homework over Presidents’ Day Weekend!