Stalin and Propaganda

Established as one of the most authoritative and intimidating rulers to have ever walked the face of the Earth, Joseph Stalin was the unmatched communist leader of the Soviet Union for nearly three decades. His regime of fear and terror took the lives of millions, and the implementation of harsh commanding methods consolidated his supreme control over the nation. From 1924 to 1940, the key elements involved in Stalin’s dictatorial regime over the Soviet Union were political propaganda and the accumulation of fear. These aspects resulted in additional governing procedures; the acute censorship of the media and education, and use of the secret police. Together, these components of Stalin’s rule enabled him to manipulate Russian society and therefore maintain his supreme authority over the Soviet Union. Communist revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin, was Stalin’s predecessor in the leadership of
Bolshevik Communist Party; a leadership which lasted from the early 1900’s until Lenin died in 1924. After the armed takeover of the government in 1917, Lenin was accompanied by Leon Trotsky, and the Bolshevik Communist Party became the governing body of Russia. At this point, Stalin had been of little significance regarding the Party’s political growth, and ultimately was not considered to be a symbolic member of the Bolshevik faction. Trotsky described him as the Party’s most “eminent mediocrity” and historian Chris Truman states that “Stalin was seen as ‘dull’ and ‘uninteresting’ by the intellectual elite”. In corroboration, Dennett and Dixon convey that “Stalin was not an intellectual and had no strong talents in the areas of writing or speaking”, and further describe Stalin’s major role within the Party as one of organisation and practicality, rather than leadership. These qualities, however, were not wasted as Lenin recognised Stalin as a hard-working and organised member of the Party, and as a result Stalin was able to ascend the Party’s ranks.

On becoming General