Theme 3 - control of the people
State control of the mass media and propaganda -
Newspapers -
Lenin moved quickly to stamp on any signs of freedom of the press
Newspapers = mouth pieces of the Bourgeoise
By early 1920's all non Bolshevik newspapers were banned
All editors and journalists members of gov
Approval from Glavlit was needed for every article and publication
Pravda - Communist party newspaper, Izvestiya - gov newspaper - propaganda
Newspapers contained - achievements of socialism (production figures etc) -
especially in the 1930's with Stalin's push to industrialise
Also included - expeditions (technology triumphing over nature) - bravery, adventure
Prohibited topics (or those reported late) included plane crashes and natural disasters
e.g. Fire outside of Moscow in July 1972 - delayed reporting by 1 month
Criticising Party leaders was not allowed - only minor bureaucrats
Magazines -
Aimed as specific groups of workers e.g. Farmers, soldiers or teachers
Some interests off limits e.g. Sex, crime and religion
Radio -
Easy for the Bolsheviks to influence as a fairly new development
By 1921 - programmes being broadcasted
Featured news and propaganda material, with little emphasis on music
Installed loudspeakers in public places, factories and clubs
Helped get messages across to illiterate population
Television -
1950's - became a key method to get gov message across
A mix of news, documentaries on the achievements of socialism and cultural
programmes
Life in the Soviet Union presented as joyous
Life under capitalism - rife with crime, homelessness and violence
1985 - greater focus on light entertainment
Results -
People often red between the lines - e.g. News of the heart problems of a Politburo
member was interpreted as a fall from favour
Technology changed but gov ensured a steady diet of propaganda was conveyed
Came to rely on the output as a distraction from the realities of socialism
1980's - technology was advancing further - meant that information could be shared
easier
, Computers - made accessing information easier - challenge to the gov who wanted to
restrict its populations access to information
Personality cults - Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev
Introduction -
Recurring theme in propaganda
Achievements and qualities of leaders highlighted
The focus on individual leaders often went against the socialist emphasis on the
collective
Stalin - turned a dictatorship of the proletariat into a personal dictatorship
Khrushchev - denounced Stalin's cult of personality and then went on to develop his
own
Brezhnev - created a cult which gave him the appearance and trappings of power - he
had less personal power than Khrushchev and Stalin
Why was a cult of personality used? -
Reinforced the power of individual leaders - dethatched them from the collective
leadership in the Politburo
Post Lenin's death - hailed as a hero of the Revolution - images of him appeared
everywhere - used to motivate the population to commit to the revolution
Body displayed in the mausoleum in Red Square, Petrograd renamed Leningrad in
1924
Wave of support for Lenin after his death - gov built on this
The cult of Lenin was used by successive leaders - support their claim - e.g. Stalin
The cult of Stalin -
Firstly linked him to Lenin - loyalty - secondly as a way as reinforcing his personal
dictatorship
Key features -
o 1st phase - highlights the links between Lenin and Stalin (even when none
existed) - closest colleague - hero of the civil war and the saviour of the
revolution
o 1925 - Tsaritsyn renamed Stalingrad
o 1924 - 'Stalin is the Lenin of today'
o 1930's - images of Stalin used to reinforce his power - giving the impression
of the all present, all knowing leader
o Benefactor, inspiration, defender of socialism e.g. Identified him with
achievements of the five year plans
o Posters of Stalin in military uniform common during WW2 - defender of
Mother Russia
o Propaganda posters - man of the people - Stalin and a worker, Stalin and a
peasant
o Images of him with children - father figure
o Biographies - early life was embellished and quite often invented
o Family home in Georgia turned into a shrine
o Happy family life invented - he had only seen his mother 3 times in 40 years
State control of the mass media and propaganda -
Newspapers -
Lenin moved quickly to stamp on any signs of freedom of the press
Newspapers = mouth pieces of the Bourgeoise
By early 1920's all non Bolshevik newspapers were banned
All editors and journalists members of gov
Approval from Glavlit was needed for every article and publication
Pravda - Communist party newspaper, Izvestiya - gov newspaper - propaganda
Newspapers contained - achievements of socialism (production figures etc) -
especially in the 1930's with Stalin's push to industrialise
Also included - expeditions (technology triumphing over nature) - bravery, adventure
Prohibited topics (or those reported late) included plane crashes and natural disasters
e.g. Fire outside of Moscow in July 1972 - delayed reporting by 1 month
Criticising Party leaders was not allowed - only minor bureaucrats
Magazines -
Aimed as specific groups of workers e.g. Farmers, soldiers or teachers
Some interests off limits e.g. Sex, crime and religion
Radio -
Easy for the Bolsheviks to influence as a fairly new development
By 1921 - programmes being broadcasted
Featured news and propaganda material, with little emphasis on music
Installed loudspeakers in public places, factories and clubs
Helped get messages across to illiterate population
Television -
1950's - became a key method to get gov message across
A mix of news, documentaries on the achievements of socialism and cultural
programmes
Life in the Soviet Union presented as joyous
Life under capitalism - rife with crime, homelessness and violence
1985 - greater focus on light entertainment
Results -
People often red between the lines - e.g. News of the heart problems of a Politburo
member was interpreted as a fall from favour
Technology changed but gov ensured a steady diet of propaganda was conveyed
Came to rely on the output as a distraction from the realities of socialism
1980's - technology was advancing further - meant that information could be shared
easier
, Computers - made accessing information easier - challenge to the gov who wanted to
restrict its populations access to information
Personality cults - Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev
Introduction -
Recurring theme in propaganda
Achievements and qualities of leaders highlighted
The focus on individual leaders often went against the socialist emphasis on the
collective
Stalin - turned a dictatorship of the proletariat into a personal dictatorship
Khrushchev - denounced Stalin's cult of personality and then went on to develop his
own
Brezhnev - created a cult which gave him the appearance and trappings of power - he
had less personal power than Khrushchev and Stalin
Why was a cult of personality used? -
Reinforced the power of individual leaders - dethatched them from the collective
leadership in the Politburo
Post Lenin's death - hailed as a hero of the Revolution - images of him appeared
everywhere - used to motivate the population to commit to the revolution
Body displayed in the mausoleum in Red Square, Petrograd renamed Leningrad in
1924
Wave of support for Lenin after his death - gov built on this
The cult of Lenin was used by successive leaders - support their claim - e.g. Stalin
The cult of Stalin -
Firstly linked him to Lenin - loyalty - secondly as a way as reinforcing his personal
dictatorship
Key features -
o 1st phase - highlights the links between Lenin and Stalin (even when none
existed) - closest colleague - hero of the civil war and the saviour of the
revolution
o 1925 - Tsaritsyn renamed Stalingrad
o 1924 - 'Stalin is the Lenin of today'
o 1930's - images of Stalin used to reinforce his power - giving the impression
of the all present, all knowing leader
o Benefactor, inspiration, defender of socialism e.g. Identified him with
achievements of the five year plans
o Posters of Stalin in military uniform common during WW2 - defender of
Mother Russia
o Propaganda posters - man of the people - Stalin and a worker, Stalin and a
peasant
o Images of him with children - father figure
o Biographies - early life was embellished and quite often invented
o Family home in Georgia turned into a shrine
o Happy family life invented - he had only seen his mother 3 times in 40 years
