Propaganda
Propaganda was one of the primary tools used by the State to implement its primary responsibility - the building of a fully Communist society. Failing to acknowledge any rights citizens have to individual dissenting thoughts or opinions, it was used to enforce communist beliefs and promote good behavior. Propaganda glorified government-designated heroes, and denounced those Stalin didn’t agree with.
“What alternative did they have? Not believing? That would lead to certain death. You had to live under the conditions that existed all over the country. That's what propaganda is. Propaganda used music, and poetry and songs and paintings and cartoons. Propaganda was born together with the Soviet Regime in 1917 and through all 70 years of its existence. "
- Boris Efimov, Cartoonist
- Boris Efimov, Cartoonist
For example, In 1932, government endorsed hero Pavlik Morosov (13) saw his father stashing away extra wheat illegally, so he betrayed him to the Soviet secret police. His father was tried and executed. In anger, Pavel’s village killed him. Deemed a martyr by the USSR, his face appeared extensively as a role model.
This idolization reinforced the limit of the citizens’ right to property, and eroded family relationships in favor of the state. Parents became afraid of dissenting in front of their children, fearing being betrayed to the government. This limited free speech, as the eyes of family became the eyes of Stalin. |
Soviet newspapers began falsely claiming Soviet scientists had invented everything to ensure nationalism among the people.
To boost Stalin’s image, history books were rewritten to strengthen ties between Lenin and Stalin.
“Stalin knew how popular Lenin was and saw to it that history was rewritten in such a way as to make his own relations with Lenin seem much more friendly than they had been in fact. The rewriting was so thorough that perhaps Stalin himself believed his own version in the end… There can be no doubt of Stalin's love for Lenin… In reality, however, Stalin distorted Lenin's ideas, because to Lenin -- and this was the whole meaning of his work -- communism was to serve man, where as under Stalin it appeared that man served communism.”
“Stalin knew how popular Lenin was and saw to it that history was rewritten in such a way as to make his own relations with Lenin seem much more friendly than they had been in fact. The rewriting was so thorough that perhaps Stalin himself believed his own version in the end… There can be no doubt of Stalin's love for Lenin… In reality, however, Stalin distorted Lenin's ideas, because to Lenin -- and this was the whole meaning of his work -- communism was to serve man, where as under Stalin it appeared that man served communism.”
Stalin had built a cult of personality. He was “Father Stalin” - portrayed almost a god. His image was also incorporated into the school system. By four, all children could sing multiple songs about their Father Stalin.
Schools instructed that the children’s involvement in the world revolution of communism was their most important priority. The Young Pioneer was a government-run youth organization led through schools.“Pioneer, be ready for the mutual action of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union!”. “Always ready!”
Every morning, students stood before there desks and said, “Thank you Comrade Stalin for this happy life."
Schools instructed that the children’s involvement in the world revolution of communism was their most important priority. The Young Pioneer was a government-run youth organization led through schools.“Pioneer, be ready for the mutual action of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union!”. “Always ready!”
Every morning, students stood before there desks and said, “Thank you Comrade Stalin for this happy life."
"We were always so proud of our motherland, that we had the best of everything. We ended up with the worst of everything in the end, not needed by anybody. That's what I'm ashamed of… I don't even want to look back at my life. Because they led us, yes, they led me. They said turn left and I turned left. They said to the right, I turned right. I practically didn't have my own brain. If I let out a thought, I was afraid that I would be punished for that thought.”
-Tatiana Vorontsova, Russian housewife
-Tatiana Vorontsova, Russian housewife
Propaganda ensured everyone believed communism was the ultimate and only goal.
During the Cold War (1945-1980), propaganda was also used to discredit the US with being backward, greedy, and war-hungry. The USSR was isolated from the rest of the world by what Winston Churchill called “The Iron Curtain”.
(Click on the images above to see them in full)
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow.”
-Winston Churchill on March 5, 1946
-Winston Churchill on March 5, 1946