Stalin Review

1. One social condition that led to the rise of Stalin was the popularity of Marxism in Russia, which led to the Russian Revolution in 1917. A political condition was the power struggle between Lenin's potential successors; Stalin was able to gain the support of others who wanted to prevent Trotsky from coming to power in the event of Lenin's death.
2. Some of Stalin's aims included maintaining his own position of power, collectivizing Russia's economy, spreading Communism throughout the world, and defeating capitalism both locally and internationally. Also: improve industry in Russia (5 Year Plan)
   
3. Stalin was able to gain support from others who did not want Trotsky in power (either because they disliked him personally or disagreed with him politically). When Trotsky was no longer a threat, Stalin turned against the rightists who had been supporting him.
4. Totalitarianism was achieved to a great extent during Stalin's rule. Stalin had "unlimited authority" over the communist party even before Lenin's death and the elimination of Trotsky as a political threat. As Russia's leader, he was able to defeat any opposition through the use of fear and propaganda, and had the power to turn his people against the wealthier peasants (kulaks) in order to proceed with collectivization.
5. One legal method Stalin used in order to maintain his power was the creation of show trials. These were faked trials for people who had already had their fates determined by the government, designed to discourage the public from opposing Stalin. He also used censorship to indoctrinate the people, making sure that writers and artists were watched carefully and forced to join certain unions. (Also- including women in the work force, changing education)
   
6. Two examples of force under Stalin's rule was the use of secret police known as the NKVD and the establishment of Gulags, areas in which prisoners were kept and forced to do labor. (Also- collectivization, 5 Year Plan)
7. Stalin's ideology as a leader seems to have been based almost entirely around the goal of maintaining his own position of power. Because of this, it was his priority to eliminate any possible opposition he might have faced, rather than to work together with others in order to improve Russia.
8. Throughout his rise and rule, Stalin generally focused on eliminating groups and people that might be threats to him in the future instead of waiting for threats to appear unexpectedly. Examples include Trotsky during Stalin's rise, and the kulaks during his rule. One major exception to this was the external threat of Hitler during World War II. Stalin realized that Germany and Russia would eventually go to war, but he did not take any preemptive aggressive actions against Hitler.
9. The Soviet government was controlled by Stalin and a small group of his closest allies, who controlled the nation largely through the use of fear and propaganda. Some of the people within the Communist party disagreed with Stalin, but Stalin and his allies were usually able to control them with purges.
10. Stalin was determined to keep the Soviet Union together, despite the nationalist wishes of some members to become independent countries. He also did his best to make the USSR a totalitarian single-party state under the Communist Party.
11. Stalin achieved the collectivization of agriculture, which was both a social and economic goal, by 1936. He also effectively indoctrinated the people of Russia, resulting in the creation of a cult of personality.
12. Because some priests opposed collectivization, Stalin ordered local party groups to attack priests and churches. The number of working priests dropped from about 60,000 to about 6,000, and only one in 40 churches were left functioning. People began to replace their old religions with worship of Stalin and the Communist Party.
13. Stalin greatly expanded education between the years of 1929 and 1931. This was an efficient way for Stalin to indoctrinate children, teaching them to become good communists.
    
14. Stalin used the arts for propaganda purposes, using them to portray communism as good and capitalism as evil.
    
15. Stalin used the media and propaganda as a method of eliminating his opposition; he was able to convince people that certain groups were enemies of the state, and that everybody should play their part in defeating those groups.
16. Women in Russia were often involved in work, as opposed to Germany, where woman were encouraged to focus on supporting their families at home.
17. Stalin had many religious groups and minorities purged as enemies of the Communist Party.