How Stalin maintained his control over the Russian people during his leadership.

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Farzin Dadashi                                                                             History Coursework

How Stalin maintained his control over the Russian people during his leadership

Stalin maintained leadership in the USSR in many ways. The events of the 1930s left Stalin as the unchallenged leader of the Soviet Union. Stalin had destroyed all opponents or political opponents in the ‘Great Terror’ or anybody who was a possible threat to him.

He maintained control, by holding complete power of Work practices.

Firstly he controlled the agricultural society by introducing collectivisation ( which I had already talked about in the second essay.) Collectivisation also gained control for Stalin, because he was able to gain control of the agricultural produce and sell it for the hard currency he desperately needed. However  his plans were opposed by some. These were the Kulaks, so in 1929 he started eliminating all the Kulaks this was called ‘The liquidation of the kulaks’. HE then controlled the Industrial society by introducing the five-plans which was a blueprint for the development of industry, agriculture, railways, canals, trade, energy, housing education and all the public services.

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Another way that Stalin held onto power was partly making examples of people when they had committed a crime. Stalin had a backup control of punishment, this was a rigid society. He would either hang them if their crime was bad enough and people who did not get executed were taken to some of the most inhospitable and remote areas of the USSR these were called ‘Labour Camps’.

Stalin set up a special department of the secret police (NKVD) in 1930 to run the labour. Its name was Gulag, the chief administration of camps. The prisoners were used as ...

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