Propaganda and manipulation was used in the 1920s to grant Stalin a victory in the ongoing power struggle. By 1922 Stalin was in a unique position to manipulate policies due to the fact that he belonged both to the Politburo (it set policy) and the Secretariat (it managed personnel) („Stalin and The Lesser Gods”). To hold back Trotsky, he also entered in an alliance with Zinoviev and Kamenev, thus forming a “triumvirate” („The Struggle for Succession”). The triumvirate dominated in the Politburo and also isolated their common rival („The Struggle for Succession”). Aware of the power struggle arising and the deep affairs of his successors, Lenin tried to intervene and keep the party discipline, but the triumvirate gave orders and he was left banned from involvement in any government affairs („The Struggle for Succession”). Next, Stalin broke up the triumvirate to obtain “undisputed personal leadership” („Stalin and The Cult of Personality1”). Then, in order achieve full control Stalin had to win the support of the party cadres, so he promised to provide a continued and stable leadership, to repel all of the democratic challenges and to maintain any privileges the country has gained („The Stalin Cult: the Cult of Personality”). Not only Stalin concentrated on manipulation of the party, but immediately after Lenin’s death he also endorsed an extravagant quasi-Byzantine cult of the departed leader in order to start building his own cult of personality and undermine his opponents’ authority („The Struggle for Succession”). He rewrote history in such a way as to make himself appear much closer to Lenin than he was in fact („Stalin and The Cult of Personality1”). Since people were vulnerable at that time it was easy for them to be convinced in Stalin’s new reproach that in its own way looked very much like Lenin’s. Stalin indeed loved Lenin and wanted to prove his love not only to other people but to himself as well („Stalin and The Cult of Personality1”). He succeeded in doing so because people began putting their names together („Stalin and The Cult of Personality1”).
“Laughter in the village,
Voice behind the plow,
Lenin and Stalin,
And these verses now...” (by Pasternak) („Stalin and The Cult of Personality2”).
Stalin finally managed to mislead the public that he was closer to Lenin than Trotsky was and this made him the ideal choice for the new Leader. After getting rid of Trotsky, Stalin also used propaganda to erase his image from any popular photographs of the time (look at Appendix – Propaganda #1, #2) Thus, because of the most powerful weapon – propaganda and manipulation - the power struggle was ended in favor of Stalin.
On assuming full control over the USSR, Stalin began major reforms with the help of propaganda in order to rebuild the country. Stalin’s policy differed from Lenin’s in that he believed that men worked for communism. That is why he instantly ended the New Economic Policy and introduced the First Five Year Plan („Revolution by Design”). At the time mobilization was the major desire and for it to be fulfilled a harshly controlled propaganda was engendered („Revolution by Design”). Among factories, farms and all of the public places appeared vociferous posters in infinite varieties and quantities („Revolution by Design”). As Gustav Klutsis said: “the country was on the attack!” to fulfill the new plan, to exceed the quotas in any possible way, to secure the USSR („The Struggle for Succession”). Klutsis converted the techniques of the 1920s into an illustration of the plan („Revolution by Design”). Although he used simple colors for his art, many were astonished by the dynamics, which were imposed by newly introduced perspectives and proportions („Revolution by Design”). All of this was juxtaposed with bold, florid typography in order to emphasize and stress the heroic age (look at Appendix – Propaganda #3) („Revolution by Design”). Right after this wild age, Stalin announced a Second Five Year Plan to start immediately („The Struggle for Succession”). It had to deal with the entire leniency allowed to writers and artists at the times of Trotsky and Lenin („The Long History of Censorship”). Lenin and Trotsky may have introduced this new policy since they have realized how easy intellectuals could convey new ideas in society. As a result, the years of this new order saw a great degree of novelty in both literature and arts, which was harshly contrasting to the general political severity of the regime („The Long History of Censorship”). However, upon the annunciation of the Second Five Year Plan all leniency came to its end („The Long History of Censorship”). Thus, the censorship and the purging became even more convoluted and ominous („The Long History of Censorship”). In the Second Five Year Plan all efforts were directed in another direction – repression („Revolution by Design”). In 1934 Stalin embarked first on a purgation of the Party and then of the army („Revolution by Design”). Those who were suspected to disagree or even lack enthusiasm were either sent to labor camps or executed („Revolution by Design”). Many artists from the earlier period died at that time and one of them is Klutsis, who died in the camps (gulags) („Revolution by Design”). Still, in art, literature and any form of expressions of that time one theme dominated and that was the role of the infallible “Vozhd” – Joseph Stalin („The Long History of Censorship”). His image appeared anywhere, in any kind of context – he achieved a status of a demi-god in the USSR („The Struggle for Succession”). He believed he was the “great leader and teacher of the Soviet people” (look at Appendix – Propaganda #4) („Stalin Controls His Image”). He wanted more than anything to be represented as people’s closest friend, their comrade and successor of Lenin („Stalin Controls His Image”). The end justified the means and it did not matter if a few photos had to be adjusted. Spontaneity and originality were driven out by terror and fear, thus producing the new art – the art of Social Realism („The Struggle for Succession”). It dominated in the USSR long after Stalin’s death in 1953 („Revolution by Design”). Stalin has made a lot of reforms to rebuilt the USSR, which all differ in methods and tactics, but they all have at least one thing in common – the usage of propaganda and manipulation.
Stalin’s cult of personality is not by chance because it succeeded to unify the nation, stabilize the state and therefore bring Russia back to power. Even though his reign was primarily related to terror, horror and slaughter, it also helped Russia gradually get out of the crisis it suffered due do previous wars. To rise to power, he built his own by manipulative tactics and propaganda, which on the other hand built Stalin’s image. His name will be remembered in history, for he will always remain “the man of steel”.
Appendix
Propaganda #1
http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishes/reinventing.htm
The first picture represents Stalin and Trotsky celebrating the second aniversary of the Russian Revolution in Red square, while at the second photograph Trotsky is removed.
Propaganda #2
http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishes/reinventing.htm
In the first picture Lenin is adressing the troops, while Trotsky is in the foreground. On the second picture Trotsky is removed.
Propaganda #3
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/VAS/0000-1404-4~USSR-Udarnaya-Brigada-Proletariata-Vsego-Avant-Garde-Posters.jpg
http://heninen.net/sortavala/raids/2.jpg
Propaganda #4
http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishes/stalin.htm
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