Sources A and B portray Stalin as a God-like figure, who is popular and actively worked with the Soviet people in the 1930’s to build a stronger economy. These sources are biased and will only show what Stalin wanted people to see; they are examples of classic propaganda that Stalin used to create a cult of personality. Source C is also biased and it will show what Western countries wanted people to think was the truth behind communism. The source is anti-Stalin but still has an important message; Stalin had become invincible because of his power. Many of his policies resulted in mass death yet no one stopped him.
- Study sources D and E. Compare what they say about Stalin.
Sources D and E are both extracts from biographies published in Britain after Stalin’s death.
Source D was published in 1993, after Stalin’s death and the collapse of communism therefore it is very unlikely to be biased. The source agrees that Stalin was a “very skilled, indeed gifted politician” this is an accurate judgement because to reach the position of “supreme leader” and to maintain his authority he had to be a good politician. Politicians aim to lead their countries to success by running their policies. The source states that Stalin was “one of the greatest political figures of the twentieth century” as Stalin became the “supreme leader” of the USSR in 1929 and maintained his position until 1953. The source states that Stalin “had a dark and evil side to his nature.
Source E was published in 1974; when communism was still around but had lost its influence. Source E hints the power Stalin had made him who he was because he abused his power, “the terror was necessary, not only to keep men obedient, but even more to make them believe in him.” There is some truth in this quote as during the Great terror, when everyone lived in fear of being “denounced” to the NKVD, secret police. It disagrees with source D stating “Absolute power turned a ruthless politician into a monstrous tyrant.” This implies that before gaining power, Stalin was just a brutal politician and that the extent of his power corrupted him. This is a powerful quote because it shows the two sources agree Stalin was a good politician but source D implies he always had an evil side to his mature. Source E suggests power corrupted him and made him who he was. The two sources have the same view of Stalin but are explained in different ways.
- Study sources F, G and H. Does the evidence provided by sources G and H prove that source F is true?
Source F is likely to be legitimate because the British historian would have had access to the figures by 1995. The source does not question the educational provision in the Soviet Union. It states: “The greatest achievement was the victory over the traditional peasant curse of illiteracy. This affected 75% of the population in 1917 but was rare by 1939.”
Source G implies that source F is true. In the photograph all the boys are uniformed and well disciplined. The classroom is well resourced; the shelves are full of books and each of the boys has his own books and stationary. The books and the cabinets look new. There is a bust of Stalin visible in the corner of the room.
However, the source was taken in 1940 when the USSR was under the complete rule of Stalin. In 1940 Stalin has complete control of all media and this photograph is likely to be an official photograph therefore likely to be a piece of propaganda.
This source cannot prove source F is true because although it implies F is true the photograph is unreliable. The photograph is of a school in Moscow; Moscow is the capital and largest city in the USSR. So it is likely that the standard of education and of the schools would not be the same in every town and city in the USSR. The source is implying that every school in the USSR is the same as this school. Source G is likely to be a “set up” because it is unlikely that all schools in Russia would be as well resourced as this one.
The photograph may be legitimate, but it might have been taken of a private school in Moscow; therefore the standard of education in the school would be much better than in a rural school. Another possibility is that the school in the photograph could be in a rich and well developed area and consequently other schools in poorer areas would not be able to afford the same resources as this school. The children are all uniformed, but not everyone in the USSR would have been able to afford uniform for their children. The photograph is of a boy’s school, it is possible that girl’s schools may not have been at such a high standard.
Source H is an official poster from 1936; the poster shows family in the Soviet Republic of Azerbijan learning to read and write. The caption reads: “We will change the Soviet Republic of Azerbijan into a republic of abundant literacy.” The family, in the foreground, are from a rural village and are on a farm which is being industrialised as there are pylons being built in the background.
The poster although it shows a rural family learning to read and write, it only shows the government’s intentions for rural USSR. “We will change” shows it has not happened yet and that the poster is only advertising their future plans. The source is unreliable because it is an official poster, and so will therefore show what Stalin wanted people to see.
The poster does not show the change; instead it is promoting the changes the Communist government wanted. Source H shows the intentions of the government and therefore does not show the actual changes. Therefore this source cannot be used to prove source F is correct.
Neither of the sources is reliable, because they are official documents released when Stalin was in control. Source G does not prove source F is true because it is likely to be a “set up”. Source H only shows the changes the Party wanted but not what happened. The changes may have happened but there is no proof of this.
- Look at sources I and J. Which of these two sources gives the most reliable view of Stalin?
Source I is an extract from a speech given to the Congress of Soviets in 1935. The extract thanks Stalin and uses Biblical language throughout. The speech is full of praise and flattery of Stalin “his strength, his charm, his greatness.”
The speech was published in a paper of the Communist Party in the USSR. Therefore the source is likely to be biased and pro Stalin. This is obvious because it was published in 1935, when Stalin had absolute power over all media and official documents. Stalin would not allow negative press to be published about him. This is what created his cult of personality. Source I uses biblical language, which portrays Stalin as a “God-like” man: “men of all ages will call thy name” The source could be fake to show how brilliant Stalin is.
However there is a slight possibility of truth in the extract; this is because the people in the Soviet Union genuinely loved Stalin. This was a result of his control and propaganda. Stalin’s cult of personality created a heroic and idealized public image. The language is extremely “over the top” and exaggerates how brilliant Stalin was: “I have experience a great desire to sing out, to shout with joy and happiness.”
Source J, is an extract from a speech given by Bukharin in 1936. It was given in Paris, outside the USSR and Stalin’s control. The source is more reliable than source I for this reason; Stalin could not censor Bukharin’s speech. It is also more reliable because Bukharin knew and worked with Stalin, this source is written by someone who had a firsthand experience with Stalin.
Although Bukharin was a supporter of Stalin in the “Stalin vs. Trotsky” power struggle; he became a victim of Stalin’s purges in 1938. He was imprisoned after Stalin succeeded in the position of “Supreme Leader”. He was put on trial for being “unreliable” and a “Trotskyist”. The outcome of the trial led Bukharin to be purged for the Party and later exiled. Therefore his bitter feelings towards Stalin may make him biased and anti Stalin.
“If someone speaks better than he does, that man is for it! Stalin will not let him live.” Trotsky was a threat to his position so Stalin accused him of disloyalty and expelled from the Party. Stalin was extremely paranoid and although Trotsky was expelled from the USSR he still thought Trotsky was planning another revolution. Stalin thought Trotsky was making plans to overthrow his and so he had Stalin murdered. This paranoia lead to the Great Purges of 1938. There is some truth in this statement because Kirov was murdered. Kirov’s murder was controversial but it is possible he was murdered because he was a threat to Stalin’s position. Bukharin describes Stalin as a “devil”; this exaggerates his feeling towards Stalin.
To conclude, source J gives the more reliable view of Stalin, the source needs to be qualified because although Bukharin worked with and knew Stalin his bitter feelings towards Stalin may make him anti Stalin. Source I is completely unreliable because it is an official document and the language is biblical which portrays Stalin as a “God-like” figure.
- Look at sources K and L. How far do these sources agree about Stalin’s show trials?
Source K is an American cartoon about Stalin’s show trials. The show trials took place in 1934 – 1939; they were a result of “The Great Purges” which Stalin launched to remove opposition to his position as “supreme leader”. The NKVD, secret police, arrested the accused Party members of being “unreliable” because they were former Left Opposition members or former Trotsky supporters. Stalin believed these men were involved in a conspiracy Trotsky was planning against himself and communism.
In the background of the cartoon officials are standing by the gallows. The cartoon shows the accused Communist Party members in a trial; Stalin has been portrayed as the judge. The men are in court happily confessing to their actions, “Of course I’m a traitor!” “Sure, I tried to betray my country.”
However this is how almost every show trial ended, the accused men pleaded guilty even if they were innocent. This is because the men were promised before the trials that they would not be executed if pleaded guilty. Others confessed after torture by the NKVD and some out of loyalty to the Party.
Although it is an American cartoon, so is anti-communism and anti-Stalin Source K can be justified because the trials were unjust. There is irony in the source because it implies the men are happily going to their deaths. Source K is mocking Stalin’s show trials, but there is a serious underlying message that the trials were unjust, not fair and a joke.
Source L is another cartoon published outside the USSR, in France, during the late 1930’s. The cartoon also shows Stalin as the judge, but also the jury, the lawyer and the stenographer. This source is also sowing how unjust the trials were, because if one man controlled everything and he decided the fate of the accused men then there was no justice. The men were not given a fair trial and not allowed to fight for their cases. The stenographer is also Stalin; this shows he controlled the official records which is accurate because in the Soviet Union he did.
Source I is an example of the control Stalin had over the Soviet people. He created a cult of personality which masked the truth and showed Stalin as a God-like figure.
Though both sources are biased, they give an accurate view of the Show Trials. Both sources K and L give the same message but are presented differently. Source K is humorous whereas source L has a more serious approach.
- “Stalin’s policies and actions within the Soviet Union 1928 – 1953 were primarily designed to maintain his own power and authority.” How far do these sources show this to be true?
In the Soviet Union, during 1928 – 1953, Stalin had absolute control over everything. He was a talented politician who eventually reached and maintained his position of “Supreme Ruler”. He was the most powerful dictators in the 20th Century. Stalin’s actions and policies are controversial; some historians believe they were mainly created for his own benefit; others disagree with this because they believe not all his actions were selfish.
Source A is a classic example of propaganda, which Stalin used to manipulate the attitudes of Soviet people towards him. The photograph portrays Stalin as a god-like figure as he is wearing white and standing out. The source shows that the people in the Soviet Union were his friends. The workers he is standing with seem very pleased to talk to him. They are looking up to him, implying he was a popular leader but also humble. Source A shows only what Stalin wanted people to see; that the Five Year Plans were a success and he was leading innovation in the USSR. The new hydroelectric power station in the background illustrates the success of his plan to industrialise the USSR.
Lenin’s New Economic Policy encouraged agriculture but Stalin believed it was important for the USSR to industrialise. He argued the USSR should come first and communists should concentrate o building up its economy. He felt that with a strong, modern economy Western countries would not attack. The First Five Year Plan first came into action on October 1st, 1928. It was shortened to four years as Stalin felt it was important to rapidly increase production.
Many official posters and photograph were released during the 1930’s to motivate workers and encourage them to reach the goals set by the Five Year Plans. Source A does show that the statement in the question is true. Stalin used the Five Year Plans to control workers as well as improve the USSR’s economy.
Source B is another example of propaganda, the source implies that collectivisation was popular amongst the Soviet people. The women in the photograph seem very happy to be with him again showing Stalin as a “friend of the people”. The source agrees with source A and shows Stalin as being actively involved with his policies.
Collectivisation involved changing the agricultural sector of the economy. Fifty to one hundred families would work together on a “kolkhoz”, share tools and group livestock together. The idea, in theory, seemed feasible but the grain produced was sold to the government at a fixed, low price. It was very unpopular with the peasants because they were not making profits even though production was increased. The Kulaks were richer peasant families who owned more livestock and a larger than average farm. In 1929 the “actively hostile” Kulak families were deported to distant regions, such as Siberia. The wealthiest families were also deported to other regions. Both the “actively hostile” and wealthiest families’ property was confiscated and given to the local kolkhoz. Those categorised as “less harmful” were allowed to stay.
Source B agrees with the statement because Stalin liquidated the Kulaks because they were the only real threat to the success of collectivisation. In the 1930’s the peasants expressed their hatred of collectivisation by destroying their crops, animals and tools. This resulted in a wide spread famine which lasted for three years and killed between five and six million people.
Source C is a biased cartoon published in Paris, the cartoon shows the results of Stalin’s policies from an anti-communist view. It depicts Stalin as a mass murder showing death was the ultimate result of his policies. There is some truth in this, although the cartoon is anti-Stalin and anti-communism, many of Stalin’s policies lead to death. Collectivisation was unpopular with the peasants and led to the Famine in 1921. He launched the Purges, where a guilty conviction led to an execution. This led to the Great Terror, in 1937; fear struck everyone and nowhere was safe.
Source E depicts Stalin as a “monstrous tyrant” and agrees with source C. It was published in 1974 when communism was still around but was about to fall. It reads: “The terror was necessary, not only to keep me obedient” this shows that Stalin’s actions in the USSR during his reign he manipulated fear to maintain his position. People, who spoke about Stalin negatively, in public were threatened with death and sometimes killed. “Without terror, who would have failed to notice the clear absurdity of Stalin’s rule?” His opponents “mysteriously” died; such as Sergei Kirov. Although his murder was planted on Leonid Nikolayev, it foreshadowed the extreme policies Stalin launched. The Purges followed another threat to any opposition to Stalin’s power.
Source J may be biased because it was written by Bukharin who supported Stalin during the “Power Struggle” after Lenin’s death. However he also was a victim of Stalin’s purges and was assassinated in 1934. Source J shows how Stalin manipulated laws so he could maintain his power. “Stalin will not let him live”; this shows the methods Stalin used were seen as “normal”; his is not being called a murderer directly. Stalin only maintained his rule because he eliminated the opposition; he was extremely paranoid and even ordered for Trotsky’s death, despite Trotsky being in Mexico at the time.
Both Sources K and L agree with source J; they are both about Stalin’s show trials. Stalin is drawn as the judge and there is no jury present showing how unfair the trials were. The cartoon is biased and anti-Stalin but shows the truth behind the show trials. Source K shows the manipulation of fear and how Stalin tricked the men into death. Most men confessed to their involvement even if they were wrongly accused because they were told beforehand that they would not be executed but as shown in the cartoon death was the punishment.
Source L gives the same message, it show there was no justice in the USSR during Stalin’s reign and also agrees with source E, his power was in excess and no one could oppose him. Stalin is drawn as the judge, the jury and the lawyer. He is also shown as the stenographer, writing the official records showing the complete “absurdity of [his] rule”. Many historians agree Stalin had too much power and he could even re-write the history. After Trotsky was purged he used propaganda to depict his as a German spy and a monster.
However, sources F, G and H all show Stalin genuinely cared about education and so launched the education provision. Source F states the achievements of this policy and how successful it was: “victory over the traditional peasant curse of illiteracy. This affected 75% of the population in 1917 but was rare by 1939.”
Source G is a biased photograph published in the USSR during Stalin’s reign. However it still shows the success of Stalin’s policy, all the boys are disciplined and are being educated in a clean and well resourced school. Although it is very unlikely all schools were up to the same standard, it shows the education provision was a success.
Source H shows the change Stalin wanted in all regions. The peasant family is being taught how to read and write; another step towards eliminating illiteracy. Although it is an official poster and biased; it does show how the “victory over the traditional peasant curse of illiteracy” was won.
Sources D and I are irrelevant because they describe Stalin as a man and not his policies. Source D shows he had an “evil side” but also that he was a “gifted politician and one of the greatest political figures of the twentieth century.” Source I states how power corrupted him: “Absolute power turned a ruthless politician into a monstrous tyrant.”
Source I is biased but could be true because it illustrates the cult of personality Stalin created. The biblical language used and God-like portrayal show it is pro-Stalin.
