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Stalin's Cult Of Personality

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P3 – “To what extent did Stalin’s cult of personality reflect the adulation the Tsar received?”
During his reign, Stalin promoted a ‘cult of personality’ which enabled him to establish himself and an autocratic ruler that was worshipped as a God-like being, as had the autocratic Tsars who ruled before him. Through propaganda and censorship, Stalin’s image penetrated Russian society, indoctrinating the people of Russia, conditioning them to believe that Stalin was infallible, god-like and ruled with divine rights, comparable to the adulation received by the Tsars (Kenny 2016) (Waugh and Wright 2016). Appendix 3 provides an example of the propaganda used by Stalin, depicting Stalin at the helm of a vast empire stretching farther than the eye …show more content…

Similar to the adulation received by the Tsars, this source demonstrates the influence of Stalin’s cult of personality and exemplifies the common perception of Stalin within Russian society. However, it is noted that this source should be treated lightly, as it was given at the time of Stalin’s reign and the author was influenced by Stalin’s cult of personality. According to Julia Kenny, Student in Major in Philosophy (MPhil) in Modern European History at Cambridge college, Stalin’s indoctrination of the people was ingenious, as Russian people were habituated to supporting an all-powerful leader, such as Tsars that ruled before him (2016). In contrast, there is evidence that suggests that some Russian citizens objected to Stalin’s cult. In an article titled Stalin’s cult of personality, written by UK Essays, it is stated that ‘although in many eyes he (Stalin) was seen as a God, there were certain people who were brave enough to express their malcontent, including several writers, poets, painters and certain underground organizations’ (2015). Those people who opposed Stalin’s authority were located by the Cheka (the secret police) and prosecuted, with the majority of victims being executed or sent away to labour camps in Siberia, where harsh conditions limited their chances of survival. These actions became formally known as Stalin’s ‘Great Purges’ and directly caused the death of 20 million people (Joseph Stalin 2009). Whilst the extent of Stalin’s popularity is unclear, it is evident that through the use of propaganda and fear, Stalin established and maintained a ‘cult of personality’ that resulted in him receiving the power and adulation that the Tsars that ruled before him

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