Stalin's Rise To Power

By 1928, Stalin had defeated his opposition and established for himself a dominant position in the ruling Politburo1. However, Stalin did not gain a ultimate control over the nation until the late 1930s; when he was then able to consolidate his power and establish a totalitarian regime within the USSR. He does so through a series of processes that help him form a tight grasp over the country. Such processes include the use of propaganda through a cult of personality and a book published by him called the “Short Course”. Another method used was terror; in which people were frighted and thus forced to follow Stalin’s orders. This fear was enforced by the great terror and the great purges. Stalin also used kept the people happy, used politics

To be able to consolidate his power, Stalin thought it best that the people feared him. Consequently, Stalin propagated terror into the hearts of the general public. The Great Terror started right after Stalin defeated his adversary’s from the Politburo in 1928. The terror was easily enforced by Stalin’s secret police. The fear was imposed in many forms, some included the imprisonment of innocent people, whom of which would be taken out of their apartments for no apparent reason other then being an example to their neighbours of what Stalin is capable of doing. Further terror was embedded within individuals themselves; for Stalin knew that providing people with scapegoats2 was important for his success. At that point in time Stalin trailed fifty engineers for the destruction of the Shakhty3 mines in 1928. He also issued repressions – with the intent of distracting people from his own failures, and preparing them for the blood shed that was to come. Moreover, terror in the 1930s came in the form of purges. Stain began by purging the ‘Industrial Party’ who were several Soviet researchers and economists being blamed and indicted for plotting an overthrow against the administration of the Soviet Union. Next Stalin turned his attention to the ‘Union Bureau’, being the government officials and possible adversaries. Stalin also abolished the Kulaks during the collectivisation4 process, when they rebelled against him by burning their crops and killing their livestock. These purges struck the people with fear and thus everyone was forced to be loyal to Stalin, and if not they had no option in revolting against him.Therefore this helped Stalin gain a grasp over his power. The Great Purges were precipitated by the murder of Sergei Kirov5 in 1934. Some question whether Stalin was responsible for the assassination or not, however many historians placed the blame in his hands. Nonetheless, Stalin