Cults: Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev

The Cult of Stalin

Just as the tsar had been known as the ‘Little Father’, Stalin's personality was separated from any errors or bad decisions. Stalin wanted to be praised and adored. A cult of personality developed in the USSR.

Why was there a cult?

Stalin was presented as a wise leader who cared about the concerns of ordinary people.
Creating a cult of personality around Stalin also enabled the leadership of the party to exploit the Russian people’s religious sensibilities.
Problems in society could now be blamed on ‘class enemies’ rather than the leadership of the nation.

A true leader

The cult put Stalin above all critique by the Russian population. He was the only person who could deliver true leadership to the people.
Stalin was also presented as the new Lenin, someone who could take the ‘cult of Lenin’ to new heights.
- He was called the ‘Leader, Teacher and Friend’ of the Soviet Union.
The term 'vozhd' was used. This meant a ruler with true authority.
During the war, 'Generalissimo' was used to emphasise Stalin's role as a military leader.

Stalin's transcendent role

He was presented as a genius who understood communism and its politics in a way that no-one else could. He never used the word Stalinism, he was merely a servant of Marxist-Leninism.
Stalin was depicted as working alongside factories, farms and workers. This made him seem close to the people.
He was often surrounded by the Russian youth in propaganda, applauded by workers and gazed at lovingly.

Khrushchev's Cult of Personality

In the process of taking apart the cult of Stalin, Khrushchev tried to build a cult surrounding his own personality.

The media

Despite Khrushchev's many failings in economic, social, and foreign policy, he enjoyed excessive praise from the state-controlled media.
Khrushchev often went over the Praesidium and ignored their suggestions.
- The meetings were an 'empty formality'.
Initially, this seems to have made Khrushchev seem like a strong leader, which fueled the cult of personality.

Differences to Stalin

Khrushchev did not use terror as Stalin had done.
Through his reorganisation of government and party bodies, he made them obsolete.
Historians have seen Khrushchev's cult of personality as being based more around the moral destruction of the opposition than terror.

End of Khrushchev's Cult

Khrushchev had criticised the cult of personality around Stalin.
The same criticism was then levelled against him.
The opposition now portrayed him as out-of-touch.
- He was unpopular for his belief that he could ignore party rules.
- He also ignored and patronised his comrades.

The Cult of Brezhnev

A cult existed around Brezhnev, as it had done around other leaders.

Looking to Lenin

Propaganda during Brezhnev's rule looked to place Brezhnev in the same tradition as Lenin.
- There were frequent references to the cult of Lenin, but few to Stalin.
Brezhnev was presented as a Leninist who would continue Lenin's work.

Military hero and man of peace

Propaganda emphasised Brezhnev's heroism fighting in the Great Patriotic War.
He was also presented as a man of peace who pursued a policy of detente.
He had begun his working life in the steel industry, so was presented as a true man of the people.

Failure of the cult

The Brezhnev cult did not have the intended effect.
It was clear to almost everyone that Brezhnev was a bureaucrat and not a revolutionary leader.
This led to the ridicule of his cult.

1Communist Government in the USSR, 1917-85

1.1Establishing Communist Party Control, 1917-24

1.1.1The Creation of a One-Party State

1.1.2Government under Lenin

1.1.3Centralisation of Power

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Establishing Control

1.1.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Establishing Control

1.2Stalin in Power, 1928-53

1.2.1The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.2The Purges of the 1930s

1.2.3End of Topic Test - The Elimination of Opponents

1.2.4Stalin's Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.5Stalin's Power During & After the Communist Party

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Power Over the Communist Party

1.2.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Stalin in Power

1.3Government, 1953-85

1.3.1Changes in Leaders' Control of the State

1.3.2Khrushchev's Attempts to Reform Government

1.3.3End of Topic Test - Government 1953-85

1.3.4Stability & Stagnation, 1964-85

1.3.5End of Topic Test - Stability & Stagnation

1.3.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Government 1953 - 85

2Industrial & Agricultural Changes

2.1Towards a Command Economy

2.1.1Nationalisation of Industry, Communism & the NEP

2.1.2End of Topic Test - Towards a Command Economy

2.2Industry & Agriculture in the Stalin Era

2.2.1Five Year Plans & Industrial Change

2.2.2Five Year Plans & Industrial Change 2

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Five Year Plans

2.2.4Agricultural Collectivisation & its Impact

2.2.5Recovery from War after 1945

2.2.6End of Topic Test - Collectivisation & Recovery

2.3Changes in Industry & Agriculture, 1953-85

2.3.1Light Industry, Chemicals & Consumer Goods

2.3.2Investment in Agriculture & Virgin Lands

2.3.3Attempts at Reform after 1964

2.3.4End of Topic Test - Industry & Agriculture

2.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Industry & Agriculture

3Control of the People, 1917-85

3.1Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.1State Control of Mass Media & Propaganda

3.1.2Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices

3.1.3Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices 2

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.1.5Cults: Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev

3.1.6A-A*/ - Media, Propaganda & Religion

3.2The Secret Police

3.2.1Attacks on Opponents of the Government

3.2.2The Roles of Yagoda, Yezhov & Beria

3.2.3Andropov & Late Opposition to Soviet Rule

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Secret Police

3.3The State & Cultural Change

3.3.1Proletkult, Avant-Garde & Socialist Realism

3.3.2Nonconformity from the 1950s

3.3.3End of Topic Test - State & Cultural Change

3.3.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Control of the People

4Social Developments, 1917-35

4.1Social Security

4.1.1Full Employment Benefits

4.1.2Housing & Social Benefits

4.1.3Khrushchev, Brezhnev & Stable Society

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Social Security

4.2Women & Family

4.2.1Changing Status of Different Groups

4.2.2Changing Attitudes to Family

4.2.3Changing Attitudes to Family 2

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Women & Family

4.3Education & Young People

4.3.1Growth of Primary, Secondary & Higher Education

4.3.2Reduction of Illiteracy

4.3.3State Control of the Curriculum

4.3.4End of Topic Test - Education & Young People

4.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Social Developments

5Historical Interpretations

5.1What Explains the Fall of the USSR, 1985-91?

5.1.1Economic Weakness

5.1.2Attempts at Economic Reform

5.1.3Failure To Reform The Communist Party & Soviet Gov

5.1.4Impact of Reforms

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Economic Reform

5.1.6Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.7Impact of the Nationalist Resurgence 2

5.1.8End of the USSR

5.1.9Gorbachev & Yeltsin's Responsibility

5.1.10End of Topic Test - Nationalist Resurgence

5.1.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Explaining the Fall of the USSR

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