subjected to campaigns of terror and violence. They may be forced to live in certain areas or are subjected to rules that apply only to them. Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State Stalin aimed to create a perfect Communist state. To realize his vision, Stalin planned to transform the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state. He began building his totalitarian state by destroying his enemies – both real and imagined. Stalin built a police state to maintain his power. Stalin’s secret police used tanks and armored cars to stop riots. They monitored telephone lines, read mail, and planted informers everywhere. Even children told authorities about disloyal remarks they heard at home. Every family came to fear the knock on the door in the early morning hours, which usually meant the arrest of a family member. The secret police arrested and executed millions of so-called traitors. In 1934, Stalin turned against members of his own Communist Party. In 1937, he launched the Great Purge, a campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened his power. Thousands of Bolsheviks who helped stage the Revolution in 1917 stood trial. They were executed or sent to labor camps for against the Soviet state.” When the Great Purge ended in 1938, Stalin had gained total “crimes control of the Soviet government and the Communist Party. Historians estimate that during this time he was responsible for somewhere between 8 and 13 million deaths. Stalin’s government controlled all newspapers, motion pictures, and other sources of information. Many Soviet writers, composers, and other artists also fell victim to official censorship. Stalin would not tolerate individual creativity that did not conform to the views of the state. Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts glorified the achievements of communism, Stalin, and his economic programs. Under Stalin, the arts also were used for propaganda. In 1930, an editorial in the Communist Party newspaper explained the purpose of art: the cinema, the arts are levers in the hands of Pravda “Literature, the proletariat which must be used to show the masses positive models of initiative and heroic labor.” Under Stalin, the government controlled all education from nursery schools through the universities. Schoolchildren learned the virtues of the Communist Party. College professors and students who questioned the Communist Party’s interpretations of history or science risked losing their jobs or faced imprisonment. Party leaders in the Soviet Union lectured workers and peasants on the ideals of communism. They also stressed the importance of sacrifice and hard work to build the Communist state. State-supported youth groups trained future party members.
subjected to campaigns of terror and violence. They may be forced to live in certain areas or are subjected to rules that apply only to them. Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State Stalin aimed to create a perfect Communist state. To realize his vision, Stalin planned to transform the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state. He began building his totalitarian state by destroying his enemies – both real and imagined. Stalin built a police state to maintain his power. Stalin’s secret police used tanks and armored cars to stop riots. They monitored telephone lines, read mail, and planted informers everywhere. Even children told authorities about disloyal remarks they heard at home. Every family came to fear the knock on the door in the early morning hours, which usually meant the arrest of a family member. The secret police arrested and executed millions of so-called traitors. In 1934, Stalin turned against members of his own Communist Party. In 1937, he launched the Great Purge, a campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened his power. Thousands of Bolsheviks who helped stage the Revolution in 1917 stood trial. They were executed or sent to labor camps for “crimes against the Soviet state.” When the Great Purge ended in 1938, Stalin had gained total control of the Soviet government and the Communist Party. Historians estimate that during this time he was responsible for somewhere between 8 and 13 million deaths. Stalin’s government controlled all newspapers, motion pictures, and other sources of information. Many Soviet writers, composers, and other artists also fell victim to official censorship. Stalin would not tolerate individual creativity that did not conform to the views of the state. Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts glorified the achievements of communism, Stalin, and his economic programs. Under Stalin, the arts also were used for propaganda. In 1930, an editorial in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda explained the purpose of art: “Literature, the cinema, the arts are levers in the hands of the proletariat which must be used to show the masses positive models of initiative and heroic labor.” Under Stalin, the government controlled all education from nursery schools through the universities. Schoolchildren learned the virtues of the Communist Party. College professors and students who questioned the Communist Party’s interpretations of history or science risked losing their jobs or faced imprisonment. Party leaders in the Soviet Union lectured workers and peasants on the ideals of communism. They also stressed the importance of sacrifice and hard work to build the Communist state. State-supported youth groups trained future party members.
World-War-II-Begins-Reading-1.docx