The Development of Totalitarianism Under Stalin

The Development of Totalitarianism Under Stalin

By 1928, Stalin had become the undisputed successor to Lenin, and

leader of the CPSU. Stalin’s power of appointment had filled the

aisles of the Party Congress and Politburo with Stalinist supporters.

Political discussion slowly faded away from the Party, and this led to

the development of the totalitarian state of the USSR. Stalin, through

the Party and bureaucracy was able to extend his personal authority

and the Party’s control over the people.

The cult of personality was a bizarre semi religious institution that

emerged following Stalin’s assumption of power. Stalin helped further

the cult of personality by institutionalising art and culture. Artists

and workers were either forced to join the Union of Soviet artists, or

otherwise operate illegally. Socialist realism, a form of art

appealing to workers and work related themes, was the only form of art

produced throughout 1928 to 1945. The Party’s control of all creative

outlets marginalized all the actual problems of the USSR such as

hunger and the low standard of living. Socialist realism appealed to

the people to adopt “social motivation” as opposed to self-interest.

Art was turned into a tool of propaganda, and this form of universal

propaganda and censorship helped turn the USSR into a totalitarian

state. The Party believed that if the problem was not openly discussed

the analogy “out of sight, out of mind” would apply.

Stalin, through the coercive machinery helped mute out all opposition,

and purge all his personal opponents. The OGPU [later to become the

NKVD] were used to purge the political dissidents in the USSR. The

Great Purges led to thousands of party members, military officials and

civilians being executed or sent to the GULAGS. Whether the purges did

remove enemies of Stalin is questionable, due to the fantastical

methods of the NKVD. The NKVD were set quotas, and operated using

public informers. By 1936 it is estimated 1 in 5 people were NKVD

informers. This Red Terror had the effect of turning the people into

bizarre worshippers of Stalin and the Party.