Stalin's Cult of Personality

What was Stalin's cult of personality?

Stalin wanted to be praised and adored. A 'cult of personality' was developed for him in the USSR to create adoration of him through the use or art and popular culture to improve his status as the leader and to inspire loyalty.

When did Stalin's cult of personality exist?

Stalin's cult of personality developed in the 1920s and existed throughout his time as leader of the USSR.

Why was there a cult of Stalin?

There were 4 important reasons why Stalin developed his cult of personality:

• ❖ To increase Stalin's legitimacy and authority as Lenin's true successor.
• ❖ To unify the USSR around loyalty to one leader. This was a tradition in tsarist Russia where the tsar was seen as 'the little father'. Stalin's cult of personality was an extension of this.
• ❖ It raised Stalin's status above other members of the Party so he became all powerful.
• ❖ Rapid industrialisation and collectivisation had created great suffering in the USSR. The cult of personality could be used to direct dissatisfaction towards other leaders in the Communist Party, not Stalin.

What was Stalin's image according to his cult of personality?

Stalin had 4 main characteristics according to his cult.

• ❖ Stalin was portrayed as a man of the people working alongside ordinary people. He was characterised as a 'father-figure', very much in the style of the tsars.
• ❖ He was portrayed as an economic expert and amazing economic planner. All forms of media sung the praises of Stalin and his Five Year Plans.
• ❖ He was presented as a great thinker who understood communism and who was the true successor of Lenin. He was called 'Vozhd' which means leader.
• ❖ Stalin's cult of personality developed after the Second World War. He became the 'Generalissimo' which portrayed him as the saviour of the USSR. Films depicted him as a hero; for example, he was shown defeating the Nazis in Berlin when he was never actually there.

How was Stalin's cult of personality created?

There were 4 key ways in which Stalin's cult of personality was created:

• ❖ All images showed Stalin in a positive way. Posters, paintings, photographs and films created a myth of Stalin as a hero.
• ❖ Stalin was honoured in numerous ways. Towns, streets and buildings were named after him. There were statues of him in most towns and cities.
• ❖ History was rewritten to emphasise Stalin's contribution to key events such as the October Revolution in 1917. Old photographs were altered to rewrite history.
• ❖ Stalin was given many titles such as 'Brilliant Genius of Humanity'.