How Far Was the Use of Show Trials the Most Important Way...

How far was the use of show trials the most important way in which Stalin kept control of Russia? The Show trials were one of the most important ways by which Stalin kept control over Russia, however the work of the Secret Police, the creation of the cult of Stalin and his use of socialist realism were also significant. The show trials were was very important in Stalin’s control of Russia; by killing all the Bolsheviks that might oppose him he was able to rule freely. The Bolsheviks that were accused were forced to confess many crimes, including plotting to murder Lenin. This enabled Stalin to lay the blame on Trotsky, whom he accused of leading these plotters. This was very important because there were still many people who thought it†¦show more content†¦However the NKVD’s purges led to many educated people being arrested, resulting in lowering the quality of produce and not meeting the targets of the 5 year plans. This would have made many ordinary Russians angry because Stalin had promised them that their hard work would result in meeting the targets and helping Russia become a stronger country. However the fear provoking methods of the show trials and the NKVD were not the only ways by which Stalin kept control over Russia- the cult of Stalin also helped this happen. The cult created the impression that Stalin was god-like and could never do wrong. Through propaganda, ralies, the press and paintings he was depicted as the ‘genius of the age’ making many people look up to him and follow his every word.The people were also told he was never wrong; this protected him from any challenges. Stalin always highlighted his successes, making people believe he was making Russia great despite everything they were going through. This created a lot of support for Stalin, solidifying his position as the leader. Stalin also used less conventional forms of propaganda to keep control of Russia; he controlled culture through using writers, artists, film-makers and composers to support the government through ‘socialist realism’. Composers like Shostakovich and Prokofiev were ordered to write music that could be easily understood. The arts could never be abstract- it had to be intelligible to the ordinary person; their soleShow MoreRelatedTo Wh at Extent Were the Purges Caused by Stalins Paranoia?4348 Words   |  18 Pages SCN: O62114657 Introduction J.Arch Getty says that â€Å"The Great Terror of the 1930s in the Soviet Union was one of the most horrible cases of political violence in modern history†[i] but was this political terror a result of Stalin’s own paranoia or a necessity to maintain control in Soviet Russia? 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