How accurate is it reason for the survival of Communist in the USSR in 1953-85 was the control of the media
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Course
Communist States in the 20th Century
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
How accurate is it to say that the principle reason for the survival of Communist rule in the soviet union in the years 1953-85 was the communist control of the media
History A-level - marked by a teacher
17/20 - A
How accurate is it to say that the principle reason for the survival of Communist rule in the
soviet union in the years 1953-85 was the communist control of the media
During the years 1953-85, there were several threats to the stability of communist rule from
dissidents and the general public to the economy, to ensure there was no fluctuation in the
stability communist leaders utilised the control of the media to prevent popular protest
overtaking. The survival of Communist rule can be seen through the lack of protest and
continuity, and this is how it will be chacterised how accurate it is. Therefore, it is somewhat
accurate to say principal reason for the survival of Communist rule in the Soviet Union in the
years 1953-85 was the communist control of the media.
The soviet leadership used mass media as a weapon of propaganda, highlighting the success
of the government and socialism, but also hiding and distracting the general public from the
mishaps of the soviet system. Newspapers for instance had high readership, the Pravda
having a circulation of 10.7 million in 1983, therefore ensuring their will was spread through
the people. But more significantly, they could control narratives such as when a nuclear waste
storage tank exploded and killed 200 people and over 270,000 being exposed to high
radiation levels did not acknowledge it. Furthermore, controlling the information and in some
ways belief system of its people the government was able to ensure the survival of
communist rule through continuity and lack of protest. The censorship in radio, magazines
and television exposes a similar story, with the media being heavily controlled.
Despite controlling the people through media, it can be argued that a more significant tool of
propaganda would be leadership cults. Brezhnev adopted a cult for pragmatic reasons and to
consolidate his position and help stabilise the regime. Brezhnev adopted the show of a
military hero and a true man of the people. However, unlike the Cult of Stalin which
successfully won over the hearts of the people, Brezhnev became the butt of many jokes as
his military failures and luxurious lifestyle undercut his claims to be a man of the people. In a
similar way, Khrushchev had critised Stalin’s use of personality cults and therefore himself
had to have a very subtle cult. Furthermore, the cults of personality failed to restore the belief
system of the people and therefore did not create continuity. This points to the conclusion that
the principle reason for survival was the communist control of the media.
Similar to the control exhibited with the use of mass media, the secret police as an instrument
of terror can be identified as a more important factor in ensuring social stability and in hand
the survival of communist rule. After Stalin’s death, Beria - the head of the NKVO- was a
very key contender in the race for the leadership of the USSR. He held Significant power
including complete control of the secret police and Gulags. Beria’s reputation was tied to the
terror of the late Stalinist era -notably the purge of the Leningrad party where 2,000 members
were exiled. To prevent his powers emerging there was a major restructuring of the Secret
police and in hand instruments of terror. The KGB was created in 1954 to place the secret
police under party control in an attempt to prevent it from becoming a tool for an individual.
Moreover, this marks a major shift in how the government used terror over its people.
Khrushchev dismantled the Gulag system reducing use of forced labour and returning Gulag
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