Control of the people, 1917–85 — Edexcel A-Level History
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Control of the people, 1917–85 explained
Control of the people, 1917–85 covers 3 specification points, including State control of mass media and propaganda;… and Attacks on opponents of the government; the….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Media, propaganda and religion: state control of mass media and propaganda; attacks on religious beliefs and practices. The personality cults of Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev.
This topic examines how Soviet leaders used media, propaganda and attacks on religion to control society, and how they built personality cults. State control of mass media meant the Communist Party owned newspapers such as Pravda, ran radio and later television, and censored all output. Propaganda promoted socialist achievements, Five-Year Plans and loyalty to the Party, while suppressing criticism. Attacks on religious beliefs and practices included closing churches and mosques, arresting clergy, and promoting atheism through organisations like the League of Militant Atheists. Personality cults presented Stalin as an infallible genius, Khrushchev as a reforming leader, and Brezhnev as a steady statesman. Students should assess continuity and change across 1917–85, using examples such as the cult of Stalin in the 1930s and the limited relaxation under Khrushchev.
The secret police: attacks on opponents of the government; the roles of Yagoda, Yezhov and Beria; Andropov’s suppression of dissidents, 1967–82; the continued monitoring of popular discontent, 1982–85.
This topic examines the secret police as an instrument of control, focusing on attacks on opponents, key leaders, Andropov’s suppression of dissidents, and continued monitoring after 1982. The secret police, known by names such as OGPU, NKVD and KGB, arrested, imprisoned and executed perceived enemies. Yagoda oversaw the early purges and the first Moscow show trial; Yezhov directed the Great Terror of 1937–38; Beria controlled the security apparatus during and after the Second World War. Andropov, KGB chairman from 1967 to 1982, targeted dissidents through surveillance, psychiatric imprisonment and exile. After Andropov became General Secretary, and continuing under Chernenko until 1985, the KGB monitored popular discontent, though with less mass terror than under Stalin. Students should assess continuity and change in methods and scale.
The state and cultural change: Proletkult, avant-garde and Socialist Realism, 1917–53; nonconformity from the 1950s; clashes between artists and the government to 1985.
This topic examines how Soviet power shaped culture from 1917 to 1985. After 1917, Proletkult promoted a proletarian culture, while avant-garde artists experimented with abstract and revolutionary forms. From the early 1930s, Socialist Realism became the required style, demanding optimistic, party-minded works. After Stalin's death in 1953, nonconformity grew: writers, artists and musicians explored forbidden themes. Clashes with the government continued to 1985, as seen in the Pasternak affair, the Manege exhibition, and the persecution of writers like Solzhenitsyn. Students must explain these phases and the state's shifting responses.
Your focus
- Describe the methods used by the Soviet state to control mass media and propaganda.
- Explain how attacks on religious beliefs and practices formed part of Soviet control.
- Compare the personality cults of Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev in terms of purpose and presentation.
Show all 9 objectives
- Describe how the secret police attacked opponents of the government.
- Explain the distinct roles of Yagoda, Yezhov and Beria in Soviet repression.
- Evaluate the methods used by Andropov to suppress dissidents and the continued monitoring of popular discontent up to 1985.
- Describe the key features of Proletkult, avant-garde and Socialist Realism.
- Explain how nonconformity developed from the 1950s and give examples of clashes with the government.
- Assess the extent to which state control of culture changed between 1917 and 1985.
Control of the people, 1917–85 exam tips
Marking Points
- Explains that state control of mass media involved Party ownership of press, radio and television, with censorship bodies such as Glavlit removing unacceptable material.
- Describes propaganda methods: posters, films, novels and youth organisations that presented Soviet successes and demonised opponents.
- Analyses attacks on religious beliefs and practices, including closure of places of worship, persecution of clergy and anti-religious campaigns.
- Compares personality cults: Stalin’s cult emphasised infallibility and fear; Khrushchev’s cult stressed reform and de-Stalinisation; Brezhnev’s cult projected stability and competence.
- Evaluates how far these methods maintained control, noting that repression and surveillance also underpinned media and religious policy.
- Explains that the secret police attacked opponents through arrest, execution, labour camps and show trials, aiming to eliminate dissent.
- Describes Yagoda’s role in the early 1930s, including supervision of the NKVD and involvement in the first show trial.
- Analyses Yezhov’s direction of the Great Terror, with mass arrests and executions of Party members, military officers and ordinary citizens.
- Assesses Beria’s role in managing security during and after the war, including deportations and control of the Soviet atomic project.
- Evaluates Andropov’s suppression of dissidents from 1967 to 1982, using surveillance, psychiatric hospitals and exile, and the continued monitoring of discontent from 1982 to 1985.
- Explains Proletkult's aim to create a proletarian culture and its relationship with the Bolshevik state.
- Describes avant-garde experimentation in art, literature and film, and its partial tolerance in the 1920s.
- Explains the imposition of Socialist Realism from 1932–34 and its core doctrines.
- Analyses nonconformity from the 1950s, including samizdat, underground art and musical subcultures.
- Evaluates specific clashes between artists and the government up to 1985, such as the Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn affairs, the Manege exhibition, and the bulldozer exhibition.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use specific examples, such as Pravda articles or the League of Militant Atheists, to support arguments about control.
- 💡When comparing cults, organise paragraphs by leader or by theme to show clear analysis of change over time.
- 💡Link media and religion to the broader theme of control, explaining how they complemented secret police and censorship.
- 💡Use precise dates and names, such as the 1936–38 show trials or Andropov’s KGB chairmanship from 1967, to show detailed knowledge.
- 💡When discussing change over time, contrast Stalin-era mass terror with later selective repression under Andropov.
- 💡Link secret police actions to the broader theme of control, explaining how they suppressed opposition and enforced conformity.
- 💡Use specific cultural works and dates to illustrate each phase, such as the 1932 decree on literary organisations or the 1974 bulldozer exhibition.
- 💡When discussing clashes, explain both the artists' actions and the government's response to show causation.
- 💡Link cultural policy to political control, showing how tolerance or repression reflected the leadership's priorities.
Common Mistakes
- Treating all three cults as identical; correction: identify differences in tone, purpose and extent, such as Stalin’s use of terror versus Brezhnev’s emphasis on calm leadership.
- Assuming religion was completely eliminated; correction: recognise that some churches remained open under state supervision and that believers continued to practise privately.
- Confusing propaganda with education; correction: distinguish between indoctrination through media and the actual schooling system, though both served Party aims.
- Confusing the roles of Yagoda, Yezhov and Beria; correction: associate Yagoda with the early purges, Yezhov with the Great Terror, and Beria with wartime and post-war security.
- Assuming Andropov ended repression; correction: recognise that he intensified targeting of dissidents through less visible methods such as surveillance and psychiatric detention.
- Believing that monitoring stopped after 1982; correction: note that the KGB continued to monitor popular discontent until 1985, even if mass terror declined.
- Treating Proletkult as identical to the Communist Party; correction: Proletkult was a separate movement with its own leadership and was eventually subordinated to party control.
- Assuming all avant-garde art was banned immediately after 1917; correction: avant-garde artists initially received state support and only faced systematic suppression from the late 1920s.
- Confusing Socialist Realism with mere realism; correction: Socialist Realism required party-mindedness and optimistic portrayals of Soviet life, not just realistic technique.