Under Stalin, the Soviet Union underwent forced agricultural collectivization which caused resistance from peasants. Stalin also launched the Great Purge starting in 1934 where he had the secret police target old Bolsheviks, army heroes, factory managers, writers, and regular citizens. Through torture and threats to families, people were forced to confess to crimes and around 4 million people were purged. Stalin consolidated his power through state propaganda, censorship, purges, and terror using the secret police. Atheism became official policy and the government seized church property and killed priests.

1. The Soviet Union Under Stalin Aim: What were the characteristics of communism under Stalin

2. Collectivization What changes did Stalin make in agriculture? Did life improve for Soviet people under Stalin? What was the peasants reaction to changes in farming?

3. The Great Purge Even though Stalin had absolute power, he had these obsessive fears that people were plotting against him. In 1934 he launched the Great Purge.

4. Stalin and the secret police went after the old Bolsheviks. How do you get someone to confess to crimes they did not commit? What would the average person reading a newspaper think about this?

5. He also went after army heroes, factory managers, writers, even regular people. They were charged with many different crimes. Between 1936 and 1938 Stalin held a series of show trials.

6. People confessed to all kinds of crimes after they were tortured or families threatened. Would you admit to a crime you did not commit?

7. Some people were sent to labor camps and some were executed. About 4,000,000 people were purged during these years. To hold on to power, Stalin used the secret police, purges, terror and censorship.

8. The communist party used propaganda. Examples of propaganda . Atheism became the official policy of the U.S.S.R. Many priests were killed or sent to labor camps. (gov’t seized property.) At the head of society is communist party members.

9. Marx Karl Marx said “religion is the opiate of the masses.” True communists are atheists. He believed religion existed to keep people in line.

10. The Government seized church land and executed church officials. The rest of Europe and the U.S. did not trust the soviet union. They felt communism was godless.