Stalin's rule had major social, economic, and political impacts on the Soviet Union. Socially, Stalin imposed strict state control over all aspects of life, leaving citizens living in constant fear under his repressive dictatorship. Economically, Stalin rapidly industrialized the country through ambitious Five Year Plans, but this was achieved through the forced collectivization of agriculture which resulted in famine and shortages. Politically, Stalin consolidated his totalitarian control through propaganda, purges like the Great Terror involving executions and labor camps, and eliminating all opposition.

3. Impact of Stalin’s rule
Economic
impact
Five Year
Plans
Rapid
industrialisation
Collectivisation
Social
impact
Political
impact
The Great
Terror
Propaganda

4. Collectivisation
Rapid
industrialisation
Five Year
Plans

5. • Cult of the leader
• Close to Lenin
• Stalin as humble
• Remove memory of rivals
Propaganda
• Show trials
• Labour camps (gulags)
• Police surveillance
• Executions
The Great
Terror

6.  What was the social impact of Stalin’s rule?
 ‘To what extent did Stalin’s dictatorship devastate the
Soviet Union?’

7. Country>Individuals
Control > Freedom

8.  State control
 Living in fear
 Impact on various social groups

9. Living in fear
 (refer to ‘The Great Terror’ under Political Impact)

10. State control of society
‘Major social goods like housing, education, health
services and even an individual’s vacation destinations
were determined and distributed by state
departments.’ (p.54)

11. State control of society
Fall in the standard of living (i.e. how good life is)
 People forced to live in cramped conditions in cities
 Forced to work long hours to meet quotas
Famine
 Grain produced was taken away from farmers
 Grain was sold overseas for money rather than
distributed

12. State control of society
Lack of consumer goods (e.g. furniture, clothes, etc.)
 Focus on producing industrial goods
 Focus on meeting quotas, not people’s welfare

13. Impact on various social groups
4 Main groups of people
 Children
 Men
 Women
 Minority nationalities

14. Impact on various social groups
Children: Compulsory schooling
 Increased literacy (i.e. ability to read and write)
 Children were indoctrinated with pro-Stalin
propaganda
Men: The ‘New Soviet Man’
 Idealised men who were hardworking and willing to
work in industrial jobs
 Example of Alexey Stakhanov (see pp.56-57)

15. Impact on various social groups
Women: Entry into the workforce
 Women encouraged to work in factories
 Women expected to be good mothers and workers
Minority nationalities
 Refers to non-Russian people in the USSR
 Cultural identity was diminished
 Example: Ukraine suffered badly (see p.56)