Essay on Soviet Propaganda - 1881 Words

Soviet Propaganda The soviet communist party, or the Bolsheviks, always new that strong propaganda was essential to increase the consciousness of the masses. As stated in the Encyclopedia of Propaganda, propaganda was central to Marxist-Leninist ideology long before the Bolshevik revolution of 1917.(675) The power of persuasion and coercion were exercised with great force by Soviet leaders. The two leaders whom utilized propaganda to influence public opinion in the USSR were Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Both men used many different facets of the media to spread their propaganda. They also used the troubled social climate along with the ignorance of the masses to custom tailor a regime that lasted for over seven decades.†¦show more content†¦Lenin said, The struggle of the Russian working class for its liberation is a political struggle, and its goal is the attainment of political liberty. (Pipes 45) Lenin used this form of propaganda, agitprop, to convey the need of a total reformati on of Russias government. He knew that this form of propaganda would work best. Propaganda of agitation, being the most visible and widespread attracts all the attention. (Ellul 71) In his agitative propaganda Lenin cited specific enemies, or scapegoats namely, The Mensheviks. Along with the Mensheviks, or whites as they were called, the soviets expressed outright hatred of the western world and its ways. Soviet propagandists created the idea that the western capitalist civilization was falling behind, as the superior socialists marched forward. Soviet artists and intellectuals were ordered to create propaganda material that portrayed this idea of a weak and inferior western world. The soviets official ideology was that they needed to gain complete control of all aspects of communication. Lenin embraced the idea of agitative propaganda that was introduced earlier by Georgi Plekhanov. Since the Soviet union was founded in 1920 there was an official department of agitprop. This de partment worked directly through schools, publications and the broadcast media. (Encyclopedia of propaganda 17) Part of Lenins strategyShow MoreRelatedSoviet Propaganda And The Soviet State888 Words   |  4 PagesThe origin of the soviet propaganda can be traced from the state’s very conception, as the new government worked tirelessly to convince its populace of its legitimacy. Soviet propaganda uniquely differs from other countries’ propaganda, in that the USSR’s extensive censorship and large-scale manipulation of information created the perfect circumstances for near complete control of the citizenry. Only with the arrival of Glasnost in the 1980’s did many in the Soviet state begin to doubt the legitimacyRead MoreShostakovichs Contribution to Soviet Propaganda1970 Words   |  8 Pages In the year 1922, after a long and bloody civil war, the Soviet Union was officially formed. 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