Personality Cults

what does personality cult actually mean?

groups of people worshipping one person, exaggerating their qualities and making them seem superhuman.

Why did Lenin have a personality cult?

to secure power, benefit party, keep a sense of normality, and to have something to hope for

What are the outcomes of Lenin’s personality cult and what strengthened it?

seen as the father of communism, it became stronger after his death, exploited by others, built around assassination attempt

Why did Stalin have a personality cult?

to fill his own paranoia, allow him freedom, become the only leader, gave him a public image

What was the nature of Stalin’s personality cult?

deliberate, calculated, extreme, went straight to the people

give a quote on how Stalin was perceived?

“Stalin was like a God to us”

Why did Khrushchev have a personality cult?

have people want change, seem wise, cancel out the humiliation he once faced

What was the nature of Khrushchev’s personality cult?

weaker but present, becomes mockable, more modern, down to earth but superior

Why did Brezhnev have a personality cult?

compensate for weakness, seem strong, military power, cover up decline

What is the nature of Brezhnev’s personality cult?

a source of ridicule and is used by others

what were the names of the 2 main Soviet newspapers and which one did Khruschev’’s son in law become the editor for?

Pravda and Izvestiya, his son in law was the editor for Izvestiya.

what happened to Lenin’s brain after he died?

it was cut up into 10,000 pieces to find anatomical evidence for his genius

what happened to Lenin’s body after he died?

it was embalmed and put into the Kremlin for worship, this was against his wishes

what was Stalin referred to as?

the Vozhd aka fatherly leader of the nation

what was the a common form of imagery of Stalin?

exaggerated statues of him making him seem huge when he was only 5”6

what as the main way Khrushchev’s image was shown?

through tours, visits, meetings, photos to make him seem in touch with the people

how was Khrushchev presented?

humble roots but as a wise leader with miraculous agricultural solutions

what did Brezhnev win?

the Lenin Prize for Literature on his autobiography that he didn’t write

how successful was Brezhnev’s personality cult?

not very as it was a substitute for power and people did not believe his medals and titles