Question by georgina d: What kind of protests were lead against stalin?
Id like to know, if any, what kind of protests were held against joseph stalin (russian leader of the communist party from 1922-1953)
If protesters were faced with server penalities for protesting, were there large protests or were they small, was it an underground kind of thing ect.
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Answer by Sam
no one was crazy, no one. any protest was done by daydreams, and damn few of those. stalin died in march, 1953 and was not protesed, and condemned till 1962.
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gentleroger says
There weren't protests in the traditional sense. Methods of mass communication were too limited and too controlled by the government to be effective. The 'underground press' from the Czar's era had grown into the official news agencies and no group had developed yet to take their place. Governmental agenicies worked diliegently to put a good face on all governmental actions. From the news reports you'd barely have known there was any food shortage in Ukraine at all, let alone a famine. Protests were also limited by government reaction. Following the Russian Civil War, the Bolsheviks efficiently squelched all opposition – from the White Russians who supported the nobility to the Mensheviks who more liberal in nature. The Communist government was too weak to endure much criticism so it prevented any display of its failures.
Despite this there were signs of protest against Stalin. In the country, people avoided paying taxes and held back as much of their food as possible. Some farmers didn't plant entire fields so as to avoid having to pay taxes to the government. This is one of the reasons for the forced collectivization of the late 20's. If Stalin couldn't control the farmers the he would control the farms themselves.
Another sign of protest against Stalin can be seen in the early Central Committee elections. Stalin earned significantly more 'no' votes than his rivals. This was one of the major reasons for the Great Purges and Show Trials of the late 20's and early 30's.
Every time there were signs of protest against Stalin, Stalin would ruthlessly attack. The disruptions of family life caused by the changing of the marriage laws, mass deportations, forced labor all worked to weaken the social bonds that are neccesary for protests to form.
By the late 1930's, the threat from Germany was clear. Stalin ordered several films produced that were designed to raise the publics consciousness of the German threat and inspire them to resist it. By this time Stalin had complete control of both the Party and the Country and the Cult of Personality was developing. The Great Patriotic War cemented Stalin's image as the savior of the country and defender of the People. Just as in the aftermath of the American Revolution, you saw protests against the English and taxes but no one protested Washington.