The following were equally important reasons why Stalin was able to hold onto power in the Soviet Union - The purges and show trials - The secret police

... The following were equally important reasons why Stalin was able to hold onto power in the Soviet Union: * The purges and show trials * The secret police * Propaganda and the cult of personality * Stalin's economic policies. Explain how far you agree with this statement. I agree that all the above reasons did help Stalin stay in power and I believe that they are equally important reasons. I believe that they were all entwined and that they could only all happen together and that one would not have happened on its own. To illustrate my argument, I am going to take each of the four above points and then link them to the other three. I hope I provide enough information and construct my argument well enough that you will see how I came to the above conclusion. The first topic I am going to look at is the Great Purges

want to read more? →