Status+of+women,+treatment+of+religious+groups+and+minorities+under+Stalin

 During Stalin's early years of power the Russian Orthodox Church received much persecution. Thousands of church officials and followers were killed. During WWII Stalin revived the church in an effort to promote nationalism. Many new churches were set up and the Soviet - Russian Orthodox Church relations strengthened.

Many of the rights women gained during the revolution (ex. Suffrage, abortions and birth control) they lost when Stalin emphasize women's role in the home. Women were encouraged to become "heroes" of the Soviet Union by having many children to replenish the dwindling Russian population. Women were still very much restricted to home duties and but more and more women were working in factories as Stalin implemented his idea of industrialization increased the need for a huge workforce.

Under Stalin's theory of The National Question, he denied many memories national rights. His regime particularly targeting the Jewish population in the later years of his power. He passed laws that allowed him to legally removed Jews from positions of power and publically announced his hatred of Jews. Towards the beginning of his rule he had a much less extreme attitude towards the Jewish population. Allowed Jews to live in 'peace' in an effort to keep his image of national tolerance while controlling what he thought as the Jewish threat to his power. However he restricted where they lived and during the purge of 1930, prominent Jewish leaders were executed and countless businesses and schools were closed. Historians debate whether Stalin's gradual change in persecution towards Jews was an anti-semetic move or a political one. Stalin recently signed the non-aggression pact with Hitler, who had publically persecuted the Jews.

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