Totalitarianism+under+Stalin;+the+aim+and+the+extent+to+which+it+was+achieved

Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism implies a state run by a dictator or a single political organization that suppresses all political opposition, along with individual liberties, and seeks total allegiance from its citizens, both in thought and deed. By this definition the USSR was such a state, at least in intent. It is true that administration was sometimes chaotic and confused, and that local initiative was thereby not stifled -- although local initiative was exercised by Party members. It is true that there were still factions within the Party, and personality clashes. Disagreements occurred between local and central committees. Molotov1 favored a more rigorous campaign against 'oppositionists' than Ordzhonikidze2, who paid the prize for his moderation. Zhdanov3 welcomed criticism from rank and file Party members in the spirit of Lenin4, whereas the Security Chief Yezhov5 favored a strict adherence to the official line. It is also true that fewer individuals were expelled from the Party as the 1930s wore on, and the majority of expulsions from the Party were for non-ideological reasons such as theft and discipline. Readmissions to the Party began after 1936.
 * Was Stalin's USSR a totalitarian state in the 1930s?**

1- Vyacheslav Mikhailovish Molotov: Soviet politician and diplomat, leading figure in Soviet government from 1920s on; principal Soviet signatory of the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact of 1939 2- Sergio Ordzhonikidze: member of the Politburo (executive organization of communist party) and close friend of Stalin 3- Andrei Alexandrovich Zhdanov: soviet politician, became leader of All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in 1934 4- Nikolai Ivanovich Yezhov: determined loyalist of Joseph Stalin; senior figure in the NKVD (Soviet secret police) during the Great Purge, wrote a paper in 1935 which contributed to ideological basis of the purges arguing that political opposition must eventually lead to violence and terrorism 5- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: Russian revolutionary, communist politician; principal leader of the Russian October Revolution and first head of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic

Laver, John. __Joseph Stalin: from Revolutionary to Despot.__ – Personalities & Powers. London: Hodder & Stoughton. 1993. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin user:LAURA92

Can we do more with any of these? Did Stalin advocate a totalitarian state? What policies did he support that you would consider totalitarian in nature? user:jennpratt