yr13_ia_2007_burridge_c

=Evaluation of Sources (250-400 words)= __Photographs__ Source 1: The photographs above are of Lenin addressing the troops outside the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on May 5th of 1920. In the first photograph, on the steps to the right of Lenin is Trotsky, with Kamenev only just visible behind him. This original photograph was published throughout the world when it achieved iconic status whilst Lenin was still alive and Trotsky still had power. After Trotsky’s downfall, the photograph was never shown again in its original state in the Soviet Union. Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party on November 14th, 1927, and from then on the doctored photograph to the right was published, with Trotsky and Kamenev painted out and five wooden steps painted in. Why they removed Trotsky and Kamenev from the picture is the important question to the historians studying this doctored photograph.

The doctored photograph is valuable to the historian studying photographs taken under Stalin’s rule as it originates from the time of his rule, taken by photographer G. P. Goldshtein, although doctored, it is a primary source, this makes it reliable to historians as we can trust that whoever doctored it was involved in the issues of the time and we can perhaps trust that is was doctored for a good reason. It is also valuable because of its purpose to an extent, the photograph has the purpose of showing the Russian people a great leader, highly involved with his people, and to depict this message without Trotsky and Kamenev by Stalin’s side, as at the time the photograph was doctored, they were both quite literally out of the picture.

Despite this the doctored photograph also has its limitations. Although it was taken by G. P. Goldshtein in WHEN, the date of which it was doctored remains unknown, this means that UMM And the purpose of the photograph is also limited as it is showing a lie. It is useful to historians today, as they can investigate why Trotsky and Kamenev were air-brushed out. Although at the time it was printed for the public to view, they could not have been able to tell that the photograph was air-brushed. They would have believed that this was the original photo.

__Source 2:__ //Dimitry Moor, 1919// //Proletarians of all countries unite!// Soldier, farmer and worker: they are portrayed as the new rulers. The text at the top says 'Proletarians of all countries unite'. It was taken from the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848. The emblem of a hammer and a plough, in the red star at the centre above the people, is the symbol that soon gets replaced by the hammer and sickle. This poster is valuable to historians studying the Soviet Union under Stalin’s rule as it originates from 1919, it is a primary source, and historians may believe that this source is reliable to an extent as Dimitry Moor was alive at the relevant time and was involved in the industrialization and collectivization plans. It is also valuable due to its purpose, which was to be an inspirational poster, appealing to soldiers, farmers and workers, the bourgeoisies. It shows the three main types of bourgeoisies together as they are the class that Stalin needed to appeal to at the time. They are in effect the ones that would have gotten the work done within Stalin’s industrialization and collectivization programs. Stalin’s aim in this poster is to show the working class the supposed power that they held. Although, this poster has limitations. The fact that it originates from the time of Stalin’s rule means that the artist who drew it would have been made to make the poster look as optimistic about the desperate situation as possible, it is not very realistic. The poster’s purpose also limits its value to historians, as it is aimed at the bourgeoisies class, who were in effect being hypnotized by all the propaganda of the period.

__Source 3:__

//“Stalin cult video”//

The NEP years brought the Soviet film industry to new heights. Thousands of cinemas were built and hundreds of films produced. Sovkino, the national film institute was popular and successful at the time. They were propagandistic films aimed largely at the working class to emphasize socialist ideas along strict party lines. In the early 1920’s, a special unit, Proletkino, was formed specifically for the production of political films in line with arty ideology.[|[1]] The accuracy of the message shown in these films is what interest’s historians to this day.

The value of this propagandistic video is that it gives historians an insight into how exactly Stalin reached his audience and how he tried to convince them to support him and his capitalist regimes. The video was fabricated to build up a good reputation and depict a good personality for Stalin. Praise was heaped on Stalin; he was portrayed as the leader, a genius with great wisdom and even prophetic powers.[|[2]] Although this is far from truth as I have stated before how he was thought of as a cruel, bitter man who did not care about his people.

[|[1]] Communist Russia Under Lenin And Stalin, Chris Corin & Terry Fiehn, 2002, p278 [|[2]] Communist Russia Under Lenin And Stalin, Chris Corin & Terry Fiehn, 2002 ,p232