Can someone please help me with this hist essay abt Russia bc i'm pulling my hair out

I don't know about propaganda, but I'd write a bit about the Cheka/later versions of it and gulags being important in the control over the Soviet people. But they're my areas of interest. Also Socialist realism.

I do history alvl. Or more like done now. @zaynie_j
And this is my limited knowledge and how much my brain cells are willing to cooperate.

A great website to use is getrevising for help.

Question is How far do you agree that state propaganda was the main reason for the Soviet regime's control over its people in the years 1917 - 1953? [20 marks]

Plan:
How far? Or to what extent do you agree.------if yes = this is the main factor and argue it throughout the essay
If no--------------------------------------------------------------find other two factors that were more important such as the use of terror , and something else maybe centralised control/power? all control was under the leaders being Stalin and Lenin like a dictatorship)

If it was 1917-53 then it must be Lenin and Stalin.

For Lenin/Stalin Propaganda, you can use :
https://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/lenin-used-six-principles-of-propaganda-to-consolidate-control/
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/russian-trolls-us-election-brexit-roots-in-revolution-a8060711.html#gsc.tab=0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_in_the_Soviet_Union

From what I remember they glorified Lenin like a father figure and children were taught about in schools etc. And find similar information for Stalin.


Terror:
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/reps.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Terror
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Purge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSKTu_QBQUY


Centralised government:
You can take a look at the ban on factions under Stalin in 1921. Therefore opposition was controlled and people had no choice but to listen to the leaders and that's how they kept control?

https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/lenins-implementation-leninism-russia-and-changes-made
https://getrevising.co.uk/revision-cards/centralisation-of-power-under-lenin
https://hishamsrevisionblog.wordpress.com/establishing-communist-party-control-1917-24/
http://ww2.ecclesbourne.derbyshire.sch.uk/ecclesbourne/content/subsites/history/files/Mr%20Mcs%20Russia%20Themes%20Resources/Stalins%20exercise%20of%20control.pdf



For extra marks, you can find another factor but make it easier to save time.
Like Leninisim and Stalinism
For conclusion you know what to do. Just argue and summarise and justify your argument.Address the question throughout


Hope I could help with my limited brain cells at this time. Good luck! You got this
Tips: FIRST dont stress at all. Not helpful
Make a plan/mindmap of what you are going to use
USE YOUR TEXTBOOK and getrevising website

Personally i would focus more on the terror meted out by both the security services and the military in the form of disappearances, extra judicial killings, general executions and so on so forth. the liberal use of commissars in places of work, streets etc. could probably go under both propaganda and the terror point though quickly followed by the policy of getting your neighbours to snitch on each other.
Whilst propaganda undoubtedly played its part in keeping the population, relatively, quiet arguably it was the state sponsored campaign of terror that really did it.
Although, with that being said, if you chose to break your essay down by time then propaganda would come back to the fore during WWII in particular. With the focussing on an existential external enemy did a rather splendid job of uniting communists and everyone else under the flag irrespective of their politics.