Joseph Stalin Quote Analysis

“‘Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem’” (qtd. in “Joseph Stalin Quotes”). This startling statement by the former leader of Russia, the brutal dictator Joseph Stalin, is a strong reflection of the society portrayed in George Orwell’s 1984. In his novel, the totalitarian regime controls most aspects of society and destroys any opposition, including Winston, the protagonist, who fails in his attempt to resist the government. Similar to this society, many Communist Party members and other Russians who had conflicting views from Stalin during his reign were killed or sent to labor in camps with harsh conditions. Therefore, Stalin’s Russia reflected 1984 in regards to the destruction of any opposition to the ruling power, the
Likewise, “Stalin instituted the Great Purge, a series of campaigns designed to rid the Communist Party, the military and other parts of Soviet society from those he considered a threat” (“Joseph Stalin”). In order to gain dictatorial powers, Stalin destroyed resistance to his authority, which enabled him to enact all of the Communist policies he desired, such as mass collectivization. Furthermore, “He expanded the powers of the secret police, encouraged citizens to spy on one another and had millions of people killed or sent to the Gulag system of forced labor camps” (“Joseph Stalin”). This increase in the role of secret police and private citizens in discovering opposing views to Stalin most likely further eliminated resistance, as potential anti-Stalinists would be deterred due to fear of punishment in labor camps or death. As seen in Russian society, the destruction of opposition against a ruling power ensures complete dictatorial control over a country by a leader, such as Big Brother in