The Development of the Soviet Military Propaganda during the War with Germany (1941–1945)

The victory of the Soviet Union over the National Socialist Third Reich in World War II is still considered in the Russian Federation as the most important, as well as indisputable contribution to the creation and functioning of the modern world. Moreover, contemporary Russia officially upholds its own version of these events and continuously refers to the shared history of the nations that once formed the Soviet empire. The recurrent images of the Soviets as victors and the ever-renewed concept of Stalin as a national hero are, however, no more than a duplication of the old propaganda models used during the Second World War. The present article seeks to examine the indoctrination efforts undertaken in the Soviet Union at the time of its conflict with Germany during the period 1941–5, particularly with regard to the soldiers of the Red Army. It also pays attention to the emotional appeals of Soviet propaganda and changes in the main ideological directions at various stages of the war.