The image of the enemy in textbooks on the history of the USSR in the 1930s
on the example of "A Short Course on the History of the USSR" by A. Shestakov
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21847/1728-9343.2021.2(3).244789Keywords:
image of the enemy, textbook on the history of the USSR, Bolshevik propaganda, educationAbstract
The article examines the peculiarities of the formation of the image of the enemy in the textbook of Andrei Shestakov "A Short Course in the History of the USSR." Also, the historiography of the issue is analyzed. It applies to both the Soviet era and the present. Despite the modest attention to this topic by foreign experts, the works that directly affect the issue are highlighted. The main changes in the then system of school education, which led to its unification and formed the requirements for the history lesson in general and the need to develop a textbook in particular, are outlined. The role of Andrei Shestakov, who was one of the first to develop an "ideal" history textbook for the Soviet government, is revealed. His career growth and work with Marxist-Leninist ideology are shown, which in turn helped to achieve this goal.
The process of modification of negative connotations concerning those forces against which the Bolsheviks fought is traced. Thus considering the period of ancient history, the author criticized rich people. The negative image deepened when it came to religion in the Middle Ages. Priests and monks, compared to the wealthy, were perceived not as something "foreign" but more negative as something "hostile." Wealthy peasants received a special color, the term "kulaks" was used for them. The closer A. Shestakov approached the twentieth century in his presentation of historical material, the clearer the formation of the image of the enemy, not only internal but also external. Thus, the first was personified by all the forces against which the Bolsheviks fought. To define such "enemies" used the definition - "counter-revolutionary". The second category was represented by the Entente and the Nazis, who came to power primarily in Germany and Italy.
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