The cult of personality of the leader, or What are totalitarian political regimes

The father of the people, Comrade Stalin and Chairman Mao were marked by grandiose cults of personality in their countries Vitaly Kurennaya - Cult of Personality // PostNauka [11:47]
Cult of Personality

- exaltation of an individual (usually a statesman) by means of propaganda, in works of culture, government documents, laws. The individual gradually begins to acquire numerous talents in all areas of human activity; she is credited with extraordinary wisdom, the ability to foresee the future, to choose the only correct decision that determines the prosperity of the people. Portraits of this leader are hung in government institutions, people wear his images at demonstrations, and monuments are erected. In addition to the traits of an outstanding statesman, individuals are beginning to be credited with remarkable human qualities: kindness, love for children and animals, ease of communication, modesty, and the ability to condescend to the needs and aspirations of the common man. Although such deification of government officials has existed at all times, the term “cult of personality” is most often applied to socialist regimes. The most famous are the personality cults of Stalin and Mao Zedong.

Turkmenistan – Saparmurat Niyazov

Turkmenistan gained independence after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. 8 years later, in 1999, Saparmurat Niyazov became the lifelong president of Turkmenistan. Attempts by political opponents to remove Saparmurat Niyazov from the presidency were unsuccessful. All opponents were sent to prisons or psychiatric hospitals, and the media glorified the current ruler. Niyazov is also famous for his rather strange prohibitions. For example, he prohibited the showing of ballet and opera on television, and the wearing of long hair and beards by young men. Saparmurat Niyazov also changed the names of months in honor of his family members.

Equatorial Guinea - Francisco Macias Nguema

Francisco Macias Nguema's reign began in 1968 and lasted until 1979. Immediately after receiving the post of leader of the country, Ngema gave himself full power over all branches of government. In 1972, Nguema united all the country's political parties into the United National Party, after which a referendum was initiated. Through a referendum, Nguema appointed himself president for life of the country. Any attempts to resist the ruler were suppressed, and the most objectionable ones were simply killed. As a result, in 1979 a coup d'etat took place in Equatorial Guinea and the rule of Francisco Macias Nguema ended.

Iraq - Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein became the fifth president of Iraq. This happened in 1979. Hussein's rule lasted until 2003. Hussein's main achievement was the close interaction of the military with the work of the government. As a result of Hussein's rule, the country managed to nationalize oil production and gain control over most banks. All these achievements were accompanied by the elimination of opponents and other repressions. According to one version, at least 250,000 people were killed during the entire existence of Saddam Hussein's regime. Hussein's cult of personality ended in 2003 when the US army invaded the state and captured the country's leader.

Examples[ | ]

Vladimir Lenin[ | ]

Main article: Lenin's cult of personality

Joseph Stalin[ | ]

Main article: Stalin's cult of personality

Celebrating Stalin's 70th anniversary in the PRC in 1949.

Leonid Brezhnev[ | ]

Doxology of Brezhnev (or “dear comrade Leonid Ilyich”) was a hallmark of “developed socialism.” This was not a cult, but a tribute to a major leader supported by the nomenklatura dependent on him, included the presentation of an extremely large number of government awards to Brezhnev [5] (including the “Order of Victory”, which was awarded only to the great commanders of the Second World War, and four medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union). Portraits of Brezhnev and banners with slogans based on excerpts from his speeches were hung in government agencies. In the last years of his life, a number of works were published under the authorship of Brezhnev: “Small Earth”, “Renaissance” and “Virgin Land”, which were awarded to Brezhnev with the Lenin Prize. However, it is known that they were written in collaboration with a group of writers. The reaction to these phenomena was reflected in a large number of anecdotes. After the death of Brezhnev and other leaders of the USSR, their names appeared (briefly) in geographical names. Thus, the cities of Naberezhnye Chelny, Rybinsk and others were renamed.

Adolf Hitler[ | ]

Adolf Hitler in the Presidium of the Reichstag
Fuhrer of the Third Reich Adolf Hitler in Nazi propaganda was called by many titles ( Supreme Judge of the German People

,
First Soldier of the German Reich
,
First Worker of the New Germany
,
Greatest Commander of All Time
,
Military Leader of Europe
,
Supreme Defender of the Holy Mountains
, etc.). Hitler was usually presented as a god-like figure who loved and cared for his people, and this was actively demonstrated in propaganda posters, where Hitler was sometimes depicted hugging a girl or stroking a boy’s head, etc. Numerous events, literary works, paintings, films, songs and hymns were dedicated to him. Individual organizations bore a name, for example, “Hitler Youth” or the 1st elite SS division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler”. Squares, streets and other objects were named in his honor, not only in Germany, but also in other Axis countries and territories occupied by Germany. The study of his work “My Struggle” (Mein Kampf) began in primary schools and ended in institutes. The official greeting in the security and civil services was "Heil Hitler" (literally, "Long live Hitler"). The cult of Hitler also spread thanks to many collaborationist groups such as OUN-UPA, ROA, RONA, KONR, etc., which presented him as a liberator from the “Soviet conquest” (this image was most acutely expressed in the Baltic states, Ukraine and Moldova). Nowadays, many nationalist and neo-fascist groups practice dissemination of the Fuhrer's works and leaflets, and also worship him.

Benito Mussolini[ | ]

Lifetime monument to Benito Mussolini in Tripoli
The cult of the Duce of fascist Italy Benito Mussolini was in many ways the force that united the party and various social classes of Italian society in the fascist regime. The main slogan and leitmotif of state propaganda was the thought “Mussolini is always right” (Italian: Il Duce ha sempre ragione). Endless publications in the media, numerous films, songs, paintings, monuments and other works of art were dedicated to him. He was mainly portrayed in the spirit of a commander, a superman, a macho man and at the same time as a simple man of the people. The Duce allegedly constantly thought about the well-being and greatness of the Italian people, often sitting in his office by the light of light bulbs at night. Legends were told how, after an unsuccessful attempt to kill him, higher powers gave him an immortal aura and the calling of God's chosen leader. His mission was presented as the resurrection of Ancient Rome and the Holy Roman Empire.

Mao Zedong[ | ]

Monument to Mao Zedong in modern China
Main article: Cult of Mao Zedong Personality

Kims[ | ]

Main article: Cult of personality in the DPRK

The personality cult of Kim Jong Il in North Korea is semi-religious. He received power from his father Kim Il Sung. Although according to official Soviet data, Kim Jong Il was born in 1941 in the Khabarovsk Territory[6], during Kim Il Sung's stay in exile in these places, Korean propaganda claims that he was born in a partisan camp set up on the highest peak of North Korea Paektusan, and at that moment a double rainbow and a bright star appeared in the sky. Portraits of Kim Jong Il are required in all residential buildings and office premises; newspaper publications actively quote his works. The name Kim Jong Il must be typed in a special bold font, and schools teach correct grammar when constructing phrases praising the current and deceased leader. He is a Hero of the DPRK, was awarded the Order of Kim Il Sung three times, and has various orders of the DPRK and foreign countries on his list of awards. Kim Jong Il has received honorary doctorates from several foreign universities. His works “On the Juche Ideas”, “On Some Issues that Arise in the Study of Juche Philosophy”, “On the Art of Cinematography”, “On Literature Based on the Juche Principle” are considered classics. Kim Jong Il is considered a remarkable composer, and six operas, the authorship of which is attributed to him, were written in two years. He is also a great architect who created the plan for the Juche Tower in Pyongyang. Since 2003, Kim Jong Il has been firmly among the top three most ferocious dictators, compiled annually by the American magazine Parade. In 2003 and 2004 he was the leader of this competition. The concept of “dictator” is defined as “a head of state who despotically controls the lives of his citizens and cannot be removed from power by legal means.” In December 2011, after his funeral, comradely trials were held throughout the country for people who did not cry at all or did not cry well during his funeral. According to North Korean media, the perpetrators were sentenced to 6 months of hard labor.

Nicolae Ceausescu[ | ]

Main article: Ceausescu cult of personality

Saddam Hussein[ | ]

Main article: Saddam Hussein's cult of personality

Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein established his own cult of personality. His portraits were placed in many public facilities; at the airport, in addition to them, it was written “Allah and the President are with us, down with America,” his busts stood in all government institutions, and in many places in the country there were monuments. The ancient palace of King Nebuchadnezzar was rebuilt and other ancient and modern objects were restored and built so that every tenth brick was imprinted with the name or signature of the dictator. At the time of prayer, a picture of a mosque appeared on television with the obligatory photo of Hussein in the corner. The Iraqi media portrayed Saddam as the head of the nation, the builder of schools and hospitals. In many videos, Iraqis could be seen approaching the president and kissing his hands or himself. A major international airport, a university, a bridge, a dam, a stadium, an arts center, a street, a Baghdad neighborhood (Saddam City), a rocket and other sites have been renamed or named in his honor. Saddam had for his personal use several well-equipped palaces (including even gold-plated toilets). The people presented him with numerous gifts, for which a separate palace was allocated. His biography and the literary works he wrote were required to be studied in schools, universities and the Baath Party, whose members passed knowledge exams.

Vladimir Putin[ | ]

Main article: Putin's cult of personality

Saparmurat Niyazov[ | ]

Lifetime banknote of the national currency of Turkmenistan with a portrait of S. Niyazov
Main article: Niyazov’s cult of personality

President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenbashi) convincingly showed the whole world that the cult of personality is not a thing of the past [ source not specified 3657 days

]. There are many monuments to Niyazov preserved in the country, many of them covered in gold. The grandiose 63-meter monument in Ashgabat was topped with a gilded statue of Niyazov, which constantly rotates so that Niyazov’s face is facing the sun (in May 2008, the leadership of Turkmenistan decided to move the monument to the outskirts of the capital). The city of Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnovodsk), a huge number of streets, factories, collective farms, and schools are named after him. The President sometimes called for restraining the excessive passion of enthusiastic citizens to perpetuate his name. However, he did not hide the fact that his services to the Turkmen people were great. In particular, he issued laws prohibiting dentures made of gold, banned lip-syncing, radios in cars, beards and long hair for men, and introduced a new calendar (now cancelled[7]), in which the days of the week and months received new names, closed all rural hospitals, canceled pensions for the elderly with children, was the author of the idea of ​​​​building an ice palace in the desert, and much, much more. He declared his book “Rukhnama” (“Spirituality”) sacred and mandatory for teaching in educational institutions of all levels. It was claimed that anyone who read this book three times would go to heaven.

Niyazov has received many awards. Every army barracks has a Rukhnama room. Like Brezhnev, Niyazov was named Hero of Turkmenistan five times and was awarded the Altyn Ay (Golden Crescent) medal. Niyazov is an academician of Turkmenistan, Doctor of Political and Economic Sciences. His achievements did not go unnoticed by a number of foreign academies and universities. Niyazov was awarded the gold medal of the International Academy of Informatization, the gold medal of the Albert Schweitzer World Academy of Medicine, the prize of the International Academy of Computer Science and Systems, and the Silk Road Prize.

Nursultan Nazarbayev[ | ]

Main article: Cult of personality of Nazarbayev

Many politicians and journalists, such as Zhasaral Kuanyshalin and others, note the cult of personality of Nazarbayev[8][9][10][11]. Dosym Satpayev:

In the last few years, many of our officials and representatives of the elite can indeed observe effective support for this trend associated with the cult of personality of the first president.

— https://www.svobodanews.ru/content/article/24390782.html

Bolat Ryskozha:

Kazakhstan has long lived under the cult of personality of Nazarbayev, the president’s opponents say. However, his supporters, who are also party comrades, do not agree with this. But there are also opinions that the common people themselves are to blame for the cult of personality.

— https://www.zonakz.net/articles/25655

According to political scientist Dilyaram Arkin, Nazarbayev’s cult of personality is beginning to spread beyond the borders of Kazakhstan.[12][13]

• His birthday coincides with the national holiday Capital Day
  . May 7 is the birthday of his first daughter and Defender of the Fatherland Day.[14] Both are holidays.
• December 1 is the Day of the First President, which is also a public holiday and a day off.[15]
• Monuments were erected to him in the Presidential Park in Almaty[16], Cholpan-Ata[17] and Ankara[18].
• Streets in Jordan, Turkey[19], Kazan and Chechnya[20] bear his name. In the Chechen Republic, a lyceum is named after him[17], as well as a university, schools[21] and a peak[22].
• The capital of Kazakhstan was renamed Nur-Sultan.
• The central streets of cities and the capital were massively renamed in his honor.
• On June 21, 2020, Astana airport was renamed Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport.
• Nazarbayev University was opened in the city of Nur-Sultan.

Heydar Aliyev[ | ]

Main article: Cult of personality of Heydar Aliyev

George Washington[ | ]

One of the most developed revolutionary personality cults was the American cult of George Washington. Created with the aim of legitimizing the change of power in the American colonies, the cult was in many ways reminiscent of Lenin’s:

• an ideal and slightly added biography;
• a lot of historical paintings and monuments;
• image in most American homes[23].

North Korea - Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il

The most popular cult of personality today is the situation in North Korea. At one time, Kim Il Sung initiated this cult of personality by establishing strict rules for separating people (sonbun) in the country and introducing an ideological system. In 1994, after the death of Kim Il Sung, his son, Kim Jong Il, continued to rule the country. Then the cult of personality of Kim Il Sung was added to the cult of personality of Kim Jong Il. Today, this cult of personality has been supplemented by the cult of personality of the current ruler of the country, Kim Jong-un.

[edit] Historical background and criticism of the cult of personality

Monument to the Chinese Emperor
Throughout history, most statesmen have claimed some outstanding qualities. In absolute monarchies, the emperor, king, czar, sultan, etc. were practically deified. It was argued that the monarch is the embodiment of the will of God or is himself a deity (demigod). The deification of the ruler is especially characteristic of imperial China, ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire.

With the development of the revolutionary movement in Europe in the 18th-19th centuries, it became more difficult for monarchs to maintain the idea of ​​their divine chosenness. At the same time, the development of science and technology put into the hands of political figures inventions that were unusually effective for promoting their personality: photography, sound recording, cinema, advertising and propaganda media. It was with the help of these new brainwashing tools that the great personality cults of the 20th century were created.

Criticism of the cult of personality is usually directed at the dictatorial regimes of Stalin in the USSR, Hitler in Germany, Mao Zedong in China and Kim Il Sung in North Korea. During the heyday of their reign, these leaders were revered as godlike leaders who were incapable of making mistakes. Their portraits were hung everywhere, artists, writers and poets produced works that revealed various facets of the dictators’ unique personalities.

Criticism of the cult of personality arose due to the fact that the exaltation of individuals began to occur in revolutionary movements, which, it would seem, were supposed to fight for the equal rights of all members of society. Marx and Engels were among the first critics, which did not prevent their followers from maintaining the cult of their personalities posthumously. Marx wrote to Wilhelm Blos:

Although Marx and Engels did not approve of the cult of personality during their lifetime, they could not avoid posthumous deification

“...Out of hostility towards any cult of personality, during the existence of the International I never made public the numerous appeals in which my merits were recognized and with which I was pestered from different countries - I never even responded to them, except from time to time to reprimand for them. The first entry of Engels and myself into the secret society of communists took place under the condition that everything that promotes superstitious admiration of authorities would be thrown out of the rules (Lassalle subsequently did just the opposite)” (Works of K. Marx and F. Engels, vol. XXVI , 1st ed., pp. 487-488).

Engels expressed similar views:

“Both Marx and I have always been against all public demonstrations towards individuals, except in cases where it had some significant purpose; and most of all we were against such demonstrations that during our lifetime would concern us personally” (Works of K. Marx and F. Engels, vol. XXVIII, p. 385).

The most famous exposer of the cult of personality was Khrushchev, who in 1956 spoke at the 20th Congress of the CPSU with a report “On the cult of personality and its consequences,” in which he debunked the cult of personality of the late Stalin. Khrushchev, in particular, said:

Khrushchev is known for his exposure of Stalin's personality cult at the 20th Congress of the CPSU

“The cult of personality acquired such monstrous proportions mainly because Stalin himself in every possible way encouraged and supported the exaltation of his person. This is evidenced by numerous facts. One of the most characteristic manifestations of Stalin’s self-praise and lack of elementary modesty is the publication of his “Brief Biography,” published in 1948. This book is an expression of the most unbridled flattery, an example of the deification of man, turning him into an infallible sage, the “great leader” himself and the “unsurpassed commander of all times and peoples.” There were no other words to further praise the role of Stalin. There is no need to quote the nauseatingly flattering characteristics heaped one upon another in this book. It should only be emphasized that all of them were approved and edited by Stalin personally, and some of them were included in the layout of the book with his own hand.”

After the exposure of Stalin's cult of personality, the phrase became widely known: “Yes, under Stalin there was a cult of personality, but there was also personality!”, which is attributed to various historical characters.

The most famous literary work exposing the cult of personality in communist regimes is George Orwell's book "1984", which depicts the image of an all-seeing Big Brother (or Big Brother), constantly watching every step of members of society. The theme of flattery to rulers is very aptly revealed in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The King’s New Clothes”. There is also a famous comic by Herluf Bidstrup called “The Cult of Personality”.