What led to the transformation of the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state?

1 Answer
Jul 23, 2016

The Soviet Leadership, beginning with Lenin, began to rely on terrorizing the population by killing them.

Explanation:

The establishment of the CHEKA secret police to keep order, much like the Tsarist secret Police before it was a turning point down the road to a totalitarian state.
The Soviet Leadership also recognized need to indoctrinate the population with Soviet ideals to motivate them. The combination of carrot and stick was effective.