Final answer:
The key to a better life under Stalin was presented as full employment and economic growth, which were achieved through intense industrialization and universal education programs. However, these advances were realized at the expense of the Soviet people's freedom and well-being, with harsh repercussions for any dissent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The key to a better life under Stalin was often presented as a reciprocal obligation of the worker to the state. Economic growth and full employment, particularly through Stalin's economic plans, boosted Soviet economy in contrast to Western economies struggling with the Great Depression. However, this came at a great human cost, with harsh penalties for dissenters, forced collectivization resulting in famines, and widespread suppression through Stalin's totalitarian government. Education and propaganda under Stalin served as tools to promote the successes of his regime and the virtues of communism, with significant cultural shifts such as the rise of novels and biopics that aligned with Marxist ideology.
Stalin's emphasis on full employment, industrial growth, and universal education programs were meant to underscore the success of the Soviet system and to establish a society based on communal wealth and collective prosperity. Nonetheless, the reality under Stalin's rule was often brutal and repressive, with forced labor camps, secret police operations, and the infamous Holodomor famine in Ukraine. The Stakhanovite movement was one example of how workers were heralded as heroes of Soviet industry and were rewarded for their labor, enhancing the image of this system of governance, even as personal freedoms were severely curtailed.