Answer :
Final answer:
The primary responsibility for the destruction of books in the Soviet Union lies with Joseph Stalin, who intensified censorship and suppression of dissent during his leadership. While Lenin set some precedents, Stalin executed systematic purges targeting intellectuals and controlling literature. Through censorship organizations, Stalin's regime aimed to eliminate any opposition to the communist ideology in literature.
Explanation:
Who Ordered the Destruction of Books in the Soviet Union?
The question of who ordered the destruction of books in the Soviet Union primarily lies with Joseph Stalin, who was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. While Vladimir Lenin, the first leader of the USSR, initiated policies that curtailed dissent, it was under Stalin that the systematic censorship and destruction of literature deemed "unreliable" or "counter-revolutionary" intensified dramatically.
Stalin's regime employed the secret police and various censorship bodies, such as Glavlit, to oversee and control the production and dissemination of literature. During the Great Purge, intellectuals and writers who opposed Stalin were particularly targeted, leading to arrests, executions, or forced disappearances. The aim was to ensure that only materials that conformed to the communist ideology were available to the public, effectively leading to the destruction of numerous works that fell outside the acceptable narrative.
Both Stalin and Lenin played significant roles in suppressing dissent against their regimes, but the most direct connection to the destruction of books comes from Stalin, especially in the context of the later purges and increased state control over cultural products.
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