Lenin - long time dead but not fallen. Today, Russia still follows the old principles of Agitprop
Communist propaganda strategy has consistently focused on exploiting internal divisions within enemy societies as a way to weaken and ultimately overthrow them. This strategic approach originates from Vladimir Iljitsch Uljanow, better known as Lenin, who developed a methodical theory of revolutionary propaganda during the early 20th century. Lenin emphasized that the key to a successful revolution was not only to attack external enemies but to incite and unify diverse social groups within the enemy’s own society by exposing systemic abuses and contradictions. In his view, revolutionary propaganda had to reveal the injustice and tyranny present in the existing regime to induce people from all social strata to reflect critically on their political reality. Lenin argued that this campaign needed to be highly coordinated and centralized, establishing a clear and coherent narrative that could transcend local or sporadic grievances to forge a common revolutionary consciousness.
Russian approach: Framing racist tensions in the U.S.
Throughout history, this Leninist propaganda model has proved remarkably consistent in communist and post-Soviet regimes, especially in Russia. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union adeptly exploited racial tensions and inequalities within the United States to erode its moral authority internationally. For instance, Soviet propaganda extensively highlighted the segregation and discrimination faced by African Americans, particularly in the southern United States. They portrayed the United States as a deeply racist and oppressive society, while positioning the Soviet Union as progressive and protective of oppressed peoples worldwide. A notable example was the Soviet support for the Scottsboro Boys case in the 1930s, where nine African American teenagers were falsely accused of rape. The Soviets framed this as emblematic of capitalist injustice and racial terror, using it to magnify the contradictions between American democratic ideals and its social realities. Soviet propaganda portrayed activists supporting the Scottsboro Boys as allies of socialism and the fight against tyranny, leveraging this to drive a wedge between racial minorities in the U.S. and the establishment. This helped the Soviet Union advance its foreign policy goals by gaining influence among civil rights movements globally and undermining Western cohesion.
Wladimir Putin still doing the same
In the post-Soviet era, Russian propaganda continues this tradition of exploiting societal fissures but with more sophisticated methods suited to the digital age. Since the 2010s, Russia has made extensive use of social media, online disinformation, and covert influence operations to deepen political polarization and social discord in Western democracies. Russian campaigns have targeted divisive issues like immigration, racial justice movements, LGBTQ+ rights, and vaccine skepticism, amplifying existing tensions to inflame distrust between citizens and their governments. For example, Russian disinformation often portrays Western democracies as culturally decayed and morally bankrupt, emphasizing narratives of a collapsing Western civilization due to its embrace of multiculturalism and progressive social norms. Russian leaders have claimed that Western societies are eroding traditional family values, which serves to polarize conservative and liberal segments within these societies. These themes are not new, as the rhetoric of a “decaying West” can be traced back to 19th-century Russian and Soviet propaganda, but new media platforms have allowed these narratives to reach far more people with greater impact.
In the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russian propaganda has specifically sought to exploit ethnic and political divisions within Ukraine itself and between Western allies. The Kremlin has repeatedly propagated the false narrative that Ukraine is controlled by neo-Nazis and that Russia’s invasion is a defensive measure aimed at “denazification.” By pushing these narratives, Russian propaganda aims to alienate ethnic minorities and create internal distrust, weakening Ukraine’s national unity and undermining international support for Ukrainian sovereignty. Simultaneously, it promotes peace negotiation narratives within Western discourse that cast Ukraine as responsible for prolonging conflict, sowing doubt in Western publics about their governments’ continued military aid to Ukraine. This multifaceted approach aims to fracture the coalition supporting Ukraine, hampering their ability to act cohesively.
Thus, the communist propaganda strategy from Lenin through the Cold War and into the present day Russian hybrid warfare framework has remained fundamentally consistent: it seeks to create, expose, and exacerbate the internal contradictions and vulnerabilities within enemy societies. By doing so, it aims to weaken social cohesion, erode trust in institutions, and destabilize societies from within, making them more susceptible to influence, manipulation, and eventual defeat. This strategic pattern has been implemented repeatedly with different technologies and in different contexts, but the core principle—that the enemy’s internal divisions are the most vulnerable points to target—remains unchanged and remains a cornerstone of Russian information and cognitive warfare today.
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