A cult of personality is defined as when a leader is idealised to a god-like level through the use of propaganda and the media. While it is without a doubt that all of the three Soviet leaders in question used cults to strengthen their authority, the cult of Stalin by far was the most extreme out of the three. This essay will be arguing that the cult of personality used by Stalin was categorically different to the ones used by Brezhnev and Khrushchev. Stalin's cult was only accurate to conclude of depth and link to terror, which were not matched by Khrushchev or Brezhnev. Stalin's cult was far more intense and repressive than his successors. For example, Stalin's image was everywhere, through the use of statues, in textbooks and even cities named after him. Stalin was portrayed in every aspect of Soviet life, portraying him as a father and the "father of nations." In comparison, Khrushchev used de-Stalinisation to replace Stalin's intense and repressive cult. Additionally, Brezhnev's cult was large but superficial and often mocked Stalin's cult, wasn't as widespread. It was centered within national identity. It encouraged a personal relation with the regime through the leader, while Khrushchev and Brezhnev's cults were more restrained and less emotionally tied to the regime. This suggests that Stalin's cult was uniquely intense as it fused ideology and identity together in a way his successors never replicated. Stalin's cult provided ideology, ideological justification for state terror. A key example of this can be seen in the great terror which was during Stalinism, the purges being a cleansing for socialism. Stalin's cult was used to announce socialism or socialism with communism. However, Khrushchev in his secret speech denounced the use of such terror as within the cult. Speech Khrushchev spoke of Stalin as a tyrant who used 'unnecessary terror'. With Brezhnev, a grim focus on realistic terror. Stalin's cult caused only the source of unnecessary and even vicious repression, positioning himself as the god-like and the opposition of the regime would be swiftly removed. This is very different from Khrushchev and Brezhnev who sought stability and legalism. Stalin's cult created emotional dependence, not just obedience. Citizens of the Stalinist regime wrote letters admiring Stalin and loyalty was expressed through fear and devotion. Propaganda was not used lightly, with Stalin a father figure, the 'god' and the source of all or any success that was present. On the other hand, Khrushchev used and some public engagement but lacked the emotional intensity used by Stalin. Although Brezhnev's cult was often performative, as he awarded himself over 100 medals and labelled himself the hero of the Soviet Union four times, these honours were not earned through.The act of committing good deeds, but designed to instate his image. The media, a major power, and Stalin's cult shaped personal behaviour and created a sense of obligation and a moral duty tied to Soviet leader cults, used by other Soviet leaders, including Brezhnev and Khrushchev, all who penetrate as deeply into the emotional lives of citizens. This psychological internalization is a key difference between Stalin's cult and those of Brezhnev and Khrushchev. All three cults shared features, but context and situation altered their usage. Portraits, speeches (also secret speech), and propaganda were present among all three leaders. They all reinforced authority and presented the leader as the face of socialism. The contextual differences should be noted, such as the fact that Stalin had to deal with collectivization and industrialization as a result of WWI and Hitler's invasion. Khrushchev had to distance himself from Stalin, and Brezhnev's rule reflected stagnation and "ceremonial continuity." The differences are arguably rooted in the historical needs of the regime. Stalin needed submission from his cult into something that would "rebuild and terrorize." Khrushchev needed modernization and reform whilst Brezhnev needed stability and unity. While all leaders used cults, only Stalin's cult was central to governing method and national transformation. In conclusion, while elements of a personality cult existed under all three leaders, it isaccurate to say that Stalin's cult was markedly different. Stalin's cult was unique, too, in how it fused fear, loyalty and ideology into the identity of the regime. Khrushchev and Brezhnev's cults lacked both the emotional depth and coercive power of Stalin's and served more symbolic or stabilizing functions. Therefore Stalin's cult was not only more extreme but served a fundamentally different political purpose, making the claim more accurate to agree with.