Soviet foreign policy in 1937–1941: youth perception of the Tambov Region

This work is devoted to the study of the characteristics of the young generation’s perception of the foreign policy of the Soviet leadership in 1937–1941. The specificity of the development of the image of a foreign enemy in the minds of young people is shown. The main mechanisms of the development of patriotic sentiments of young people are investigated. As the survey of public attitudes has shown, the majority of young men and women, despite the changes in foreign policy, were preparing for war. As a result of the active work of propaganda structures, the prestige of the army service increased, and the day of conscription became one of the most longawaited moments of adolescence. A sense of duty and personal responsibility for the future of their homeland contributed to the strengthening of the conscious patriotism of the younger generation, which testified to the high efficiency of the entire system of military and patriotic education on the eve of the Great Patriotic War.