Joseph Stalin Essays - 2248 Words

Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1954. He is widely recognized as a dictator, an oppressor, and a ruthless ruler who took the Soviet Union from economic shambles to a superpower, but with the high cost of human sacrifice and his paranoia of opposition. Stalin saw himself as the natural successor of Leninism-Marxism, but in actuality he created a system of his own which did not go according to the philosophy of Karl Marx and Engels. Stalin’s early political career began just like everyone else who gained prominence in the Bolshevik takeover of the Russian Empire. Lenin had successfully launched his revolution in October, 1917 and became the leader of the Russian Communist Party until his death in January†¦show more content†¦Stalin’s form of Marxism was based on a totalitarian system of power in the hands of one leader, Stalin and the Communist Party which was run by him. The economic policies of Stalinism forced industrializatio n and collectivization as the two main tools for boosting the Soviet Union onto the world stage. Also, the population of the Soviet Union was controlled by the party and Stalin with the use of propaganda, and Stalin’s cult of personality. Any opposition would be repressed, including deportation to gulags which were labor camps in Siberia and other republics of the Soviet Union and most of the time, the opposition would face death by Stalin’s purges and the NKVD, the secret police organization lead by Lavrentiy Beria. An example of Stalin’s economic policies was the five year plans that were bestowed upon the large peasantry class of the Soviet Union. Unlike Stalinism, Karl Marx and Engels explained in their works such as the Communist Manifesto that popular revolution would be key to economic, social, and political reform. There was no mention ever of a single person who would lead the revolution and proclaim him to be the most powerful and rule a communist stat e as a dictator. Eventually, Communism would turn itself into Socialism, and the proletariat class would rule themselves in favor of national interest for all. Karl Marx held the notion that class struggleShow MoreRelatedEssay Joseph Stalin3070 Words   |  13 PagesJoseph Stalin Joseph Stalin was one of the biggest mass murderers of the twentieth century. From the purges in the Red Army to forced relocations, Stalin had the blood of millions on his hands. This essay is not going to debate the fact that this was indeed a brutal and power hungry individual, because he was indeed just that. I will on the other hand show you that through his way of governing the Soviet Union, he actually saved mother Russia from the German invasion in World War Two through hisRead MoreJoseph Stalin Genocide1421 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Stalin’s Genocide: 50 Million Deaths From 1919 to 1953 when Stalin died about 50 million lives were taken in the Gulags of Russia (â€Å"Videofact†). In total there were 53 Gulags and 423 labor camps (â€Å"Gulag†).   Stalin was considered one of the most feared dictators because of his secret police and the Gulags. During a series of interviews in 1996, a Soviet veteran who lived in Minsk claimed to have seen a U.S. POW in May or June 1953. The POW was a Korean War F-86D pilot whose plane had beenRead MoreThe Death Of Joseph Stalin1829 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem.† This is a direct quote from one of the most notorious men in history, Joseph Stalin. Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid 1920’s until his death. The period in which he ruled over the Soviet Union was known as the Reign of Terror because he was a malicious leader who was ready to do anything to maintain the level of power he achieved. He will forever be remembered as a cold blooded and heartless leader, who took the livesRead MoreEssay on Joseph Stalin2352 Words   |  10 Pages â€Å"The man who turned the Soviet Union from a backward country into a world superpower at unimaginable human cost (Joseph Stalin).† â€Å"Stalin was born into a dysfunctional family in a poor village in Georgia (Joseph Stalin).† Permanently scarred from a childhood bout with smallpox and having a mildly deformed arm, Stalin always felt unfairly treated by life, and thus developed a strong, romanticized desire for greatness and respect, combined with a shrewd streak of calculating cold-heartedness towardsRead MoreJoseph Stalin Research Paper1472 Words   |  6 Pagesgreat or corrupt; they are rarely both. Most of Russia’s history is filled with corrupt leaders. Joseph was one of those leaders. Stalin killed millions of people during his rule. But Stalin also led the Soviet Union almost to the top in world power. Stalin had many influences that led him to his Soviet Leadership in which gave him many admirers but even more non-supporters. At the age of 10, Joseph â€Å"Stalin† Djugashvili attended Gori’s religious elementary school. His mother, Yekaterina, wanted himRead MoreEssay on The life of Joseph Stalin554 Words   |  3 PagesThe life of Joseph Stalin Joseph Stalin. One of the Russias most supreme leaders. But one of its most horrid as well. He brought them up while also letting them down. Some could say where would we be without him. But others wish they never were led by him. He went from nothing to the most powerful man in the now most powerful country. In the early years. He was first born Josef Vissarionovich Djugashvili to a poor shoemaker of a father on December 21 1879. It was a small village calledRead MoreExecution By Hunger, By Joseph Stalin1081 Words   |  5 PagesExecution by Hunger 1. Collectivization was peasants being forced to give up their goods to the government. Collectivization started at the end of 1929 by Joseph Stalin. He began collectivization as part of the 5 year plan because he feared the invasion from the Allied countries in the west. He increased industrialization so he could earn more money just in case there was a war. This impacted the peasants of Ukraine because majority of the farmers had their own land it was their only way of incomeRead MoreJoseph Stalin And Vladimir Putin2340 Words   |  10 PagesJoseph Stalin and Vladimir Putin are two of the most famous and influential figures of Russian history. Joseph Stalin’s iron fist ruled Russia from the mid-1920’s until his death in 1953. Under Stalin’s totalitarian government, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics played a pivotal role in several major conflicts, including World War II and the Cold War. Stalin’s main goal seemed to be expanding Russia and spreadi ng the influence of communism. Contrastingly, Vladimir Putin has held power from 1999Read MoreEssay about Joseph Stalin2651 Words   |  11 PagesJoseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1922-1953, when he died. He was responsible for one of the most notable and devastating genocides, the Great Purge. His vicious reign took the lives of around 20-60 million people by his rigid and cruel treatment. Through his exploitation of the lower class and his manipulative abuse of power, Stalin created one of the worst examples of leadership in history. It takes an interesting character to be able to execute the cruelties displayed in hisRead MoreCharacteristics Of Joseph Stalin The Prince818 Words   |  4 PagesK History Honors/Block E 4 October 2017 Perfect Prince On December 21, 1879 (Editors, Biography.com) Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili was born. He was later known as Joseph Stalin and he was one of the most powerful men in the world during the 19th century. According to Niccolo Machiavellis views in the book, The Prince, Stalin was the perfect prince, or in this case the perfect dictator . The Prince examines the traits that are needed to be a perfect leader. Traits such as being feared, but