http://www.biography.com/#!/people/joseph-stalin-9491723
Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism. He was born on December 18, 1879, in Gori, Georgia. Joseph Stalin rose to power as General Secretary of the Communist Party, becoming a Soviet dictator upon Vladimir Lenin’s death. Stalin forced rapid industrialization and the collectivization of agricultural land, resulting in millions dying from famine while others were sent to camps. His Red Army helped defeat Nazi Germany during WWII.
After Lenin’s death, in 1924, Stalin set out to destroy the old party leadership and take total control. At first, he had people removed from power through bureaucratic shuffling and denunciations. Many were exiled abroad to Europe and the Americas, including presumed Lenin successor Leon Trotsky. However, further paranoia set in and Stalin soon conducted a vast reign of terror, having people arrested in the night and put before spectacular show trials. Potential rivals were accused of aligning with capitalist nations, convicted of being “enemies of the people” and summarily executed. The purges eventually extended beyond the party elite to local officials suspected of counterrevolutionary activities.
During the war, Stalin met the other ‘Big Two’ – Winston Churchill and F D Roosevelt. It was at these conferences that the origins of the Cold War were sown. Stalin had not been invited to the meeting at Casablanca which did a great deal to arouse Stalin’s suspicions as to what the others were planning. General George Patton so distrusted Stalin that he wanted the Allies in the west of Europe to take on the Russians when it was clear that the Germans had been beaten.
Communism is where everyone is equal and you can’t become rich because you have to share with everybody. Stalin murdered more people than Hitler to be the leader of the USSR, when he became leader he murdered his own generals because he thought they could take power. History knows him as a murderer of thousands of people. He is a genius politician and a terror. However, I wonder what would have happened if he used his genius brain for humanity. Good leaders lead people to great civilization, not a terror and massacre which is what he did to his people.
Cowboy94 • May 22, 2014 at 12:06 pm
I like the details. I also liked how you brought up the Stalin was not invited to the meeting in Casablanca.