Joseph Stalin's Leadership Through World War Two
Stalin (1927-1953) led the Soviet State through the challenges of
World War II.
Although the war was a terrible drain on the already impoverished and
exhausted society, it resulted, paradoxically in strengthening the
Soviet dictatorship.
The war distracted the Soviet people from Stalin's excesses in
previous years and generated patriotism and national unity. It also
greatly strengthened the
Soviet military. The Soviet Union emerged from the war as second in
power only to the United States. (Dr. Minton F, Goldman) So what were
the factors that contributed to the collapse of the super power and
what is preventing Russia from re-entering the international community
as a stabilized independent country. In the beginning, Communism
seemed to be the utopian ideal for the people of Russia because it
promised elimination of classes, guaranteed employment, and gave hope
that "The creation of a comprehensive social security and welfare
system for all citizens that would end the misery of workers once and
for all." In 1917, when Lenin came to power the socialist dictatorship
underwent radical changes in it's economic doctrines adopting the
New Economic Policy giving control of the majority of means of
production to the government. Lenin's government made many
achievements and in fact throughout the majority of Communist rule,
censorship and subordination of interest groups was imposed to stop
dissension and increase conformity to the new government's policies.
After Lenin's death in 1924, his predecessor Joseph Stalin continued
his reforms and at length became completely totalitaria...
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...;
Yeltsin, Boris Nikolayevich; Communism; Commonwealth of Independent
States." The World Almanac and Book of Facts ed. Funk & Wagnalls
Corporation. 1996 Ed. Columbia University Press. "Communism" The
Columbia Dictionary of Quotations Ed. Columbia University Press. 1996
Ed.
Columbia University Press. "Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeyevich; Russia;
United
Soviet Socialist Republic; Yeltson, Boris Nikolayevich; Communism;
Commonwealth of Independent States". The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia
Ed. Columbia
University Press. 1996 Ed. Internet Web Page. "Everything about Russia
(History Section)." Http://WWW.RUSSIA.NET Internet Web Page. "CNN
Interactive (Russian Archive)". http://WWW.CNN.COM Minton F. Goldman,
Russian and the Eurasian Republics - Building New Political Orders. PP
14-25 and
34-45.
Moss, W., 2014. A History of Russia Volume 2: Since 1855. 1st ed. London, England: Anthem Press London, pp.112-113.
Joseph Stalin became leader of the USSR after Lenin’s death in 1924. Lenin had a government of abstemious communist government. When Stalin came into government he moved to a radical communist society. He moved away from the somewhat capitalist/communist economy of Lenin time to “modernize” the USSR. He wanted to industrialize and modernize USSR. He had overworked his workers, his people were dying, and most of them in slave labor camps. In fact by doing this Stalin had hindered the USSR and put them even farther back in time.
For most people that know who Joseph Stalin was, they can agree on one thing: Stalin was one of the most brutal and ruthless leaders that mankind has ever seen. He is known as the instigator and leader of the Reign of Terror, which incorporated extremely horrifying purges. These purges have been estimated to have killed five times as many people as the Holocaust. The purges also helped him establish his power base, which allowed him to build one of the most powerful countries in its day and age. But he was not born evil, in fact, when he was a child, family and friends said he was shy. This does not mean he didn’t have a bad childhood, which happened quite often in rural Georgia. The pain of his childhood built as the years went by. Growing up admiring people like Karl Marx, Machiavelli, and Ivan the Terrible only stoked the fire even more. I believe that Joseph Stalin’s reign of terror can be traced directly back to his brutal childhood and complete belief in Marxist principles.
The main fact that must not be forgotten when answering this question is that Russia emerged successful from the Second World War, despite its problems. It could not have done this without the achievements and developments of the industrial 1930s. An industrial decade underpinned by the violence of the Great Terror. Without this motivating fear, neither the Five Year Plans nor collectivisation could have succeeded to the extent that they did, and as a consequence the Soviet Union would have been defeated. Politically, dictatorship and the purging of factions created unity and brought tighter control over the party.
America, throughout the ages, has always despised Communism and Communistic beliefs; however, during the 20s to around the 90s, there was a deeper hatred for Communism and a fear that lingered in most Americans’ hearts. Communism is a political theory that was derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. The majority of Americans strongly disagreed with
The "Communist Manifesto" Mountain View College Reader. Neuleib, Janice. A. Cain S., of Kathleen. Ruffus, Stephen. The.
A leader is defined as a guiding or directing head. Stalin was the leader of the party that was in charge of the Soviet Union. He created a totalitarian regime which brought great suffering to the Russian people. The individual Russian played two distinct roles under Stalin. One role would be that of a person who under Stalin’s system was no different than the person who is standing next to them. Everyone was treated equal in all facets. The other role the individual Russian played was that of a victim. We are able to see by many different accounts that an individual had different roles to play and under Stalin, each role came with a price that sometimes lead to death. The role of the individual Russian played a huge role in Stalin’s aim at creating a stronghold on a nation that ended up imprisoning and killing millions of its own people
Stalins rise as a dictator over the USSR in 1929, was a struggle for power. It was set by Lenin, in his testament, that Stalin was not to takeover control as the party leader, and to be removed from his position as General Secretary, as Stalin in Lenins eyes had lack of loyalty, tolerance, and politeness. However, different factors, such as Lenins funeral, Stalins position as General Secretary and the rise of bureaucracy, and Stalins relationship to Kamenev and Zinoviev, made it possible for Stalin to become the undisputed leader over the USSR in 1929. This essay will discuss the methods and the conditions, which helped Joseph Stalin rise to power.
The Soviet Union, which was once a world superpower in the 19th century, saw itself in chaos going into the 20th century. These chaoses were marked by the new ideas brought in by the new leaders who had eventually emerged into power. Almost every aspect of the Soviet Union crumbled during this period, both politically and socially, as well as the economy. There were underlying reasons for the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and eventually Eastern Europe. The economy is the most significant aspect of every government.
Over the next few years, Russia went through a traumatic time of civil war and turmoil. The Bolsheviks’ Red Army fought the white army of farmers, etc. against Lenin and his ways. Lenin and the Bolsheviks won and began to wean Russia of non-conforming parties eventually banning all non-communist as well as removing an assembly elected shortly after the Bolshevik’s gain of power. Lenin’s strict government, however, was about to get a lot stricter with his death in 1924.
middle of paper ... ... Exploring the October revolution and the establishment of communism, Richard Pipes concludes that the origin of communism can be traced back to the distant past of Russia’s history. Pipes states that Russia had entered a period of crisis after the governments of the 19th century undertook a limited attempt at capitalisation, not trying to change the underlying patrimonial structures of Russian society. (Pipes, 1964) An unrelenting series of war’s, unnecessary hunger and famine and the selfish greed of the ruling elite.
Joseph Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 until his death in 1953. His rule was one of tyranny, and great change from the society that his predecessor, Lenin, had envisioned (Seton, 34). Stalin put into effect two self proclaimed "five-year plans" over the course of his rule. Both were very similar in that they were intended to improve production in the nation. The first of these plans began collectivization, in which harvests and industrial products were seized by the government and distributed as needed. The government eliminated most private businesses and the state became the leader in commerce. Stalin also initiated a process called "Russification". (Great Events, 119)"
Janos, Andrew C. “What was Communism: A Retrospective in Comparative Analysis.” Communist and Post- Communist Studies Volume 29 (1996): 1-24. Print.
Lenin was the leader of the Bolshevik or the “majority” faction of the ‘Russian Social Democratic Party’. Lenin had played a major role in the establishment of the USSR. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) came into being after the Socialist Revolution in Russia in 1917, which was led by Lenin. The revolution was inspired by the ideals of Socialism, as opposed to Capitalism, and the need for an egalitarian society. This revolution was one of the biggest attempts in human history to remove the institution of Private Property, led by the Provisional Government, and establish a society based on the principles of equality. In doing so, the makers of the Soviet Union gave importance to the state and the institution of the party. The Soviet political system centered on the Communist party, and no other political party or opposition was allowed. The economy was planned and controlled by the state. This group of countries, including the East European countries that the Soviet armies had liberated from the fascist forces and came under the USSR, was called the ‘Socialist Block’. After the Second World War, the Soviet Union became a great power; it had complex communication networks, vast energy resources, and an efficient transportation system. The Soviet Economy was then more developed than that