Malenkov denounced the Stalin personality cult,[911] which was subsequently criticised in Pravda. [768] He was a hard worker,[769] and displayed a keen desire to learn;[770] when in power, he scrutinised many details of Soviet life, from film scripts to architectural plans and military hardware. [408] Stalin took a strong personal involvement in the Spanish situation. [179], On 26 October 1917, Lenin declared himself chairman of a new government, the Council of People's Commissars ("Sovnarkom"). [627] Stalin wanted to avoid direct Soviet conflict with the U.S., convincing the Chinese to aid the North. This was, in effect, a new Russian revolution more devastating in its effects than those of 1917. In the testament, Lenin proposed changes to the structure of the Soviet governing bodies. [485] By July, Germany's Luftwaffe was bombing Moscow,[484] and by October the Wehrmacht was amassing for a full assault on the capital. [850] In later life, he disapproved of Svetlana's various suitors and husbands, putting a strain on his relationship with her. [665] That month featured a surge in arrests for "anti-Soviet agitation," as those celebrating Stalin's death came to police attention. [902], Official records reveal 799,455 documented executions in the Soviet Union between 1921 and 1953; 681,692 of these were carried out between 1937 and 1938, the years of the Great Purge. [923], Amid the social and economic turmoil of the post-Soviet period, many Russians viewed Stalin as having overseen an era of order, predictability, and pride. [215] During the war, he proved his worth to the Central Committee, displaying decisiveness, determination, and willingness to take on responsibility in conflict situations. [176] Trotsky and other later Bolshevik opponents of Stalin used this as evidence that his role in the coup had been insignificant, although later historians reject this. [523] Stalin scarcely left Moscow throughout the war,[524] with Roosevelt and Churchill frustrated with his reluctance to travel to meet them. [346] His speeches and articles reflected his utopian vision of the Soviet Union rising to unparalleled heights of human development, creating a "new Soviet person". [724] He remained proud of his Georgian identity,[725] and throughout his life retained a heavy Georgian accent when speaking Russian. [57] Stalin organised another mass demonstration on the day of their funeral,[58] before being arrested in April 1902. [586] Much of this was constructed by prison labour. [312] Many Communists, including in Komsomol, OGPU, and the Red Army, were eager to be rid of the NEP and its market-oriented approach;[313] they had concerns about those who profited from the policy: affluent peasants known as "kulaks" and small business owners or "Nepmen". . [464], The Soviets further demanded parts of eastern Finland, but the Finnish government refused. Leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953, "Stalin" redirects here. (Sergei Bobylev/TASS/Getty Images . [132] In January 1913, Stalin travelled to Vienna,[133] where he researched the 'national question' of how the Bolsheviks should deal with the Russian Empire's national and ethnic minorities. [389] Stalin blamed the famine on hostile elements and sabotage within the peasantry;[390] his government provided small amounts of food to famine-struck rural areas, although this was wholly insufficient to deal with the levels of starvation. [554] Germany was divided into four zones: Soviet, U.S., British, and French, with Berlin itselflocated within the Soviet areaalso subdivided thusly. [667] A memorial service in his honour was also held at St George the Martyr, Holborn in London. [241], Stalin's native Caucasus posed a particular problem because of its highly multi-ethnic mix. [405] At the Communist International's 7th Congress, held in JulyAugust 1935, the Soviet government encouraged Marxist-Leninists to unite with other leftists as part of a popular front against fascism. [735] His writing style was similar, being characterised by its simplicity, clarity, and conciseness. [587] Tensions among these former Allies grew,[557] resulting in the Cold War. [258] Lenin and Stalin argued on the issue of foreign trade; Lenin believed that the Soviet state should have a monopoly on foreign trade, but Stalin supported Grigori Sokolnikov's view that doing so was impractical at that stage. [235] Trotsky claimed that Stalin sabotaged the campaign by disobeying troop transfer orders. Illness and Inhumanity in Stalin's Gulag", "Reactions of Chinese Citizens to the Death of Stalin: Internal Communist Party Reports", "Stalin, the Pact with Nazi Germany, and the Origins of Postwar Soviet Diplomatic Historiography", "The Scale and Nature of German and Soviet Repression and Mass Killings, 193045", "Controversy in Moscow: Stalin icon revered", "The Stalin Puzzle: Deciphering Post-Soviet Public Opinion", "Georgia Divided Over Stalin 'Local Hero' Status in Gori", "Russians name Stalin as the most 'outstanding' figure of all times", "Stalin as a Neo-Pagan Deity in Contemporary Russia", "Moscow's Memory Wars: Putin seeks to whitewash Russia's Stalinist past", "Josef Stalin: communist, murderer - saint? He is also a full member of the Politburo. [439] His motives in doing so have been much debated by historians. However soon after Lenin suffered . [720] Montefiore thought Stalin's brutality marked him out as a "natural extremist";[795] Service suggested he had tendencies toward a paranoid and sociopathic personality disorder. By 1927, Stalin was the unquestioned ruler of the Soviet Union. By July of 1922 the state had confiscated vast stores of precious items from the church. [687], As a Marxist and an anti-capitalist, Stalin believed in an inevitable "class war" between the world's proletariat and bourgeoisie. [402] Stalin admired Hitler, particularly his manoeuvres to remove rivals within the Nazi Party in the Night of the Long Knives. (one of the Bolsheviks' key policy stances in 1917 was to give the land to . The Soviet Union, or U.S.S.R., was made up of 15 countries in Eastern Europe and Asia and lasted from 1922 until its fall in 1991. [420], Stalin orchestrated the arrest of many former opponents in the Communist Party as well as sitting members of the Central Committee: denounced as Western-backed mercenaries, many were imprisoned or exiled internally. [469] The Soviets sought to forestall dissent in these new East European territories with mass repressions. [714], Stalin viewed nations as contingent entities which were formed by capitalism and could merge into others. He is also responsible for one of the terrible purges in the history of the USSR that claimed millions of innocent lives. [257] Despite this comradeship, Lenin disliked what he referred to as Stalin's "Asiatic" manner and told his sister Maria that Stalin was "not intelligent". [369] At its 6th Congress in July 1928, Stalin informed delegates that the main threat to socialism came not from the right but from non-Marxist socialists and social democrats, whom he called "social fascists";[370] Stalin recognised that in many countries, the social democrats were the Marxist-Leninists' main rivals for working-class support. Unrest soon spread across the Russian Empire in what came to be known as the Revolution of 1905. [586], In the aftermath of the Second World War, the British Empire declined, leaving the U.S. and USSR as the dominant world powers. [607] In September 1947, a meeting of East European communist leaders was held in Szklarska Porba, Poland, from which was formed Cominform to co-ordinate the Communist Parties across Eastern Europe and also in France and Italy. I stand on the ground of the latter". In a surprising act of filial piety, Svetlana swiftly married again, this time to one of Stalin's close associates, Yuri Zhdanov. "[546], With Germany defeated, Stalin switched focus to the war with Japan, transferring half a million troops to the Far East. [585] While agricultural production stagnated, Stalin focused on a series of major infrastructure projects, including the construction of hydroelectric plants, canals, and railway lines running to the polar north. [863] One of them, Konstantin Kuzakov, later taught philosophy at the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute, but never met Stalin. [381] In 1936, Nikolai Yezhov became head of the NKVD. [563], Despite his strengthened international position, Stalin was cautious about internal dissent and desire for change among the population. [619] With this accomplished, Marxist governments now controlled a third of the world's land mass. [220] By that time, Sovnarkom had turned its attention to spreading proletarian revolution abroad, to this end forming the Communist International in March 1919; Stalin attended its inaugural ceremony. [666] The Chinese government instituted a period of official mourning for Stalin's death. [192] He took Nadezhda Alliluyeva as his secretary[193] and at some point married her, although the wedding date is unknown. [72], In January 1905, government troops massacred protesters in Saint Petersburg. [534] The Gulag system of forced labour camps was expanded further. Some of the photos may be from earlier dates, but it is believed that this photo of Stalin was taken in 1893. The real motivation for the terror, according to Harris, was an excessive fear of counterrevolution. [559] At a banquet held for army commanders, he described the Russian people as "the outstanding nation" and "leading force" within the Soviet Union, the first time that he had unequivocally endorsed the Russians over other Soviet nationalities. [781] Stalin denied to foreign visitors that he was a dictator, stating that those who labelled him such did not understand the Soviet governance structure. In the late 19th . [528] Roosevelt and Churchill also agreed to Stalin's demand that the German city of Knigsberg be declared Soviet territory. [454], As Britain and France seemed unwilling to commit to an alliance with the Soviet Union, Stalin saw a better deal with the Germans. In later years he expressed pride in his humble origins and often . [746] He had few material demands and lived plainly, with simple and inexpensive clothing and furniture;[747] his interest was in power rather than wealth. [31] As he grew older, Stalin lost interest in priestly studies, his grades dropped,[32] and he was repeatedly confined to a cell for his rebellious behaviour. "[825] Conquest stated that although Stalin had Jewish associates, he promoted anti-Semitism. [688] He believed that the working classes would prove successful in this struggle and would establish a dictatorship of the proletariat,[689] regarding the Soviet Union as an example of such a state. [368], Stalin faced problems in his family life. [338] In 1928, the first five-year plan was launched, its main focus on boosting heavy industry;[339] it was finished a year ahead of schedule, in 1932. [849] They had two biological childrena son, Vasily, and a daughter, Svetlana, and adopted another son, Artyom Sergeev, in 1921. In 1922, at the age of 52, Vladimir Lenin, the first Soviet leader, suffered a major stroke from which he never fully recovered. [622] Stalin was concerned that Mao might follow Tito's example by pursuing a course independent of Soviet influence, and made it known that if displeased he would withdraw assistance from China; the Chinese desperately needed said assistance after decades of civil war. [690] He also believed that this proletarian state would need to introduce repressive measures against foreign and domestic "enemies" to ensure the full crushing of the propertied classes,[691] and thus the class war would intensify with the advance of socialism. 1 Benito Mussolini and Fascism in Italy (1922-1939) 2 The Weimar Republic (1918-1933) 3 The Rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany (1914-1939) 3.1 The Beer Hall Putsch and Mein Kampf (1923-1925) 3.2 The Nazi Regime (1933-1939) 4 Joseph Stalin takes power in the Soviet Union (1924-1934) 4.1 The First Five-Year Plan and Collectivization (1927-1939) [488] In June 1941, he ordered a scorched earth policy of destroying infrastructure and food supplies before the Germans could seize them,[489] also commanding the NKVD to kill around 100,000 political prisoners in areas the Wehrmacht approached. He held power as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (19221952) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (19411953). [298] Some of those United Opposition members who were repentant were later rehabilitated and returned to government. In 1922, Stalin was appointed to another such post, as General Secretary of the Communist Party's Central Committee. [536], In February 1945, the three leaders met at the Yalta Conference. [144], In February 1913, Stalin was arrested while back in Saint Petersburg. The Russian economy had grown by around 14% per year. [939], Yevstafy Zhakov, a pastor of St. Olga Strelna near St. Petersburg, caused an uproar after he hung a portrait of Stalin among sacred images, stating: "I remember him [Stalin] on appropriate occasions, the day of his birthday, his death and that of Victory. [796] Other historians linked his brutality not to any personality trait, but to his unwavering commitment to the survival of the Soviet Union and the international MarxistLeninist cause. [320] Large numbers died during the journey. [574] Capital punishment was abolished in 1947 but re-instituted in 1950. Stalin is too crude, and this defect which is entirely acceptable in our milieu and in relationships among us as communists, becomes unacceptable in the position of General Secretary. [594] It launched the Marshall Plan in June 1947, with which it sought to undermine Soviet hegemony throughout Eastern Europe. Advertisement. [503], In April 1942, Stalin overrode Stavka by ordering the Soviets' first serious counter-attack, an attempt to seize German-held Kharkov in eastern Ukraine. [291] In 1925, the two moved into open opposition to Stalin and Bukharin. [616] In Poland, the Soviets merged various socialist parties into the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), and vote rigging was used to ensure that the PZPR secured office. Using the idea of collective responsibility as a basis, Stalin's government abolished their autonomous republics and between late 1943 and 1944 deported the majority of their populations to Central Asia and Siberia. "[839] Montefiore described Stalin's favoured types as "young, malleable teenagers or buxom peasant women,"[840] who would be supportive and unchallenging toward him. He argued that Jewish nationalism, particularly Zionism, was hostile to socialism. [686] Stalin referred to himself as a praktik, meaning that he was more of a practical revolutionary than a theoretician. [496] Stalin exploited Nazi anti-Semitism, and in April 1942 he sponsored the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (JAC) to garner Jewish and foreign support for the Soviet war effort. [626] The U.S. went to the UN Security Councilwhich the Soviets were boycotting over its refusal to recognise Mao's governmentand secured international military support for the South Koreans. "[730], Stalin had a soft voice,[731] and when speaking Russian did so slowly, carefully choosing his phrasing. This concept was intricately linked to factional struggles within the party, particularly against Trotsky. [519] In 1941, the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed a concert to celebrate his birthday,[520] and in 1942, Time magazine named him "Man of the Year". [448] According to historian James Harris, contemporary archival research shows that the motivation behind the purges was not Stalin attempting to establish his own personal dictatorship; evidence suggests he was committed to building the socialist state envisioned by Lenin. [596] Stalin also tried to maximise Soviet influence on the world stage, unsuccessfully pushing for Libyarecently liberated from Italian occupationto become a Soviet protectorate. [117], In January 1912, while Stalin was in exile, the first Bolshevik Central Committee was elected at the Prague Conference. Around 40 people were killed, but all of his gang escaped alive. [369] After Bukharin's departure, Stalin placed the Communist International under the administration of Dmitry Manuilsky and Osip Piatnitsky. "[842] Stalin married twice and had several children. [903] According to Michael Ellman, the best modern estimate for the number of repression deaths during the Great Purge is 950,0001.2million, which includes executions, deaths in detention, or soon after their release. [75] Stalin was in Baku in February when ethnic violence broke out between Armenians and Azeris; at least 2,000 were killed. [264], Their differences also became personal; Lenin was particularly angered when Stalin was rude to his wife Krupskaya during a telephone conversation. Amid the war, the Soviets annexed the Baltic states and Bessarabia and North Bukovina, subsequently establishing Soviet-aligned governments throughout Central and Eastern Europe and in parts of East Asia. [869], Stalin strengthened and stabilised the Soviet Union. 2011-10-26 00:38:39. [418] Stalin issued a decree establishing NKVD troikas which could mete out rulings without involving the courts. [96] After the heist, Stalin settled in Baku with his wife and son. [428] In July 1937, the Politburo ordered a purge of "anti-Soviet elements" in society, targeting anti-Stalin Bolsheviks, former Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, priests, ex-White Army soldiers, and common criminals. The Russian Empire became a de facto republic, headed by a Provisional Government dominated by liberals. 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