Joseph Stalin

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Joseph 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 his regime and the traits that Stalin developed into his cult of personality were likely acquired as a child and adolescent.

This paper will discuss how Stalin’s background helped build the qualities of a ruthless leader and how he displayed them at the time of his power. His destruction of the citizens’ rights and his failure to maintain his responsibilities as ruler will also be reflected upon throughout this writing.

Stalin’s Childhood and Background

Stalin was born December 18, 1878 in Gori Georgia. His mother was named Ketevan Geladze. His biological father is not accurately known, although, there are many theories as to whom his paternal father is. It could’ve been that Stalin is the descendant of a Gregorian prince or count. Another theory is that Stalin is the son of General Nikolai Przhevalsky who was one of the great scientific explorers of the 19th century. Stalin could have been the son of a Jewish wine merchant named Yaakov Egnatashvili. His mother did laundry in his household. This is one of the most likely theories due to the fact that he paid for Stalin’s seminary education and Stalin named his first son Yaakov in Egnatashvili’s honor. Stalin also could have been the son of a priest. It is even possible that his father...

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...ctment of the phone call between Stalin and Krupskaya.

Matthews, John R., 1937 –

The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union / by John R. Matthews. P. cm.-(World History Series)

This discussed the history of the Soviet Union, from the Revolution of 1917 through the Lenin and Stalin eras.

"Joseph Stalin." Joseph Stalin. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2014

This web source detailed on Stalins ‘cult of personality’ and gave more input on his distortion of the media image.

"The Art of Conservatism." : Marxism According to Stalin. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014

Showed how Stalin manipulated Marxism and revealed his interpretation of Marxist ideologies as compared to actual Marxist beliefs.

"Marxism." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.

Provided a definition of Marxism and a brief history of how it was adapted in Stalinist Russia.

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