Why Jospeh Stalin?

Lenin’s search for obedient followers and hard workers would eventually lead him to Joseph Stalin. Stalin was courageous, rambunctious, bold, fierce, and determined. Stalin knew that in order to secure his place within the Bolsheviks, and move up the ranks, he needed to prove himself worthy to their cause. Stalin used these traits and put them to work gaining Lenin’s admiration. What Stalin really excelled in was organization, something that the early Bolshevik party desperately needed. While Stalin may not have been the most intelligent or the most the most “typical” candidate for acceleration, accelerate he did. In this time, had this been a normal government Stalin would not have risen amongst the ranks due to his lower class upbringing. The “perfect” candidate would be someone like Leon Trotsky, a man with an incredibly education who came from wealth. However, Lenin noticed Stalin’s dedication and loyalty and had come to the conclusion that this type of man was the type of people Bolsheviks needed in the early days. This choice would be one of many stones cast against Trotsky that would hinder his ability to take over from Lenin and be another reason why Joseph Stalin would eventually take over.

Something then began to occur in late 1920. Lenin was having trouble pushing his policies through. In response to this, he decided to give his closest ally, Joseph Stalin, more power. On April 3, 1922, Lenin was able to have Stalin successfully appointed to General Secretary, or leader, of the Communist Party. With this new power, Stalin began building his loyal base. He appointed loyal followers to positions of power. This in turn made these followers all the more loyal and would not dare to oppose him later on. Thi...

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...two methods: Political cunning and violence. He was a shrewd man but it was more likely his violence and the threat thereof that helped propel him to Leader of the Soviet Union. His early days in the Bolshevik Party would inspire another man with many of the same attributes, Adolf Hitler. Had Leon Trotsky been more adamant about his disapproval of Joseph Stalin and more adamant about his own ability to be the leader of the Soviet Union, things may have been very different. Ultimately, Joseph Stalin and his rise to power did not only affect Russia and the Soviet Union. It affected the entire world. Joseph Stalin’s story of his rise to power is fascinating, brutal, and frightening. If nothing else, it is a reminder to all of us who love our Democratic Republic what a free and truly great society and nation really is.