Russia was an undeveloped and political weak country that wanted change. During the suffering of World War 1 Vladimir Lenin stepped up and tried to change this. Lenin, preaching the words of Karl Marx, promised that the country would be in the rule of the working class and would go under a great change with him in power. After he was elected to power he made many reforms to benefit Russia then called and make it more modern. When Lenin died in 1924, the USSR was still marginally unindustrialized and not close to its European counter-parts. This is when a man by the name of Joseph Stalin stepped out of Lenin’s shadow and claimed he was the next one to farther improve Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Stalin was a very direct but paranoid person and dictator. He killed many thousands innocent people and exiled hundreds more. Although he did these unspeakable acts, he made many idealistic and beneficial acts that improved Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the long and short term. Joseph Stalin was a vile and controlling dictator, but even through his dramatic experiences in life was able to make the USSR a modern and powerful communist country.
Joseph Stalin was a needed aspect in the USSR to make it grow. Joseph Stalin had a very grueling childhood and way into power. On Joseph’s way to power he went through a lot of difficult and testing times. When he got into power he made sure his visions of the USSR were going to come true. He took direct control over many projects so that his vision would be shaped to his expectations. When things did not go Stalin’s way he would be extremely malicious. Killing or exiling thousands of millions of people for simple mistakes, opposing him, or just hear-say. He had a dream to make the USSR change from a “…from a backward peasant society to a powerful industrialized nation…” (Arthur Schlersinger Jr., Stalin. P. 107) Stalin took major steps to make this happen and the USSR never looked back. Stalin helped made USSR powerful by joining the war and taking interest in European politics. “By the end of the war Stalin may have reckoned with a more or less rapid withdrawal of American power from the Continent and consequently with the further growth of Russian predominance.” (Isaac Deutscher, Stalin. P. 518) Joseph Stalin placed a lasting touch on the USSR which many can thank him for.
Joseph’s cruel and suspicious behavior could have been the cause of his childhood and the unfortunate events that happened to him on his way to power. Joseph Stalin was the child of Ekaterina and Vissarion Djugashvili. Stalin was the forth child of Ekaterina and was born healthy, tough, and determined boy in the city of Gori in Georgia. “At baptism he was given the name of Joseph; and so the local Greek Orthodox priest, who acted as registrar, recorded the appearance in the world of Joseph Visssanrionovich.
Djugashvili, later to become famous under the name of Joseph Stalin.” (Deutscher, P. 22) Joseph’s family was poverty stricken, and this made it hard for Stalin to climb up the ranks. Stalin had a very troublesome childhood. His father frequently beat him and his mom, he almost died of small pox, he had many facial scars and pits, he suffered blood poisoning which made his left arm was shorter then his right, and he was only five foot four. His dad died when Stalin was eleven. Considering all of the misfortune Stalin had he still enjoyed reading, classic literature, outside activities, and even had great physical strength considering his small stature and his short arm. Stalin’s birth language was not Russian and he did not learn Russian until he was nine years old. His mom was determined to make Stalin’s life a success and get him out of the lower class destiny. She enrolled him in school at nine, when other lower class children would be learning how to be a shoe maker or carpenter.
Joseph had an extraordinary memory, which allowed him to learn with ease. He finished school in five years and was considered far more intelligent then the other students. Ekaterina then applied Stalin for a small scholarship to Tiflis Theological Seminary, which he won and then enrolled in. The life at the seminary was strict and harsh. Stalin fit in at first, but inevitability revolted and started his revolutionary career. Joseph joined a Marxist group in Tiflis then started reading about Karl Marx and read the Communist Manifesto. Joseph eventually got kicked out of the seminary, but continued to be with the other Marxists. (McCauley, 27) He then met a member from the Social Democratic Party and he joined them. Stalin sooner or later got caught for causing and planning a violent riot against the police, and he was sent to prison for a year and exiled to Siberia for three years.
The Social Democratic Party then spilt up into two different factions within the party. One of the factions was the Mensheviks, which were more traditional ideals. The other faction was the Bolsheviks, who espoused the revolutionary course. Stalin escaped from Siberia and went back to Tifils where who joined the Bolsheviks, which was run by Vladimir Lenin. Many revolts and revolutions aroused after Russia lost to Japan. This is when Stalin met his first real enemy Trotsky. Trotsky was a Menshevik that was just as active and outspoken as Stalin. During this time Stalin married a woman named Catherine Svanidze. He meant the world to him and when she died at an early age he always seemed different. He later married Nadya Allilueva. Nadya was a dearly and wholly loved by Stalin and he was heart broken when she committed suicide after they had a disagreement. While Stalin was doing a revolutionary movement for Lenin, he was again caught by the czar’s police. Stalin spent eight more years in Siberia. “But his patience was rewarded. Unexpected events would send Stalin on the path to ultimate power.” (Schlersinger Jr., P. 30).
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was severely behind European countries in agriculture and industry. Lenin knew this and he applied the New Economic Policy. This was only a scratch to the surface of what Stalin wanted. When Joseph got full power of USSR he wanted to make a “commanding economy” by forcing industries and farmers to industrialize no matter what. Stalin firmly believed that USSR was hundred years behind Europe and this could be fatal. (Rothnie, 251) To kick start the industrial and agriculture revolution he made the Five Year Plan. The goal of the Five Year Plan was to make USSR a modern agriculture and industrial country. To achieve this Stalin took control of the farms and industry. This caused organization and a more centralized goal, which means there would be many more factories and farms. “The new factories and steel works were to be paid for by the efforts of the peasants and were in many instances to be manned by them also. Links between peasants and workers would forge, and the way ahead to a classless Communist society opened up.” (John Laver, Joseph Stalin: from Revolutionary to Despot. P. 37) Factories and businesses were all given goals to meet every year for a five year period. To check and make the goals for each year was run by a Gosplan.
The penalties for not reaching a goal set up by the Gosplan were extremely merciless. Managers and workers would get executed, exiled, or work all day and all night almost. While the industries were thriving the agriculture would be collectivized. This basically meant that all farming land would be taken over and made more efficient and better ran. Each year you would have to hand over a certain amount of grain to the government which would then which you would get paid for. This would have worked flawlessly except the rich farms, “kulaks”, were extremely stubborn. To comprehend this Stalin had a plan. “Stalin sent to the countryside industrial workers, party leaders, army units, and the secret police.” (Schlersinger Jr., P. 54).
Those who rebelled against this were killed or sent to labor camps in Siberia. By improving machinery and agriculture Stalin could fight off millions of deaths caused by famine. Another great part of the Five Year Plan was that everyone in USSR was employed. Although Stalin was extremely ruthless and killed thousands and thousands of peasants and workers, after the three Five Year Plans were complete USSR’s industry rivaled Germany’s and improved by four hundred percent. (Hoobler, 147).
Stalin showed USSR’s true power, influence, and ability to come over adversity during the long trials of World War Two. The balance of power for World War Two depended on USSR. Stalin still believing USSR needed to still improve within itself signed the, Nazi-Soviet Pact. (Deutscher, 129) Even thought USSR and Germany were on peace terms, he knew that an attack was inevitable. He was building up his army, but still was totally surprised when Germany invaded in 1941. Stalin joined with the Grand Alliance and was ready to fight to his death. Stalin then took personal control of the army to improve USSR’s morale and sense of hope. Stalin made the country believe they had to fight through a lot of propaganda and inspiring acts. One inspiring act was orders Stalin wrote to the solders. One soldier wrote “All my life I will remember what Stalin’s Order meant… Not the letter, but the spirit and the content of this document made possible the moral and psychological breakthrough in the hearts and minds of all who it was read.” (Laver, P.59).
Stalin was not like other generals and other leaders in war as he learnt from his mistakes and electing staff by military status rather then political. Electing more top western generals he eventually ran Germany back. Stalin’s greatest general wrote, “At the beginning of the War he (Stalin) mastered strategic questions poorly, but his mind, the logic of his thought, his general knowledge and his grasp all served him well. In the second period of the War, after Stalingrad, he was entirely the right person as Supreme Commander… he comprehensively studied in advance an issue to be discussed or the plane of a future operation. Having carefully examined the information, he summoned people, military specialists, and came to the meetings fully equipped.” (Laver, P. 57).
The victory of the Grand alliance could of not of been achieved without the patriotism and fortitude of the USSR’s people, which is why many people consider Stalin ‘the man who won the War’. Not only was Stalin fighting a winning war it was the first time USSR played a vital and serious role in the way the war and world would turn out. USSR was finally recognized as a great and powerful country and gained the influence it deserved. (Radzinsky, 208) In 1934 USSR joined the League of Nations which was the first thing Stalin did to impact the influence and diplomatic affairs with other countries. After the war USSR joined the United Nations to further boost its influence. He also took part in the conferences of Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam, which meant he took political and military control in postwar liberated countries in Eastern and Central Europe. This not only made USSR’s sphere of influence larger but it made more communist countries to overthrow capitalism.
Joseph Stalin was able to prevail through many hard times in his life, although he was a controlling and vile dictator, he was needed to make the USSR a modern and industrial country. Joseph Stalin grew from the depths of the gutter into one of the most powerful leaders of his time. He had a strict vision of what he wanted in the USSR and no one could change his view. He killed millions of people who stepped in his way. Although, Stalin was very wicked, he was the only ruler at the time who thought of the people after he died. He saved millions of people’s lives by making both the Industrial and Agriculture contemporary and organized. Not only did he do that but he changed the whole world’s perception of the USSR. For the first time in history, Russia was getting influence in Europe and was incorporated with a lot of European events. He might have been vile leader, but he made USSR what it is today. “We believe that a strong full-blooded movement is unthinkable without controversy- only in a cemetery can total identity of opinions be achieved” – Joseph Stalin. Stalin was truly the ‘Father of the USSR’ because he guided his awkward and weak child into a strong and powerful man.
Works Cited
Deutscher, Isaac. Stalin. New York: Penguin Books, 1966.
Hoobler, Dorothy. Joseph Stalin. New York: Chealsea House Publishers, 1987.
Laver, John. Joseph Stalin: from Revolutionary to Despot. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1993.
McCauley, M.: Stalin and Stalinism (Harlow 1983).
Radzinsky, Edvard. Stalin. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing, 1996.
Rothnie, N: Stalin and Russia 1924-1953 (London 1991).
Tucker, Robert. Stalin as Revolutionary. New York: Norton and Company Inc, 1973.