Stalin (dec 18, 1878 – mar 5, 1953)
Description:
As a young man, he read Karl Marx which lead to him joining Bolshevik party.
Became involved in criminal activities like kidnapping and robbery to fund Bolsheviks
1907 he stole 250,00 rubles for the Bolshevik party.
He ran the Bolshevik newspaper: Pravda, to spread the idea of unity.
When the Bolsheviks took power of Russia and made USSR, Stalin became general secretary in 1922.
Knew Trotsky was in line for power so he had him exiled.
Took power when Lenin died and became dictator of the Soviet Union in 1924.
Wanted to transform the Soviet Union into an industrial superpower.
This plan included forced collection of Soviet agriculture. Millions of farmer refused to cooperate so they were shot and killed. This collection also cause famine that killed millions.
Stalin ruled by terror; killed anyone who opposed him, expanded upon the secret police Lenin created, made propaganda to make him seem good.
Signed pact with Hitler at the start of WWII.
Hitler broke that pact and invaded, unprepared, Stalin still won.
By the end of his reign, Stalin turned the Soviet Union into a European industrial superpower and had brought it a lot of economic growth but took a huge chunk of the population.
Caused the Berlin Blockade- first major clash of cold war.
Added to timeline:
Prominent Russian Figures and Events
By Finn Cloward
Date:
