Joseph Stalin's rise to power shaped by trauma and revolution

Life of Joseph Stalin

One of the most divisive and brutal dictators of the 20th century was Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union. Where, from his humble beginnings, he would become a loyal confidant of Vladimir Lenin during and after the Russian Revolution. (Zuehlke, 2006) the relationship that he would have with Lenin, combined with the different life experiences; would shape the kind of leader that he would become. This is important, because during his rule a series of: brutal purges, wars and strict government controls were how he was able to maintain his positions of power until his death. To fully understand what drove this controversial figure requires examining: his life, career and the legacy that he left behind. Together, these different elements will provide the greatest insights as to how Joseph Stalin's life experiences would determine what kind of leader he would become.

Background Information

Early Life

Joseph Stalin was born on December 18, 1878 in Gori Georgia. His original name was Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, it was during his years with Lenin that he would be given the name stal, which means steel. As a result, he would adopt the last name Stalin, denoting that he is a man of steel. In his early life, Stalin was frequently abused violently by his father, who was a shoe cobbler. He grew in a peasant family, as the only one of four children to survive beyond childhood, as his siblings would die from various infant and childhood diseases. At the age of seven, Stalin would survive a severe case of smallpox, which would leave his face permanently scared. At the age of ten, Stalin would begin to attend church school, where he would learn to speak Russian. (Zuehlke, 2006) This is significant, because it shows how early in life, Stalin was exposed to extreme amounts of violence and poverty. These two factors would play a role in determining his personality and ultimately how he would view the world.

Middle Years

The middle years of Stalin's life, would help to cement the overall views and personality that he would have later on. What happened was a series of events would occur during this time that would ultimately shape who he would become. The first one took place, when he was twelve when an accident with a horse and buggy would permanently disable his left arm. The second occurred, at the Georgian Orthodox Seminary when he was 16. At first, Stalin was a model student receiving a scholarship. However, did not like the religious structure of the institution and rebelled. After not being able to pay his final semester's tuition, he missed his final exams and was expelled. (Haugen, 2006) This is significant, because it shows how Stalin despised discipline and order, as he would view them as unfair, especially when he was kicked out of school because he could not pay tuition.

Career

The negative religious and economic experiences that Stalin would have led him to become interested in the ideas of Marx, as he would decide to join the communists in 1903. During this time to end the Russian Revolution, he would be captured by the secret police and sent to prison camps in Siberia, where he escaped every time. After the last successful escape, Stalin went to Saint Petersburg and was able to take control of the newspaper Pravda. Over the course of time, this position would allow Stalin to become closer to Lenin, as he would be able to protect and support the Revolution when all seemed lost. To achieve these objectives, he formed alliances with political allies and then would go after his enemies. Once the communists came to power, this approach was used to destroy the former Czarist elements in Russian army and force the peasants in the country side to support these changes through intimidation. After Lenin died, Stalin was able to use these tactics to gain power. This would create a state that was based on his personality and control, involving collectivization along with central planning. During the 1930's, the severe economic depression would force Stalin to purge his military ranks and party loyalists. Then, in 1939 he would sign a non-aggression treaty with Nazi Germany, who would invade the Soviet Union in 1940. During World War II, he would play a vital part in the Allies victory, but wanted to increase his overall control of the territories that were seized from the Nazis. This would create a Soviet dominated zone in Eastern and Central Europe. During 1950, he would help equip and arm the North Koreans to invade the South, as their leader Kim Il Sung was a former Soviet military officer during World War II. (Haugen, 2006) ("Joseph Stalin ") the lasting impact of Stalin's rule is: one of death, fear and intimidation, as the state would tighten its grip over the people. This is significant, because it shows how Stalin's own insecurities and experiences that he would have earlier in life, would affect the way he ruled.

Notorious Actions

Stalin was an oppressive leader who would engage in a number of different actions, to instill loyalty among the general population. The most notable would be: the purges during the 1930's. This is when Stalin would go after military officers and civilians that he believed were involved in subversive activities. The reason why, is because there was information that was obtained from the secret files of Czarist police, which identified Stalin as double agent who worked with both sides. When this information was discovered by the Red Army, Stalin began his purges as a way to control the population and put down any possible coups against him. (Mawdesly, 2004) This would result in the deaths of millions and would spark a famine, at the beginning of World War II. This is significant because it underscores, how Stalin would rule based upon his own personality, where various incidents in the past and his own personal conflicts would lead to the purges.

Conclusion

In 1952 and 1953, Stalin was going to have a series of trails of Jewish doctors, who were considered to be collaborators with the West. He subsequently was treated by the cousin of his personal physician, who he had arrested as a part of the new purge. However, these trials would never take place, as Stalin would suffer a stroke and die of a cerebral hemorrhage on March 5, 1953. Like in life his death is clouded in mystery, as it was shown that he was poisoned using waraffin (a type of rat poison that causes cerebral hemorrhages). (Zuehlke, 2006) This is a controversial theory that may never fully be examined, making Stalin's death an enigma. The legacy that he leaves behind is one of brutality, death, destruction and oppression. This highlights the overall personality and leadership style; that Joseph Stalin would use when ruling the Soviet Union. As a result, his life experiences would shape him into a brutal dictator that was interested in his own self-interest at any cost.