Joseph
Stalin ruled over the Soviet Union for more than 20 years. On the one side he
instituted terror, on the other side he modernized Russia and helped to defeat
Nazism. But how did he become so powerful?
Stalin
was born on December 18th, 1879, in Gori, Georgia. He was the son of
a cobbler and a washerwoman. At the age of 7 he suffered underneath the
smallpox which left scares in his face and slightly deformed his left arm. During
his childhood he was made fun of and felt left out; he seeked for respect and
greatness.
Stalin
planned on becoming a priest. During college he got into contact with the
socialist writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, which made him join the socialist
group in 1898. In 1901 Stalin joined the Social Democratic Labor Party and
started focusing on a revolutionary movement. Only a year later he got arrested
for his contribution in a labor strike. This was his first of many arrests
throughout the Russian Revolution. During that time he received the name “Stalin”,
Russian for steel.
In
1922, Stalin was named the new general secretary of the Communist Party. It
gave him power over all party member meetings; this was his source to massive
influence. Stalin consolidated his authority so that more or less every member
of the central command was under his influence. The members realized the
betrayal, but by that time it was already too late. Stalin had power over
pretty much all Russia and maintained in that position for decades.
Work cited
"Joseph Stalin." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 08 Oct. 2014.
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