Joseph Stalin: Politician, Revolutionary, and Leader of the Soviet Union

Who Is Joseph Stalin?

• Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, best known as Joseph Stalin, was a revolutionary and political leader who led the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953.
• He was notorious for his brutal dictatorship and was responsible for the deaths of millions due to famines and political purges. However, he was a prominent driver of the industrialisation of the Soviet Union and the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.
• He was born into a hard life in Georgia, became a young member of the Communist Party, and emerged as a revolutionary leader during the 1917 Russian Revolution.
• Following Vladimir Lenin's demise in 1924, he vied for power, beating his rivals to become the undisputed leader of the Soviet Union. His ambitious industrialisation plans catalysed accelerated economic growth but at the cost of immense suffering for millions.
• He resisted the Nazi invasion with great determination, guiding the Soviet Union to victory in World War II. Post-war, he became the leader of a global superpower and contributed significantly to the Cold War against the United States.

Childhood and Upbringing

• Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili was born on December 18, 1879, in Gori, Georgia, which was then part of the Russian Empire. He was later known as Joseph Stalin and grew up in poverty.
• His father, Beso, was a cobbler, and his mother, Ketevan, was a farmer.
• Stalin was the third child in his family and the only one to survive past childhood, as his two older brothers died of illness.
• As the third child, Stalin endured challenging early years, marked by his father's alcoholism and violence. Eventually, his father abandoned them, leaving him and his mother in an even more precarious situation.
• After finishing primary school, his mother sent him to an Orthodox Christian school in Tbilisi for religious instruction. However, he was expelled for repeatedly missing classes and failing to attend exams.
• Stalin turned to reading, choosing books quite different from those his mother intended. He became engrossed in forbidden literature, revolutionary texts, and especially Marxist works. He yearned for social revolution and found resonance with his rebellious spirit in the ideals of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.

Biography

• Stalin endured many hardships while growing up in poverty, including a bout with smallpox and a serious accident.
• His mother initially enrolled him in a religious school, hoping he would become a priest. However, he was soon drawn to revolutionary ideas.
• He joined the revolutionary movement at a young age, deeply influenced by the works of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.
• He became a skilled organiser and active revolutionary, known for his aptitude in planning and raising funds.
• He faced numerous arrests and exiles throughout his revolutionary career.
• He had no interest in traditional jobs due to his political ambitions, but he briefly worked as a clerk at a meteorological station in Tbilisi.
• This job was merely a stopover on his revolutionary journey. In 1903, he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party and soon distinguished himself as a revolutionary leader. Stalin played a significant role in the 1917 Russian Revolution.
• Following the revolution, he rose to prominence within the Communist Party.
• In 1922, he was appointed General Secretary of the party, which granted him immense power.
• He used this role to eliminate his political rivals and consolidate his control over both the party and the state.
• Following Vladimir Lenin's demise in 1924, Stalin engaged in a fierce leadership struggle. He ultimately emerged victorious over his adversaries and became the undisputed leader of the Soviet Union.
• Under his oppressive dictatorship, widespread purges were launched against any opposition.
• Millions of his political adversaries were sent to harsh labour camps in Siberia.
• He married twice. His first marriage was to Ekaterina Svanidze in 1903, with whom he had a son, Yakov. Sadly, Ekaterina died shortly after Yakov’s birth due to typhoid fever.
• His second marriage was to Nadezhda Alliluyeva in 1919, and they had three children: Vasily, Svetlana, and Artem. Vasily pursued a military career in the Red Army, but his life was cut short due to alcoholism. Svetlana, on the other hand, boldly defected from the Soviet Union in 1961 and spent the rest of her life in exile until her passing. Tragically, Artem's life ended early as he chose to take his own life at a young age.

Beliefs

• Stalin was born into an Orthodox Christian family but distanced himself from religion during his youth.
• He joined the Communist Party, which was atheist at the time.
• He showed no public interest in religion and harshly suppressed any religious expressions within the Soviet Union throughout his rule.

Professional Journey

• Stalin's Red Army played a critical role in defeating Nazi Germany during World War II.
• He led the Soviet Union throughout the war, emerging as a skilled military strategist.
• The war maximised his authority both within the Soviet Union and on the international stage.

Accomplishments

• In 1928, Stalin launched the Five-Year Plans, ambitious economic programmes aimed at modernising the Soviet Union rapidly.
• These plans brought massive economic growth, rapid industrialisation, and the transformation of the Soviet Union into a global power.
• However, this progress came at a staggering human cost, as millions faced starvation and perished in forced labour camps.
• In 1939, Stalin allied with Hitler through a non-aggression pact, enabling Germany's invasion of Poland without Soviet intervention. However, Germany violated the agreement in 1941, leading to a brutal war.
• He led the Red Army to victory, playing a pivotal role in defeating Nazi Germany.
• His global standing grew significantly after the war.
• Following World War II, the Soviet Union entered into a conflict with the United States, known as the Cold War.
• Stalin continued to consolidate his power in Eastern Europe and supported communist movements worldwide.
• He died in 1953, leaving behind a complex legacy.

Challenges and Hardships

• Stalin's first wife, Rosa, fell ill with tuberculosis in 1907, ten years before the revolution. He didn’t have the money to treat her because he spent it on party activities, so she eventually died.
• His eldest son, Yakov, survived a suicide attempt but was later captured by German forces during the war. Stalin refused to make a special deal for his release in a prisoner exchange. So, Yakov attempted to escape but was killed.
• Stalin remarried Nadezhda, and they had two children. However, she committed suicide by gunshot, reportedly due to disagreements with Stalin, particularly over his many romantic affairs. Officially, her death was attributed to peritonitis.
• Paranoia gripped Stalin after he killed most of his comrades, and he feared assassination. He set up eight bedrooms, locking all of them securely each night without informing anyone in which room he would sleep. He also refused to eat food prepared for him until his cook tasted it first, fearing he might be poisoned.

Stalin's Influence

• Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for over two decades, contributing to transforming Russia from a nation lagging behind to a prominent global power. He also contributed to the defeat of Nazism and industrialised the nation at a pace that severely harmed the environment. He also seized farmers' lands and forcibly imposed an unjust agricultural system.
• After Hitler betrayed him by violating the non-aggression pact, Stalin allied with the West, which eventually led to the formation of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). The primary reason for NATO's creation was to counter Stalin's communist expansion in Europe.

Famous Quotes

• "Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything."
• "I no longer trust anyone."
• "Education is a weapon, the effect of which depends on who holds it and at whom it is aimed."
• "When we hang the capitalists, they will sell us the rope we use."
• "I trust no one, not even myself."
• "The Pope? How many divisions does he have?"
• "You cannot make a revolution with silk gloves."
• "History shows that there are no invincible armies."
• "A writer is the engineer of the human soul."
• "True power emanates only from the barrel of a long gun."
• "The death of one is a tragedy; the death of millions is a statistic."
• "An honest politician is as rare as dry water or wooden iron."
• "Joy is the most distinguishing feature of the Soviet Union."
• "I believe in one thing only: the power of the will of the people."
• "Death is the solution to all problems. No man—no problem."
• "Every man imposes his own system to the extent that his army can reach."

Awards and Recognition

• Despite the polarising views of Stalin, whether regarded as a revered leader or a ruthless dictator, there is unanimous agreement that he was responsible for the loss of countless lives. Ironically, Stalin was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, though he never won.
• Stalin was first nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 and again in 1948.
• His nomination was based on his efforts to end World War II.
• However, his role in the Berlin blockade, which led to the deaths of 65,000 civilians and the execution of 25,000 Polish prisoners, as well as his orchestration of mass terror and repression within the Soviet Union, prevented him from winning the prize.

Unknown Facts About Stalin

• Stalin loved movies, and it was said that all the houses he owned had a dedicated cinema room.
• He had a keen ear for music, and his favourite pianist was Maria Yudina.
• He was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million people due to World War II and his repressive policies.
• Political memoirs published in 1993 by Molotov suggest that Minister Beria poisoned Stalin to kill him, although official sources claim he died from a stroke.