Stalin and the Soviet Union
- The Soviet Union was established in 1922, and became a one-party communist dictatorship.
- Although being on the far left, they had very similar methods to maintain control as other totalitarian states like Fascist Italy.
- Under Stalin's rule, the living conditions in the USSR were ruthless.
- Peasants and workers had next to no power.
- Stalin started (some voluntarily joined, although most people were forced) agricultural collectivization after industrial collectivization, where the government would take some of their harvests, without paying them.
- This would lead to famines; which were used tactically to kill unwanted minorities, such as the Holodomor in Ukraine.
Paranoia and Punishments
- Stalin would exile his rivals.
- Such as Trotsky, who was first exiled to Turkey, then Mexico and eventually killed.
- Even though Trotsky was an important figure, he would have basically no influence in Mexico. But Stalin's paranoia still wanted him to be executed.
- Army officers were executed.
- This led to terribly inexperienced army officers who had received their positions only out of loyalty and not quality.
Stalin's Purges
- Establishment of the Gulag camps.
- Network of prison and force labor camps.
- People were often sent to work camps called Gulags, where they would work for public infrastructure, in terrible conditions.
- This would lead to them dying often of exhaustion, disease or the freezing conditions.
- For example there's the "Road of Bones" in Siberia, getting it's name from the deceased who were buried in the road's foundation.
- The victims of Stalin's reign are estimated from 20 to 30 million.
Stalin's USSR
- Despite the heavy price, the Soviet Union was industrialized in amazing speed.
- Cult of the leader.
- Many people actually supported Stalin, although likely far more didn't but couldn't speak up against him.
- There are even a high number of Russian people who support Stalin today, unaware of the atrocities he was behind.
- Often referred to as "Great", "Beloved", "Bold", "Wise", "Father" Stalin.
- Stalin wanted to seem tall and was rather vain, adding to the deity-like view of him.