From April 3 1922 through October 16 1952 Stalin ruled the USSR with an iron fist. Changing Russia and the Former Soviet Union countries social climate, their politics and culture. Had he never come to power the Soviet Union would have been different. It would have allowed others to come to power that may not have ruled so absolutely cruelly. In retrospect Stalin’s legacy was one of oppression and fear but also one of admiration.
Joseph Stalin was born in 1878 in Georgia. He was born with the name Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jugashvili but later changed to Joseph Stalin to make himself seem more russian. His father, Bessarion Jugashvili was a businessman a cobbler by trade but when Stalin was young, became increasingly alcoholic. He eventually had
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Lenin also used many of the same ways to control people such as gulags, media control and killing people against his ideology. Much of what Stalin did was very similar to what Lenin did although Stalin’s economic policy was very different Lenin also imprisoned and killed many. In fact Lenin once said “"Comrades! The kulak uprising in your five districts must be crushed without pity ... You must make example of these people. (1) Hang (I mean hang publicly, so that people see it) at least 100 kulaks, rich bastards, and known bloodsuckers. (2) Publish their names. (3) Seize all their grain. (4) Single out the hostages per my instructions in yesterday's telegram.” (Courtois,1999) Not really the perfect infallible leader that he is portrayed as. Many argue that Lenin was more justified in his killing but it is likely that he would have intensified his methods of transforming Russia and the USSR to communism. He was the leader under the red terror and carried out many atrocities against the people of Russia but is rarely viewed in a negative light especially in Russia. Lenin’s legacy is based on the meer two years that the USSR was under his control.
Stalin’s legacy on the other hand became one of both great fear and great love, he helped win World War II for the Soviets, increased the political sphere of communism and brought Russia to what was it’s greatest amount of foreign power. This is why he has become such an interesting figure, why he is a paradox many Russians view him in a positive light even though under his rule there was more death, famine, shortages and overall dip in people's quality of