Joseph Stalin truly strengthened this nation to become a widely known superpower, although he carried out mass genocide and created a murderous dictatorship. Historians have viewed him in many different ways, including a psychotic power-driven killer, a military and communist genius, and also the man who transformed the Soviet Union into an industrial colossus. Joseph Stalin should have never taken the role of the USSR’s leader. Instead, Trotsky should have been the one to take Lenin’s place, which would have saved the lives of millions. Joseph Stalin put forth many positive attributes to the USSR, however; the only reason this was possible was through his brutal intimidation tactics used on the nation’s
All Russian governments in this period faced strong opposition to their regime with the period as a whole punctuated by riots, disturbances and revolutions. Political change was expected in Russia during this period, particularly during the Tsarist regime where the growth of the revolutionary intelligentsia, ironically an effect of the Great Reforms, led many to question the need for a Tsar or a royal family at all. The first main success of political opposition is widely considered to be the assassination of Alexander II at the hands of the People’s Will in 1881. Although they assassinated their Tsar, it is very likely this did not actually lead to their desired outcome, it being greater political freedom/democracy. Many historians have said Alexander II was considering the formation of a parliament in Russia.
It is estimated that between 1934-8, 20 million Russians were sent to these gulags. By the time the terror had subsided in 1939, people were living in such fear that they were brought into a state of complete submission to his rule thus he had established a personal dictatorship with the use of terror. Secondly, Socialist realism was used to help Stalin establish his personal dictatorship. This was a form of social control thus played an important role in Stalin’s personal dictatorship because it persuaded the people of Russia that the sacrifices they were making were part of grand vision. Socialist realism implied that all forms of art should display socialist views and be realistic.
Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin were both powerful, ambitious leaders that worked their way into positions of power. Stalin took over after Lenin died to lead the USSR after the Russian Revolution. Hitler became leader of the Nazi Party and gained the people’s support with promises of a strong leader that resisted western powers. On their rise to power, both Stalin and Hitler became leaders of political parties, eliminated opposing parties, and promised a better future for the people and country, but Stalin used the people’s support as leverage in his power struggle with Trotsky while Hitler used his passion and the economic situation in Germany to become leader of the Nazi party and gain support over the socialists. Both Hitler and Stalin started their journey towards power by joining political parties.
Towards the end of 1934, Adolf Hitler had managed to gain complete control over Germany. Through a very important law named the enabling act, Hitler was able to pass multiple laws declaring other parties illegal and moulding Germany into a one party state. In one single night he also managed to diminish any threats and with the death of President Hindenburg along side the oath made by the army, Hitler began to nazify Germany. From his appointment as chancellor in January 1933 and through each point leading towards 1934, it could be said that Hitler managed to claim total control over Germany, In March 1933 with the new Reichstag elections Hitler hoped his party would win a two thirds majority in the hope that he could get parliament to agree that he could rule without it. The Nazi party now forced to think tactically and with the burning of the Reichstag building through a communist Hitler was able to blame the extremist party for the beginning of a revolution and with President Hindenburg's approval he arrested the ‘enemies of the state’.
By 1929, Joseph Stalin who was one of the members of the ‘collective leadership’, defeated the rest and became the dominant force of the USSR. His success was part of a power struggle which began even before Lenin’s death. Stalin’s victory was not inevitable, nor was it a result of his political skills alone. There was a whole list of factors which combined to assist his victory. When Lenin was alive he made several criticisms about Stalin which were not made public.
To what extent was Lenin’s leadership the reason why Bolsheviks were able to consolidate their power between 1917-1924? By the early 1920's Russia was in the authoritarian grip of a one party dictatorship. The Communist Party as the Bolshevik's had become. It had a ruthless leadership which was ideologically motivated to hold on to power at any cost. This was a dramatic change from the Bolshevik party's position in 1917 when the party enjoyed widespread support amongst the peasants, workers and soldiers who saw in the Bolshevik's the best hope for popular revolution.
Nazi Germany can be classed as a Totalitarian State. With Hitler as Fuhrer and his ministers in control of most aspects of German social, political, legal, economical, and cultural life during the years 1933 to 1939, they mastered complete control and dictatorship upon Germany. In a totalitarian state, the party leadership maintains total control over the government. The criteria required for a complete totalitarian regime consist of a one party state, strict ideology, Propaganda, Censorship, Terror, Strong leader, One Party Rule, Economic Control and Extreme Nationalism. Hitler achieved Nazi Germany’s single party state through the various stages of his accession to power.
Stalinism could be considered totalitarianism as it fits the criteria. For totalitarianism to exist the country must hold a single, official ideology that covers all aspect of existence and is considered the “perfect final stage of mankind”. In Stalin’s rule this ideology is “socialism in one country” and everyone must obey and this political view. This single uniting belief allowed Stalin to bring the country together, and in this he was able justify many decisions he made, especially in regards to purging of Russians particularly from within the party and label them as traitors. All Russians must obey the rules made by Stalin and the party and conform to the idea of Socialism in one country.
In November of 1917, Lenin and his communist followers known as the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government and set a communist government in Russia. However, in 1924, Lenin died and Stalin assumed leadership of the Soviet Union. Stalin was a ruthless leader who brought many changes to the Soviet Union. Stalin’s goal was to transform the Soviet Union into a modern superpower and spread communism throughout the world, and he was determined to sabotage anyone who stood in his way. Stalin’s rule brought both harmful and beneficial consequences to the Soviet Union.