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Joseph Stalin

Definition

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He implemented a series of political and economic policies that centralized power in the state's hands, transforming the Soviet Union into an industrial superpower but also leading to severe hardships for its people.

Analogy

Think of Joseph Stalin as a strict coach who pushes his team (the Soviet Union) to win at all costs. His methods may lead to victories (industrialization), but they can also cause injuries and exhaustion (famine, purges).

Related terms

Leninism: The political theory for the organization of a revolutionary vanguard party and the achievement of a dictatorship of the proletariat as political prelude to the establishment of socialism.

Great Purge: A campaign of political repression in the Soviet Union which occurred from 1936 to 1938 where millions were persecuted or executed.

Collectivization: A policy enforced by Stalin during 1928-1940. The goal was to consolidate individual landholdings and labor into collective farms mainly kolkhozy and sovkhozy.