Stalin, a great leader that helped Russia industrialize at a fast rate or one that killed millions of people during his reign? Joseph Stalin was a Russian communist who was in rule of Russia for many years. He gained control of Russia when Lenin died. At first, he was not the main guy but then he had Leon Trotsky, the other leader, exiled. He only cared about himself and wanted his country to be one communist super state. Stalin was very scared that someone was going to try to question him and over rule him. In order to not get overthrown by anyone he launched purges in Russia. Any leading communist who threatened his power was either killed or sent to the gulags (labor camps), even leaders of the recent revolution. He often tortured these people to get them to confess to crimes that they did not do. Stalin would also accuse people of being enemies of the state or anti-revolutionaries. This way Stalin had a reason to kill or enslave them, so the civilians would not question what he was doing. He also had random people killed just because he had the power to do so. Everybody was at risk of being executed by Stalin; he even killed his wife because he thought she was irritated by him killing others for no reason.
Did these purges that Stalin set up help the country though? Stalin had ex
tremely high expectations for the Russian’s that were very unlikely. The purges were a way of terrorizing the people of the Soviet Union into obeying orders and working hard, so his goals could be reached. His psychopathic ways did help the Soviet Union become a very strong and advanced powerful country. The current Russian president said, "We understand that the whole economic potential that exists here was built by the blood and sweat of millions of our countrymen. So that is all the more reason why we do not have the right to waste what was achieved at such a high price." Joseph Stalin was what many Russian’s wanted their leader to do in advancing their country. People today still agree with Stalin’s ways, but there is still no excuse for killing millions of people to achieve this.
tremely high expectations for the Russian’s that were very unlikely. The purges were a way of terrorizing the people of the Soviet Union into obeying orders and working hard, so his goals could be reached. His psychopathic ways did help the Soviet Union become a very strong and advanced powerful country. The current Russian president said, "We understand that the whole economic potential that exists here was built by the blood and sweat of millions of our countrymen. So that is all the more reason why we do not have the right to waste what was achieved at such a high price." Joseph Stalin was what many Russian’s wanted their leader to do in advancing their country. People today still agree with Stalin’s ways, but there is still no excuse for killing millions of people to achieve this.Even though these purges did help keep the civilians in line and working hard, there is no justification for killing millions of people because one leader is afraid of being over thrown and wanting a more advanced and powerful country. Stalin abused his people when he starved them to death and coldly murdered them.
He scared the civilians of the Soviet Union by terrorizing the people and murdering them for no reason. He instilled a sense of fear that he thought was good to maintain control in his country. One gulag or labor camp survivor said, “The point of the Gulag was that there was no need for any indictment. Back then, hundreds of thousands of people were arrested, even for insignificant crimes, like minor theft. At that time, the Soviet Union was developing vast parts of its territory. And so, Stalin used all these prisoners at the labor camps. But our country paid too big a price. Russia could have had a population of over 400 million by 
now, if it hadn't been for that wonderful manager and his associates.” There are not many survivors from the reign of Stalin and of those survivors many see that part of history as being a very dark period of time.
He scared the civilians of the Soviet Union by terrorizing the people and murdering them for no reason. He instilled a sense of fear that he thought was good to maintain control in his country. One gulag or labor camp survivor said, “The point of the Gulag was that there was no need for any indictment. Back then, hundreds of thousands of people were arrested, even for insignificant crimes, like minor theft. At that time, the Soviet Union was developing vast parts of its territory. And so, Stalin used all these prisoners at the labor camps. But our country paid too big a price. Russia could have had a population of over 400 million by 
now, if it hadn't been for that wonderful manager and his associates.” There are not many survivors from the reign of Stalin and of those survivors many see that part of history as being a very dark period of time.560
Russia today is built around Stalin's actions and many people do despise him for it. Although the gulags could have been a way of cutting down on the poppulation or he was just a crazy man as you said. And is that just a head chillen there on the table?
ReplyDeleteThe current ruler of russia as you stated said that without Stalin russia would out be were it is today, but there is no excuse for killing millions of people. That is true but like every country the past has not aways been bright such as america. We wouldn't be where we are today with out of killing thousands of natives in order to have take over their land. Was it wrong yes. But would we be here if we hadn't done it, most likely not. So russia would not be the same if stalin hadn't done those terrible things. Was it worth it. I guess that is debatable.
ReplyDeleteStalin was in fact a very powerful ruler, but did not need to massacre millions of people to do so. Many rulers in history were very powerful with out having to kill.
ReplyDeleteI believe Stalin was not a great ruler at all. He killed millions of innocent people for his own personal gain. The people did not know it was him who was causing all the deaths.
ReplyDeletestatlin did not need to kill all those people and i wish somebody would have killed him first before he got out of hand
ReplyDeleteI agree completely, but at the beginning of your article insted of saying stalin was either a killer of millions or a great leader, my question is why couldn't he have been both? Wasn't he?
ReplyDeleteStalin made Russia the power house it is today. Yes he killed millions, but that only makes the country more roomy and less overpopulated in the present...so in the long run he did Russia a lot of good. In another twenty years nobody will miss anyone who have died from his reign, yet Russia will still continue to grow stronger because of his purges.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of people that Stalin killed was inexcusable but in the great scope of things he saved many millions more lives than he destroyed because had he not forced all of that labor his country would not have had the technological advances it needed to defeat the Germans because if Russia did not beat the Germans the Allies most likely would not have won the war.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Stalin was a horrible twisted heartless man and his actions were for the worse rather than the betterment of the Russian people. Although Stalin was considered by some a great leader, He did many inexcusable things that will never be forgotten and the horror he brought will linger in Russia forever. I never knew he killed his own wife, and that there were not many survivors from the reign of Stalin. I do agree with nathan but you cannot say that mindlessly murdering people is how America came to be today?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this it doesnt make me think of Stalin as a powerful leader, in my eyes he is a coward. There is a difference between killing threatening people and just killing because your a coward. Although Stalin did both, he used death as a way to fix his fears of being overthrown.
ReplyDeleteI believe Stalin made Russia the country that it is today. He may have had to kill many people to get there, but he did transform the country for the better.
ReplyDeleteStalin made Russia strong but he was a horrible man. He made himself the center of attention in everything. it was wrong to kill that many people. I think he was a great leader for russia.
ReplyDeleteStalin did industrialize Russia, but he was not a good leader. A leader leads his people, a leader doesn't exterminate his own people. The only reason Stalin could ever be perceived as a leader, was that the citizens at that time had no idea what Stalin was doing to them.
ReplyDeleteStalin is comparable to Hitler, and that's not a good thing. He was a very manipulative man and a murderer, to me he was so strong as a russian leader, yet too weak to even kill a man with his own hands. Due to the peoples' blindness they saw him as a great leader. I disagree, regardless of the improvements he made.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that the countless murders Stalin performed was inhumane, I still
ReplyDeletealso believe that it might be one of the best ways to get a country into that kind of strength/form. Leaders have sent men into numerous wars knowing casualties would be high, but post- war effects leave no country truly happy. The way Stalin performed his actions did lead to a huge number if deaths, his progress of the nation and his nation's power increased.
We have to remember that any information about the Soviet Union is subject to our own propaganda lens. This was our archenemy for 40+ years! Nathan and Tyler both make excellent points. We Americans have the blood of MILLIONS on our hands, and Germany very nearly defeated Stalin, which would have resulted in certain annihilation. Was Stalin simply weeding out his own personal undesirables knowing that SOMEONE had to go? We may never know.
ReplyDelete