Why Did Joseph Stalin Become Famous

Throughout the 1920's and 30's Joseph Stalin was able to rise to power and build a totalitarian state. After Vladimir Lenin died in 1924, Stalin was able to maneuver his way to the top. Stalin was able to rise to power, build a totalitarian state, and was able to disrupt and transform soviet society by using propaganda.

Joseph Stalin was a callous dictator who governed the Soviet Union for nearly thirty years. He rose to power as the General Secretary of the Communist Party and became the dictator of Russia after Vladimir Lenin’s death in 1924. Stalin was known for his Marxist-Leninist ideology, but his policies soon became known as Stalinism. He rose through the ranks and became one of the most powerful leaders and communist revolutionaries that Russia had ever seen. A few of Stalin’s policies did in fact benefit the social, political and economic prosperity of the country, but overall, his leadership was detrimental to the Soviet Union and its people.

Joseph Stalin used his intellect, and power, to outmanoeuvre his rivals to become leader of the Soviet Union. Using carefully planned propaganda including, painting, statues, and a series of cultivated posters Stalin immortalised and glorified his leadership. These state-manufactured images created a ‘cult of personality' around him, subsequently, creating an image of a heroic worshipped figure, who was associated with every aspect of soviet society. Stalin controlled the media and according to the historian Moshe Lewin, Stalin single handily, ‘become the system,’ (Lewin in Pittaway, 2008, p.137.)

There is much controversy about whether Joseph Stalin was a Soviet Union hero or a horrific, controlling dictator. In reality, he was both. Joseph Stalin held power in the Soviet Union during World War II from 1929-1953. He made great advances in the agriculture, government, and stability in the Soviet Union, but he did so by killing millions of people and forcing the people under his control to live in constant fear (History.com Staff). Throughout his childhood, adulthood, rise to power, and death, Stalin made a great impact on the world.

“Stalin’s image came to dominate everyday life in the Soviet Union” during the time of the personality cult, and it was the constant bombardment of Stalin’s image and voice that played a leading role in cementing his position of power. Buildings, homes and workplaces were covered in portraits of Stalin, “who was referred to as the ‘Granite Bolshevik’ and ‘Supreme Genius of Humanity”. Through the personality cult, Stalin’s relationship with Lenin and his limited roles within the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution were greatly

Between 1924 and 1945, Joseph Stalin was able to emerge as the leader of the USSR and maintain what Kruchev described as “the accumulation of immense and limitless power”. Stalin's rise to power was a combination of his ability to manipulate situations and the failure of others to prevent him from taking power, especially Leon Trotsky. Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 until his death in 1953. His rule was one of tyranny, a great change from the society that his predecessor, Lenin, had envisioned. During his time of reign, Stalin put into effect two self-proclaimed "five-year

Joseph Stalin, from the time that he was a low level revolutionary to the years that he spent as the dictator of the Soviet Union, always knew what he needed to do to achieve his goals. His organized rise to power allowed him to gain a steady flow of followers who would support him for decades to come. Stalin received a minor government position in 1917, but by the time a new leader was needed in 1924, he “had turned the largely routine post of Party general secretary into the most powerful office in the Soviet Union” (“Joseph Stalin) and “had built a personal empire for himself through his control over committee appointments at all levels . . . expand[ing] the leading Party organs with his supporters, who then voted against his rivals”

Prior to his rise to power, Joseph Stalin’s early life had a large impact on his future as a leader of the Soviet Union. Stalin was born into a dysfunctional family in Gori, Georgia on December 21, 1879 (Joseph Stalin pbs.org). His real name however, was Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili. Then changed his last name to Stalin because he combined the Russian word stal, which means steel, and Lenin, the name of the Soviet Union leader at the time (jewishvituallibrary.org). In keeping with his strong name, Stalin contracted and even survived smallpox at a young age, but with the only remaining evidence being a facial scar from where the smallpox where it had formed at. Stalin was sent to a seminary in Tiflis, now known as Tbilisi, to become a priest. However, Stalin never completed his education and soon became involved in the city’s active revolutionary circle ,

Joseph Stalin greatly influenced Russia in the years 1924 through 1932. His rise to this power can be explained by the Russian Revolutionary experience that allowed him to gain authority in Russia. Although historians often refer to Stalin as a ruthless, mindless dictator, he redirected the Russian Revolution to major economic development. Stalin’s character in Russia during the Revolution catalyzed the many events that took place during the time period. Because of Stalin’s ability to both appeal to the masses, and take advantage of events, like Lenin’s death, Stalin was able to rise to power. Essentially, the Russian Revolution fostered the development of Stalin’s dictatorship leading the country into a state of economic growth and influence. The Revolution fostered Stalin’s ability to maintain a central leadership, use violence to gain control, and regenerate a previously disconnected economy.

Joseph Stalin was born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, the son of two peasants. His mother was a Christian maid and washer woman but his father was an abusive alcoholic. This information not only provides insight to the hatred that fueled this dictator but also his predisposition to violence. While I assumed that he came from a family with a more formal military or political background because of the hardships he placed on peasants, the dysfunctionality of his childhood surely could have provided the mental susceptibility to become the man he did.

Many personality cults in history have been frequently measured and compared to his. Numerous towns, villages, and cities were renamed after the Soviet leader and the Stalin Prize and Stalin Peace Prize were named in his honor. He accepted grandiloquent titles, such as "Coryphaeus of Science," "Father of Nations," "Brilliant Genius of Humanity," "Great Architect of Communism," "Gardener of Human Happiness" and helped rewrite Soviet history, providing himself with a more significant role in the Revolution. At the same time, according to Khrushchev, Stalin insisted that he be remembered for "the extraordinary modesty typical of truly great people."Stalin's name was included in the new Soviet national anthem. He became the focus of literature, poetry, music, paintings, and film, exhibiting fawning devotion and crediting Stalin with almost god-like qualities and suggesting he single-handedly won the Second World War. It is debatable, however, as to how much Stalin himself encouraged the cult surrounding him.The Communist Party has an ambivalent perception of Stalin. The pro-Stalinists justify his every deed and see him as the true successor to

When analyzing the differences between these two figures, it is important to understand their backgrounds and how those backgrounds molded them into the men they later become. Beginning with Stalin, we see a child who was born into poor conditions, rise to become the one of the most powerful figures during World War II and The Cold War. Joseph Stalin was born Josef Vissarionovich Djugashvili on December 18, 1878 in Gori, Georgia, in Russia to a poor family. His father was a shoemaker and his mother was a laundress. Along with being a shoemaker, Stalin’s father was also an alcoholic and often beat his son. Later in Stalin’s life, he left school to become an underground political influence. Thus, was Stalin’s emergence into the life of politics. Later in his life, Stalin became more prevalent in Russian politics though. The Soviet Union was founded in 1922 and by this time, Joseph Stalin was

The assumption of power by Joseph Stalin was arguably one of the most significant periods of Bolshevik Russia’s history. Stalin is recognised as one of the most influential men to have ever lead Russia, and he did so through the largest war the world has ever faced, World War II, and through the beginning of one of the most tense periods of modern history, the Cold War. It is easy however, to get lost in the legacy Stalin left behind, and forget about the events leading up to his total control over the communist regime of the 20th century Russia.

Iosif Dzhugashvili, more commonly known as “Joseph Stalin” or “the man of steel” was born in Gori Georgia, Russia on December 18, 1878. Stalin lived under the rule of Tsar Alexander II and Tsar Nicholas II (Joseph Stalin). Joseph Stalin’s dad was an alcoholic, while his mom was deeply religious. They were a poor family and Stalin was usually mistreated by his dad. It is believed this is why Stalin’s heart hardened and he became cruel and heartless (Ryan). Despite his modest background, he was destined to change the course of history. Joseph Stalin became the head of the Communist Party, ruled Russia as a totalitarian state, and was responsible for the deaths of millions

By the 1930s Stalin was in complete control and had successfully transferred the Soviet Union into a totalitarian regime. Stalin started to run for power against 3 other men. Stalin was a master at divide and conquer, this is how he came out on top. While Stalin was running it didn't show any mercy, he was known as the “man of steel” and everyone could tell. When Stalin first took power, he was full of paranoia and ruthlessness.