"Joseph Stalin" (1879 – 1953) Leader of Soviet Union 1924 – 1953

Joseph Stalin was one of the most powerful and influential leaders of the twentieth century. Born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili in December 1878, he was the son of a Georgian cobbler. He was a driven, intelligent, and ambitious man who rose to become the leader of the Soviet Union.

Stalin's early life was marked by poverty, but he managed to excel in school and was accepted into a seminary. There, he became increasingly interested in revolutionary politics and joined the Bolshevik party in 1903. By 1917, he had become one of the party's most powerful members and was instrumental in the October Revolution. After the revolution, Stalin was appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party and used his power to consolidate his grip on the country. He implemented a series of reforms aimed at modernizing the Soviet Union, including the forced collectivization of agriculture and the Five-Year Plan. These reforms allowed the Soviets to rapidly industrialize and build a powerful military, but they also led to widespread suffering and famine. Stalin also used terror as a tool to maintain his grip on power. He had millions of people arrested and sent to labor camps in Siberia and Central Asia. He also had thousands of political opponents executed or exiled. His rule became known as the Great Terror, and its effects were felt throughout the Soviet Union. Stalin's rule ended in 1953 with his death. He was succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev, who denounced Stalin's policies and began the process of de-Stalinization. Despite his policies, Stalin was a deeply influential figure in Soviet history. He helped to create a powerful and prosperous state, but at a terrible human cost. His legacy remains controversial to this day.