Joseph Stalin, born in the Gori city from Georgia, on the date of 21st December, 1879. He was the 4th child of his mother, born in no more than 4 years. Before Joseph Stalin, his mother has had her first three children who have died. This is why J. Stalin was proud to be healthy. But his mother, called Ekaterina Geladze was afraid many times that his last son will also die.
It is understandable that Ekaterina Geladze, the mother of Joseph, given this context has ptorected him very much.She felt a great attraction towards her own child.
Joseph's fatherwas a brutal man with no school whose job was titled bootmaker. Being only a child, J. Stalin has met the real poverty. This kind of poverty must have endured and encountered the frustration of being one of the peasants in Russia at the nineteenth century's end. When he was 7 years old, he got an awful disease, smallpox.Power himself, Stalin has even survived, while his face was not like before. It was scarred and it still remained until the end of his life. This thing gave him the nickname of "pocky".
Joseph's mother was born in a serfs family. She was a very religious person, in1888 trying to obtain for his son, J. Stalin a place at the church school. Even if he had some health problems, he really succeed in studying hard at school. Finally, he has won a scholarship for free.Stalin went to seminary not due to the any religious vocation, he went because it was one of the few educational options available as long as the government from Russia did not want to allow a university's existence in Georgia. As long as he studied at the seminary, Joseph Stalin has joined a secret organization which was called Messame Dassy.
Members of this organization have been supporters of the Georgian independence, an independence from Russia. But on the other side, some of them were socialist revolutionaries. With the people Stalin have met in this organization, he first turned to the Karl Marx ideas.
One year later, in May, Joseph was expelled from the seminary. However, it all happened to him because he has disrespected people in authority and he even took some books he was not allowed to read. Few months later, it was discovered that the real reason for which Stalin was expelled is that he has tried the conversion of his fellow students to Marxism.
A couple of months after Stalin has left the seminary, he still remained unemployed. Finally, he has found a new job where he gave some private lessons to a children class. After this job, Joseph has worked as a seller at the Tiflis Observatory while he wrote some articles for the socialist newspaper from Georgia, Brdzola Khma Vladimir.
In 1901 Stalin joined the SDL Party and while the majority of the leaders have lived in exile, he still was in Russia. There, Stalin helped the organization of the industrial resistance to Tsarism. But one year later, on 18th April, he was arrested after he organized a strike at the Rothschild plant at Batum. He spent about one year and a half in prison, being deported to Siberia.
This was in 1903, the Second Party Congress in London, when there was a serious quarrel between Lenin and Julius Martov, who had 2 lead the parties. As long as Lenin argued for a small party of revolutionaries with the profession of good and non-party sympathizers and supporters, Martov not accepted this thinking that a large party of activists would be much better.
Julius Martov has created his ideas on the socialist parties which continue to be in other countries from Europe such as the Labour Party from Great Britain. Lenin has sustained that this situation was not the same in Russia, being illegal to form socialist parties under the russian autocratic government. Finally with his debate, Julius Martov has won the vote 28-23. Lenin did not want so much to accept the results and he thought to form a faction called the Bolsheviks. People who continued to be loyal to Julius Martov have been called Mensheviks.
Practically the Social Democratic Labor Party was split in 2 groups: the Mensheviks(the minority) and the Bolsheviks(the majority).
Stalin has joined the Bolsheviks as many others like Anatoli Lunacharsky, Gregory Zinoviev, Mikhail Frunze, Nadezhda Krupskaya, Vladimir Antonov, Lev Kamenev, Maxim Litvinov, Alexander Bogdanov, etc while most of them have supported Julius Martov.
After Stalin has escaped from Siberia in 1904, he eventually has become a fugitive continuing to be a revolutionary. In a few months Stalin has started again with the strikes in Tiflis. Vladimir Lenin was the person who led the Bolsheviks group. This group was also chosen by Joseph Stalin whose achievements has impressed the leader of the group.
Since then, Stalin was arrested again, for the forth time. The next 8 years are known for Stalin to be spent in Russia. Every time he got arrested, he managed to escape from the prison.
For the last time, Stalin was arrested in 1913, his exile lasted until 1917, when the government could keep him in the North Siberia.
After the Emperor Nicholas II hasabdicated in 1917, the new prime minister Alexander Kerensky has allowed the prisoners to come back to their homes. Then, Stalin was back to Saint Petersburg and he has become one of the Pravda editors In that moment Stalin has realized as the majority of Bolsheviks that people from Russia were not ready to get started a socialist revolution.
On 3rd April, 1917, Lenin has returned from the emigration to Petrograd announcing in a speech what has become known in history as the "April Theses". This was a real revelation for Bolsheviks.
Lenin has proposed to replace the old theses of the Marxist theory that the period of transition to socialism, the most appropriate form of state is parliamentary republic. He was also the man who has reformulated a new these and proclaimed a republic of Soviets the most perfect and most appropriate form of political organization of society during the transition from capitalism to socialism.
Lenin has attacked Bolsheviks who have supported the Provisional Government. On the other side, Lenin sustained that the revolutionaries should tell the Russian they should take the control over the country. So, Lenin convinced the peasants to take the land from the owners who were rich and to take advantage of the factories.
Lenin has accused those Bolsheviks for political irresponsibility urging them to leave the party. Most of them took this sentence as an advice from Lenin, saying that any attempt at this revolution, in this stage was doomed to failure leading to another repressive, the government from Russia which is authoritarian.
In those moments, Stalin was situated in a difficult position. Being one of the Pravda editors, he knew that he will be chosen responsible for the "betraying socialism", so called by Lenin.
In his hand, Joseph have had only 2 options to decide between: he could be on the oppositive part of Lenin while challenging him to take the lead of the party, or he merely could remained loyal to Lenin and agreeing with the support of the Provisional Government.
after 10 days have passed by since the silent, Stalin foat very determined to make that move. How long was in Pravda, Stalin wrote an article rejecting the idea of working with the Russian Provisional Government. He then sentenced Alexander Kerensky and Victor Chernov as not being revolutionary and he even made the peasants to take the lead on the land for themselves.
On 1917, November, Stalin was rewarded by Lenin because of supporting the October Revolution. On November 8 Lenin was also elected the President of the Council of People's Commissars by the Russian Soviet Congress.
In the same month, November 1917, Stalin has entered the government which was dominated by communists, being also named the Commissioner of Nationalities. Known officially a member of the Bolshevik minority group, J. Stalin has also become a member of The Politburo of the Communist Party.
This was an great job that has given Stalin the enormous power for almost half of the population of the country fell into the non-Russian category. At that moment, Stalin has had the opportunity to deal with about 65 million people from Ukraine, Georgia, Byelorussia, etc.
The Bolsheviks policy was to give the right of self-determination to all different nationalities from Russia. This thing was strengthened by Stalin in a speech from Helsinki in the same year and the same month.
Stalin has also promised to the poeple that the Soviet government will completely give freedom to the people in Finland, and also to many other people from Russia, assuring their own life.
Definitely the plan of Stalin is being reduced to that development of what he called "a voluntary and honest alliance", an alliance taking place between Russia and many other national groups.
Throughtout the next years, J. Stalin has had serious difficulties of controlling the non-Russian peoples. Independent states were were established without his consent. These governments were most of times hostile to the Bolsheviks. Stalin hoped the independent states would like to be with Russia to create a Socialist States Union.
When this thing has not happened, Joseph Stalin has to review his policy and to declare that it should be understood as self-determination right, not of the bourgeoisie, but of the working masses of a different nation given, only with the exception of the case in these independent states which have had a socialist government wanting the development of a union with Russia.
In this way, surely the Bolsheviks would not allow the self-determination.
Lenin has also changed his opinions regarding to the independence. Lenin has taken the conclusion now that a modern economy must have as high degree of power in the centre as it could be. Even if the Bolsheviks have promised about half the population of the Russia, which they would also have self-determination, he consider now that such a policy could constitute a serious and dangerous threat to the Soviet government's survival.This has been the broken promise over the self-determination which was only one of the several reasons why the government of Lenin has become so unpopular all over Russia.
As long as the Civil War lasted, Stalin has played an important role in military problems taking the credit for the defeat with great success of the White Army at Tsaritsyn. Stalin has developed a great strategy which is reffering to hold and conduct interviews with local administrators on Volga. Later, it was sustained that they would be shot and thrown into the Volga river unless Stalin will not be convinced of their loyalty.
On the morning of 30 August ,1918, Moisei Uritsky, the chief of the Petrograd Cheka Secret Police was shot by a man called Kannegiesser, and he died. 14 days later, Dora Kaplan, a Socialist Revolutionaries member, has shot Lenin, but he did not die. Stalin, being in Tsaritsyn in that moment, has decided to sent a telegram where he mentioned an "open and systematic mass terror" against people who were responsible for this issue. Stalin's advice was accepted in September, the same year while Felix Dzerzhinsky, the Cheka head, has called it the Red Terror. For the next moonths, it was believed that around eight hundred socialists will be arrested and shot.
The policy of the Soviet government of War Communism, during the Civil War, has created social dangers leading also to many strikes, demonstrations and even riots. The Kronstadt Uprising has strengthened the belief that the government has been unpopular reinforcing the anouncement from March, 1921, when Vladimir Lenin has come with details over his New Economic Policy. Farmers have not the opportunity to sell food products on the free market, but having the possibility now of employing some new people to work for them.
The New Economic Policy has also allowed the internal trade freedom permitting some private trades and establishing again the state banks. There are factories which has employed no more than 20 people were denationalized and they even could be argued back by the ex-owners.
Stalin is on the right side of the Lenin's policy, supporting it. The point of view of Joseph is reffering that while there was only one party state, the government could permit to introduce of several private enterprises with no big scale. As Stalin has underlined, the New Economic Policy is a very special policy of the proletarian state made to tolerate the capitalism, but it keeps the key positions in the proletarian state's hands.
Lenin has found the disagreements over the NEP exhausting. His state of health is known to be bad since was shot by Dora Kaplan in 1918. Lenin got many awful headaches that did not allow him to sleep and it is understandable that he started to suffer from fatigue. Then Lenin has realised and decided that he really need a help from somebody regarding to the control over the Communist Party.
In April 1922 there has taken place the Party Conference where Lenin has suggested and finally decided it must be created a new post of General Secretary. The person who Lenin has chosen to fill the post was none other than Stalin, the same person who sometime was always loyal and has always supported his policies anywhere and anytime. The opponents of Stalin, the most important of them for the future party leadership did fail in seeing the importance of this position while practically they have supported this nomination. These opponents of Stalin have seen this post of General Secretary as being less than the spokesman of Lenin.
Shortly after Stalin was names as the General Secretary, Lenin was taken to the hospital to remove from his body a bullet which has remained there since he was attempted to be killed by Kaplan.
It was hoped that this intervention will restore health and rehabilitate him. Unfortunately this did not happen, and soon after he was hospitalized, a blood vessel in the Lenin's brain was broken. In this way Lenin has remained paralyzed, and for a long while he was not able to speak.
His entire right side from top to bottom was paralysed. Through Lenin, Stalin has started to become very important in history.
As long as Lenin was not able to move his body, Stalin made full use of his powers without somebody to intervene and confuse him while he would be the General Secretary.
At the Party Congress Stalin have had the permission to expel those members of the party which have not satisfied his wishes entirely.
This think made Stalin able to eliminate thousands of Leon Trotsky supporters, the person who is the biggest rival of him regarding to the party leadership.
Being the General Secretary, Stalin have had the full power to name, hire or fire many people from some of the most important positions in the government. The holders who have had these new posts were awared that this new promotion have got due to Joseph Stalin. The new holders were also aware that a wrong step in their behavior will make Stalin to replace them with others.
As long as Stalin was known to be surrounded by the supporters trust, his confidence will continue to grow up. On 1922, October, Stalin was not agreeing with Lenin when they were talking about the issue of the outside foreign trade. In the moment when this problem was known to be discussed at the Central Committee, the policy of Stalin was rather accepted than the Lenin's. Since then, Lenin has begun to be afraid of Stalin, who could take over the leadership of the Communist Party. So, Lenin began to take measures and he even wrote to Leon Trotsky, the Stalin's opponent, and has also asked the support of him. At the next Central Committee meeting of Leon Trotsky, the external foreign trade decision was reversed by him.
Lenin, who was too sick to participate at it, has wrote to Trotsky congratulating him for his success and he even suggested that maybe in future they must be partners in the decision of trying to destroy Stalin.
Through his wife who worked in the private office of Lenin, Nadya Chiranjeevi, has revealed what the letter sent by Lenin to Leon Trotsky contained.
Reading what the letter contains, Stalin was furious when he saw that Lenin with Leon Trotsky have plotting against him to destroy his pilitical career.This would mean the end of the end.
In a moment of anger, Stalin gave a phone to the Lenin's wife,Nadezhda Krupskaya, reproaching her for endanger the life of her husband by allowing him to write letters, knowing that he is so sick.
After Nadezhda Krupskaya has told her husband that Stain has given a phone-call, Lenin took the decision that Stalin should not be the person to go in his place as the the party's leader.
Lenin knew soon he would die, so he has decided to write a letter to his secretary which would be called as a testament. He wrote that document regarding to the senior members which were a part of the party leadership.
Lenin has increasingly become concerned about the character and behaviour of Stalin. This is why he wrote that testament through which he will remove Stalin from any main function of an important party leadership. He added in his testament that Stalin, the person who has become the General Secretary, at the moment has a tremendous power in his hands, and he is not sure that Stalin will know how to use this power whenever he will need. Stalin always knew how to use this power, but with enough precautions. However, Lenin has proposed to their comrades a means through which they could remove Stalin from his position, and appointing someone else in this position, probably a person more skilled, talented, loyal to his chief, more polite than Stalin himself.
Even if Lenin had taken all these measures and actions, they could not be enforced once Lenin has died. Stalin still managed to take the post of leader of the Soviet Union. Once he assumed the full power, Stalin continued the New Economic Policy (NEP) of Lenin.
Farmers were not authorized to sell food products on the market, but they still were allowed to employ people. Farmers who have expanded the farms sizes have become called kulaks.
In 1928 Stalin has started to attack those farmers, kulaks, who were not supplying as much food as the industrial workers needed. Stalin also sustained that new collective farms must be created. Of course, this new proposal has involved the small farmers whose forced united will form large-scale units. This way will give farmers a good position to offer at their turn the newest and best equipment and machinery. For Stalin, this policy is believed to greatly increase the production. In other words, most of the peasants have liked to work their own land and they were very strict regardin to the organization of new state collectives.
Stalin has begun to be irritated by the fact that the peasants have put their welfare before that of the S. Union. Local communist officials have received ordered to take in their rights ownership of the rich. Since then, the land was used for the creation of the new collective farms.
There are thousands of kulaks who were killed and about 5 millions were known to be deported to Siberia or Central Asia. Of this crowd, around 25 % have died before they must have reached the destination.
After Lenin has died, Stalin has increasingly joined forces with another two new members of the Politburo. These members are Gregory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev. They are known to hold Leon Trotsky far away from power. Gregory Zinoviev as well as Lev Kamenev must have had several reasons to think that Trotsky would reject them from the government once Leon has become a leader. Stalin has also had these fears. Stalin believed that people from the old party, people as themselves, should lead the Bolshevik Party rather than Leon Trotsky, who has joined the party only in 1917.
Angry, Leon Trotsky has brought serious accusations against Stalin calling for an introduction of more democracy in the party. On the other hand, Gregory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev have joined Stalin's side accusing Leon that has created divisions in the party.
Leon Trotsky has has a last hope to gain the power, a hope related to the testament of Lenin to be published.
In 1924, Nadezhda Krupskaya, the person who was the widow of Lenin Central Committee demanded the right to official content for the party rest. But on the other hand, Gregory Zinoviev was decided to continue supporting this, even against the publication.
In 1925 Stalin had the opportunity to be prepared for Leon Trotsky in the moment when he will be removed from the government. Most of the suppoters of Leon Trotsky have decided to organize a military coup. As a war commissar, Leon Trotsky has had a good position through which he could arrange this. In fact, he was not agreed with this idea and he left his post.
Once that Trotsky's carrier has declined, J. Stalin thought he will be strong enough to clarify the power against Lev Kamenev and Grigore Zinoviev.
Stalin has now started attacking the knowledge of Leon Trotsky in the world revolution requirement. He said that the main priority of the party must be to make it available the communist system which was developed in the Soviet Union. This thing would put both of them in a hard situation. There is a long time since they have begun to be supporters of the theory of Leon Trotsky, in the case of which revolution revolution has not spread in many other countries. This communist system probably must have been overthrown by the capitalist nations. So, they must have taken care of what they speak with a man which have long been in conflict.
Eventually, Stalin was almost sure that Lev Kamenev and Gregory Zinoviev were ready to unit their forces, and than he has started to sustain several economic of the Politburo members.
After Lev Kamenev and Gregory Zinoviev have begun to attack his policies, Stalin has sustained that they knew how to expell them from the Central Committee. Most of the communists in the country were extremely afraid of the party to not be split in two oppositive parts. They were sure that if this thing would happen, the majority of countries from the western part could take benefites of this thing while invading the Soviet Union.
As long as Lev Kamenev and Gregory Zinoviev were under pressure of the Central Committee, they did some refusals to sign some statements through which they will promise that they will not create other conflicts as attacking official policies.
Leon Trotsky has completely refused to sign this, therefore he was exiled to the remote area of Kazhakstan.
Stalin's advisers have said in 1927 that once the Soviet Union agriculture will be modernized, it would require about 250,000 tractors.
As well as they were existed, tractors were necessary to develop the petrol providing so as much fuel as it will be needed to drive a machinery. Power stations also must have been built at the supply farms with electricity.
Knowing that the Revolution industrial progresses have taken place very slow, this was not hapenning until 1927 when the production has reached some of the best levels before the beginning of the World War I. In this way, Stalin wanted to use the control all over the country for the reason to modernize the economy.
The first Five-Year Plan was known to be introduced in 1928, where the most important thing was based on the development of iron, steel and electric power. Stalin has established several high targets of many workers. He asked for an increase with 111 per cent of the coal production, 200 per cent in iron and 335 per cent in electric power. He has justified these requests sustaining that if this industrialization has not taken place, the Soviet Union will be unable to defend itself against the capitalist countries' invasion.
As the display panel factory have had large effects, the production of workers showed that employees continue to climb with their ambition. Workers who failed to reach its peak in the objectives relating to advertising, have unfortunately been criticized and even humiliated.
But most of the workers could not continue with the pressure created in their path. This produces the introduction of several measures represive.The registratiohs were always kept by workers late. If the worker is accused of trying to break the five-year plan and he is found guilty, it could lead to his shooting, or in a better case, he would be exiled to Siberia, working on the Railway of it.
Once the industry will be modernized, Stalin has sustained that workers will get some higher wages as they have had for the reason to encourage increased the production increase. The majority of his opponents said that this inequality was a socialism betrayal which leads to the creation of a new system of class in the Soviet Union. As long as Stalin has created his own way during the 1930s, the difference between the salaries of simple workers and proffesional workers have increased.
In 1932 Stalin has realized that opposition to its policies has increased. Some members of the party have criticized the behavior and character of Stalin, asking the bringing to the party leadership of Leon Trotsky.
This issue was even discussed in the Politburo, where Stalin has demanded those people who are criticizing him to be arrested and killed.
Sergey Kirov, whountil that time was only a staunch Stalinist, has sustained against this policy. Once the votes have taken part, most of Politburo people has supported Kirov instead of Stalin.
In 1934, Sergei Kirov has decided to present a policy of reconciliation arguing the release of people from prison, fact which was opposed to the government policy of collective farms. But again, Stalin has managed to find himself in a minority in the Politburo.
Stalin has tried for many years to eliminate his political opponents in the party, but once he realized that everything is not only based on the support of people who has worked closely with in the party.
Certainly, Stalin has been wondering if Sergei Kirov wanted to wait the death of his mentor before he has become a party leader. So, Stalin was more concerned with the Kirov to appear in public, to argue, but with great care so this thing would not undermine his authority in the entire party.
After many years he has arranged for removing his opponents who were in the party, Stalin was aware that even then could not rely on the support of people that he decided to replace them with. Certainly, Stalin was wondering somehow if Sergei Kirov would agree to wait for his mentor to die before he could became a party leader. Thus, Stalin was very much concerned with Kirov in public display and that he was still afraid that it might undermine his authority in the party.
As many other times, in that summer Kirov and Stalin have decided to go on vacation together. Stalin is the man who really treated Kirov as being his own son, but his intention was to use this chance in trying to persuade him to remain loyal in the leadership. Stalin has even asked Kirov to leave Leningrad and to live in Moscow. Stalin has tried to orientate Kirov somewhere where he could keep his eyes on Kirov. Even if Stalin was afraid of Kirov to refuse it, thing this has really happened and then he knew he had lost the control over Kirov.
On first December, 1934 Sergey Kirov was killed by a young member of the party, called Leonid Nikolayev. Stalin has sustained that this young was part of a conspiracy which was also led by Leon Trotsky. This thing led to the arrest and murder of Lev Kamenev, Gregory Zinoviev, and other 15 members of the party.
Two years later, on September, Stalin has named Nikolai Yezhov the head of the Communist Secret Police.
Nikolai Yezhov has rapidly arranged the arrest of all political leaders who were part of the Soviet Union, and who were criticizing Stalin. The Communist Secret Police has kept them mostly through the interrogation of prisoners whose families were threatened to be killed if they will not confess.
This interrogation has last for many days and nights until finally they were exhausted and in this way they have signed the confessions through which they would agree with attempting to overthrow the government.
In 1936, youngs as Nickolai Bukharin, Alexei Rykov, Christian Rakovsky were accused that they have plotted with Leon Trotsky against Stalin.All of them were known to be found guilty and finally they were killed.
At the moment, Stalin wants to purge the Red Army. Some people think that Stalin has told the truth affirming that the military had evidence that he planned a military coup.
Leopold Trepper, the Soviet spy chief from Germany, also think that the evidence was taken by an agent who worked for Stalin as well as for Adolf Hitler. The theory of Trepper is reffering that the "chiefs of Nazi counter-espionage" have taken benefites of the paranoia, angry in the Soviet Union," by providing informations which leads to Stalin while executing the military leaders.
By mid-June, 1937, Michael Tukhachevsky with other 7 Red Army commanders were accused of conspiring with Germany. All of them were condemned to death and executed in their turn.
In total, during that time, about 30,000 armed forces members have been executed. That means 50 percent of all the army officers.
The last part of this terror was cleaning the NKVD. All Stalin wanted was to assure that people who knew a lot about the purges must be executed.
Stalin has also announced for the country that all the "fascist elements" took over the security forces which leads to many people who are not guilty but are ready to be executed. The new chief of the Secret Police was and he was called Lavrenti Beria who was willing to discover which person was the responsible for this issue and who was also instructed. After many investigations, Beria has arranged all the executions in the organization leadership.
Stalin has continued to support the Popular Front government. After the Spanish Civil War has started, Stalin has sent a lot of Soviet tanks and aircraft for the Republicans. These were accompanied by many tank-drivers or pilots working at the Soviet Union. Approximatelly 850 Soviet advisers and pilots have taken part to this war.
Stalin has started to be more and more concerned on the Soviet Union which was told to be invaded by Germany. Stalin thought that the best way to end this conflict would be forming with Adolf Hitler an anti-fascist alliance. Stalin sustained that this would be great for both of sides because Hitler would not like to start a war against a united Europe.
Neville Chamberlain is the prime minister of Great Britain who was not so interested to find an alliance that will be formed with the Soviet Union. In a letter he told to a friend that he should confess to everything of Russia he has not clear. He has no belief, it doesn't matter her ability to maintain on the line an offensive.
Winston Churchill is a critic of the British outside policy, who also agree with Stalin saying that there are not any means to maintain the eastern front against Nazi without the help of Russia. Many of the Russian interests are implicated in trying to prevent the Hitler's designs over the East Europe. It must have been possible to create a category of all states in only one solid front. This type of fronts, if they were established in a good place, with military arrangements combined with the Western Powers could even confront with Hitler, Ribbentrop, etc. The interpretation of Stalin was made so that the United Kingdom would reject his plan to create an anti-fascist alliance, and also is refering to the fact that he was part of the plot against the Soviet Union. This convince was strengthened in the moment when Neville Chamberlain has seen for the first time Adolf Hitler at Munich in 1938, giving into his requests for Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia.
It is thought now that Stalin's most important foreign policy in Great Britain was the encouragement from East to West Germany.
Stalin has noted in that time that being in a war with Germany is an inevitable thing for him. However, if Stalin wanted to have the greatest possible chance of victory, he must have had sufficient time to build his own armed forces. He could get time to do that just trying to make a deal with Adolf Hitler.
Stalin knew for a long while that Hitler would not be so stupid that idea so that have the idea of leading a war on two fronts.
If Stalin could somehow make Hitler agreeing with the signing of the treaty of peace with the Soviet Union, then Germany would not be unable to begin the invasion of the west part of Europe instead.
In 1939, 3rd May, Stalin has rejected his Jewish Commissar for Foreign Affairs called Maxim Litvinov. This person is known as a partner who collaborates with the Soviet Union's policy-fascist alliance. There were even some examples of meetings on important policies such as between Vyacheslav Molotov , Litvinov and German Minister of Externe, who has replaced Joachim von Ribbentrop. On 28 August ,the same year, there was a Nazi-Soviet Pact whose signing has taken place in Moscow, the capital today of Russia. As terms of the agreement were well set, both Germany and the Soviet Union have promised that they will remain neutral at any time one of them could possibly enter in a war.
Stalin did an order to the Red Army into Poland complaining that several lands were lost when in 1918 it was signed the Brest-Litovsk Treaty.
Another aspect of the Treaty that led the Soviet Union to a possible attack was the Finland's loss. In that moment Leningrad was only 32 kilometers away from the border of Finland.
This thing made Leningrad, which has had a population of approximately 3.5 million people, being a perfect target of fire.
So, on the other hand, Stalin has decided to not leave this opportunity and he even has begun to invade Finland.
But after he has tried to do some negotiations together with the Soviet troops in Finland, even if he failed in this regard , Stalin has begun to start ordering the Red Army's invasion.
Even though Adolf Hitler have also had many Finland's designs, he was bound only to stand while watching the Soviet Union who has built its own Baltic defences. Soviet troops had need about three months to make the Finnish Government agreeing with the requirements of Stalin, with what he reallt wanted. As long as the world did not realize the Stalin's subtlety in many affairs, foreign affairs, the Finland's army which included about 200 thousands of peoplegave the Soviet Union an army which was not as well equipped and trained as it should be.
The German forces which have invaded the Soviet Union on June, 1941, has had around 134 divisions of entire power and other 73 divisions which have fought on the front back. This thing has happened with no more than 2 years after the pact between Germany and Soviet Union was signed.
Stalin did not think that Germany will be able to do that as long as France and Great Britain were conquered.
As Stalin has had his way of calculating, it would be only after the 1942's summer. Most of the advisers of Stalin which were very close to him have started to sustain that 1941 would be better date. Once France has surrendered, on June 1940, his thing has also expressed several doubts over the calculations of Stalin all this time.
To give an answer on how he will beat France, Stalin has decided to send Vyacheslav Molotov to Berlin, the Germany's capital today to discuss in more details about this issue.
Vyacheslav Molotov was very well prepared and trained to draw from the part of these discussions as much convenient to him as possible.
Stalin knew very well that, not having held the attack of Adolf Hitler over the Soviet Union in 1941, summer, he must be able to wait until the next year. He also added and sustained that nobody as Adolf Hitler would be able to invade in winter the Soviet Union.
At the moment Germany was situated in a very strong position of negotiating while Vyacheslav Molotov had finally agreed with the requests of Adolf Hitler. But once the discussions have broken, Hitler has decided to order the leaders of the military the preparing of the Operation Barbarossa which was a code name for the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union as long as the Second World War lasted. This plan is being reduced to the fact of starting this invasion on 15th May, 1941. In this way Adolf Hitler thought that the German Army will have as much time as it must by taking the control over the country.
There is a man called Richard Sorge who had sufficient informations on this invasion. He led these information to Stalin about on December, 1940. Before Winston Churchill being selected, he has decided to sent a message to Stalin in 1941,saying him to continue biting and naggind. Churchill has also explained the way how the movements from Germany have affimed the next possibly attack over the Soviet Union. But Stalin was still being thought that Churchill will try to make him a trick by declaring a war against Germany's country.
When Sorge has predicted that Germany will prepare an invasion in May 1941, which certainly has not taken place, Stalin has begun to be increasingly convinced that the war would begin only in 1942. This delay is known as having ground invasion of Yugoslavia by Germany in April.
Adolf Hitler wanted the people of Yugoslavia look forward to surrender quickly, but because of his stubbornness to resist, the Operation Barbarossa had to be postponed by Adolf Hitler and start only a few weeks later .
In the same year, 1941 June, a German sergeant has decided to leave the Soviet forces. He also said the German Army will attack the next day in the morning. Stalin has thought that the story of the soldier is not as true as it seems. This was not until the attack of Germany would possibly take place. Eventually Stalin has accepted trying to avoid the war with Germany, taking place the next year has failed.
The German forces have included about 3 million peoples and it also havehas about 3,400 tanks, situated in only 3 groups.
The group in the north part was situated for Leningrad, the second group for Moscow and group in the south part for Ukraine. In less than one week, exactly 6 days, the German Army has seized Minsk. The General responsible for the defending of Mink, Demitry Pavlov, with another 2 senior generalshave come to Moscow, where they got shot due to their incompetence.
One with the Pavlov's and his generals' execution , Stalin wanted to be known that he would chastise any commander who is known to have let down the SU. Maybe someday, the Soviet Union's commanders have thought twice regarding to this issue: to surrender or retreat. Another ugly factor in this problem was how the German Army has killed people from Minsk. Scared of Stalin as well as of Hitler, people of the Soviet Union have left no other option but to fight until that finally will be killed or will win.
The first months of the war have represented a true disaster for the Soviet Union. The German forces have surrendered Leningrad in the northern group, but on the other side the center group has made various improvements in balance to Moscow.
All the German forces have eventually managed to do great penetration in Ukraine. As long as Kiev was under the siege of Stalin, the head of state, the major chief called Gheorghi Jukov has sustained that German troops are ready to defend the full capital of Ukraine, so it would require a total withdrawal. In this kind will be allowed the access to various defensive positions that are very strong in the east.
Stalin has also claimed that it would be better for the troops to remain in, while the big Kiev took his time and the number of victims was growing higher.
Eventually, this defeat was total and it has also showed the largest experience ever lived by the Red Army in its entire history.
The winter was coming while the German troops have marched a lot into the Soviet Union's teritority, so that the supply lines were becoming longer.
Stalin has ordered the Red Army, when they will have to withdraw, to act and to destroy completely everything that their enemies could take advantage of or everything could be used in their favor.
Scorched Earth Policy has created so big and serious problems for the German war machineries through which the Germans have tried to keep the number of 3 million soldiers who were also supplied with food and ammunition.
Until the end of the 1941 year, the German troops were located only about 15 miles outside Moscow. There are various orders which have been given for the reason to evacuate the city in mass. Approximately in 14 days, 2 millions of people have left from Moscow.
So, Stalin has tried to make them stay in Moscow. But almost all the major decisions that were made in the frontline commanders have begun to be canceled and removed starting with Stalin himself.
On 7 November 1941, after Hitler has triggered the offensive against the USSR and when the German army was at the gates of Moscow, a parade was organized in the Red Square,for the reaosn to celebrate those 24 years of anniversary of the revolution. After the parade, participants went directly to the front.
After that, the Soviet Union 's army was held out while the Germans have stopped. Then, Stalin has demanded a counter-attack making his commanders to have various doubts over the policy. Stalin has continued to insist on it, and on 4th December the Red Army from Germany has started its attack. The German forces, which recently have had a success lack, was taken surprisingly deciding to retrait itself. Soon, on January, the German forced had to retrait back with 2 hundred miles.
The well known military strategy of Stalin was generally very simple. He thought that attacking the enemy as many times as possible is of great importance. He was really good at using new and fresh troops for his next offensives. Stalin has sustained that countries located in the west part of Europe were even beaten by their own fear, acknowledging the fact of German being upper. The most important objective of Stalin when it was to use new troops, was related to the fact of convincing that the German forces have not been invincible. If he would be able to push the Army of Germany back at Moscow, than Stalin could prove to the troops of the Soviet Union that Blizkrieg, also known as the "Lightning War" could be counteracted while providing the best example to troops all over the world who were fighting with the war-machines of Germany.
Once the German Army has reached the spring of 1942, people of Germany have begun to enter once again. German forces have had a great success in the south part of te country while they were not unable to close in on Stalingrad.
Tallinn was appalled in the moment he heared reports that the Red Army in Ukraine were in such haste to withdraw that they have decided to leave behind them all the weapons and equipments. There, not just soldiers were shot, but Stalin has allowed the publication of countless articles and various critics over the military which in their turn which were known to appear in newspapers.
Army, which was appreciated early in the war, was known to be accused due to its betrayal over the Soviet people. It was a very risky movement from the Stalin's side, but it also have had the wanted effect and performance to be improved.
Stalingrad was thought to be the city of Stalin. Its name also comes from the Stalin's, due to his trying to defend the city as long as the Civil War from Russia has lasted. Stalin has continued to insist that it shouldtake place at most of the costs. An old story sais that a historian sustained to have seen Stalingrad as a symbol of his authorities. But the also knew that if Stalingrad was known to be taken, they will start to attack Moscow from the east part. Ifn the case which Moscow was cut off from the way, then the Soviet Union defeat would be definitely an inevitable thing.
There are around one million Soviet soldiers who were taken to Stalingrad. Soldierds were supported by a flow of tanks which was increasingly higher, as long as the Five Year Plans have lasted. The affirmation of Stalini about the rapidly industrialization that has took place could possibly make the Soviet Union to not be defeated by the invaders from the west part of the country which was also ready to become real.
The military leader General Georgi Zhukov who was almost defeated in a strong battle, has taken the role of defending Stalingrad. This line took place in late 1942, when Stalin has decided to counterattack beginning with the north down to south.
Even if the German 6th Army has continued to advance on Stalingrad, the army gradually has become surrounded. German commander Friedrich Paulus decided to ask permission to withdraw, but Hitler did not want to give this permission, and he even gave the general the role of continuing the advancing on Stalingrad. Even if this was done, they could not take the city.
Acknowledging with the bravery of the commander, Hitler has decided to make Friedrich Paulus a Field Marshal for the next year. Adolf Hitler has become to be angry when a few days later Paulus has decided to surrender. The, the lossed of Germany while staying at Stalingrad were about 1.5 million people, 3,500 tanks and around 3,000 aircrafts. Thsi thing was the worst part of the war. From that moment, Germany has started to retreat itself. The rest of the German forces in Stalingrad have surrendered on February 2, 1943.
Then, the Red Army has gained back the territory which was controlled by the Nazis while the Soviet Union Government has realizes the war crimes which were committed. The soldiers from Soviet Union who were taken as prisoners were proclaimed starved to death. While at first there were about 5,170,000 soldiers who were captured by German forces, only 1,050,000 from them have survived.
Even women with their children have been killed in mass. The Jews were the next to be killed, while other groups as the Russians were killed. Soldiers from Germany knew for always the instructions that the Bolshevik system of the jews should be destroyed and finished. In this time, Hitler has realized that if he woul like to control such a big population of the Soviet Union it would be a very difficult and heavy job. Through his method of dealing with a problemhe would rather exterminate people in mass.
The authorities from Soviet Union said that more than 20 millions of people have been executed as long as the World War II lasted. With all these presented, is was sustained that the policy of Adolf Hitler to exterminate people of the Soviet Union in mass will guarantee his defeat. There are may stories of German atrocities which has reached soldiers from the Red Army while fighting in the front. Therefore he has faced with a choice that was hard enough either executed or killed in battle, most choosing the second variant. Unlike the majority of the Soviet soldiers, when he have has a strong defeat in a various battle, the army of the Soviet Union has seldom decided to surrender.
This thing was also available for civilians. When many territories have been taken by the Army of Germany, people have tried hard to hide from them. Those groups which were focused to not disrupt the supply lines of Germany, have proved a serious issue to the adress of the German forces.
In late 1943, Stalin with Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt have fixed their meeting in Tehran, Iran, to put in discussion the military strategy and the post-war Europe.
From the moment the Soviet Union has made the war, Stalin has sustained that the Allies would open the next front directly in Europe. Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt have also sustained that anyone who will try not to leave troops in Western Europe, will suffer various heavy losses.
Until the Soviet victory has taken part at Stalingrad, being held at the beginning of 1943, Stalin was afraid that without him the country's second front will not be able to overcome the situation and to not defeat.
Stalin is the type of person who always knew how to favorize, in an offensive way, as he did with the militaryreasons which were introduced by him due to the failure of his allies when it came to open the next front in Europe.
Since a long while Stalin is supposed to be suspicious by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Because of this cause he was very worried and also due to the signing of a peace agreement with Adolf Hitler. Policies of capitalist countries outside made Stalin understand that the most important wish of them was to destroy the Soviet Communist system.
Stalin has really realized that whether the Great Britain and the United States of America would retreat from the war, then the Red Army from Germany would have several difficulties in dealing with Germany.
At Tehran, Stalin wanted to remind them the time when Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt made a promise earlier in connection with the troops who were to land in the Western Europe in 1942. But they still decided to postpone the landing for 1943 Spring. Stalin complained that he did not receive even a sign from the allies who have invaded France.
After having discussed a good piece of time, his allies have decided to create a major offensive in the year 1944.
From what has been published by people who have been in talks in Tehran, has showed that Stalin dominated the conference practically. The chief of Staff of Great Britain, Alan Brooke, said that he has increased rapidly in the military brain which consists of a military assessment of the best categories.
Never in any of his statements was not made and not found any strategic error. From this point of view, he went much better in the eyes of the world than Roosevelt and Churchill.
2 September has become the D-Day, also called the "allied landing". It all started on June 1944. In the morning of 6 June 1944, allied troops launched, starting at 06:25, the invasion of Europe whose goal was the release of Nazi forces. The invasion began on a stretch of 65 kilometers of beach, in north-eastern France, and ended in May of next year, when Germany signed the unconditional surrender in Berlin.
This day landing has another front, the second, taking the pressure off the Soviet Union and even of the Red Army from Germany. Winston Churchill was extremely focused on the Soviet power spread and then he has decided to visit Moscow. Churchill has sustained that countries such as Rumania and Bulgaria must be under "Soviet influence" while Yugoslavia and Hungary should be split intro equally parts.
The most important discussions have occurred due to the uncertainty of the future of Poland. Government of Poland had been in exile with headquarters in London so, having a reputation extremely anti-communist. Even if Stalin wanted to negotiate with Prime Minister of Poland, Stanisław Mikołajczyk, he has decided to insist more on the idea that he wanted to build a government in Poland, with a hostile attitude toward the Soviet Union.
In February 1945, the 3 again have organized a meeting that was not held in Tehran, but at Yalta, in the Crimea. Soviet troops being situated in the largest part of the Eastern Europe, Stalin has so the best and the powerful position to begin negotiations. On the other hand, Roosevelt and Churchill tried to limit the post-war, but all they could get was a promise on that free elections will take place in these countries.
Once again Poland is known as the main point of this debate. Stalin has tried to explain that throughout the history, Poland has been trying to attack on all countries, starting with Russia, or was simply used as a corridor through which other countries have passed and they have invaded it. Only a pro-communist government and very strong of Poland could offer the guarantee of the Soviet Union security .
Stalin still make promises that the enter in the Soviet Union will be proclaimed against Japan; after 12 weeks of war with Germany this was over but it will recover the losses from the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
The decision at Yalta, to form a United Nations organization was possible and even confirmed. This thing was decided once the 3 leaders have agreed with this.
But the Yalta Germany was on the brink to win. UK and U.S. troops with the Red Army have advanced from west to east. Also at the conference was decided that Germany has divided its allies. All the parts which were involved knew very well that the country that took control of Germany will have a much stronger position in future in this whole territory. What Winston Churchill and Stalin wanted was mainly conquest of Berlin, the Germany capital today. But Franklin D. Roosevelt did not agree with this decision of Dwight Eisenhower, the Military commander from United States of America while making sure that the Soviet Union forces are the first who reach the Germany capital.
Leaders of countries that have come out victorious have even met once at Potsdam on the middle of 1945. Roosevelt has died in the same year so a few months sooner, was replaced by Vice-President Harry S. Truman. During these discussions in the General Conference of the United Kingdom, he has also announced the election results.
Labor Party victory led to his replacement by Winston Churchill Clement Attlee.
Even if Germany was defeated, the United States and Great Britain could be at war with Japan. At the Yalta Conference, the Allies persuaded Stalin to be part of the war with Japan. But until a new meeting to be organized, there were various doubts about this strategy. Churchill for example was afraid that the involvement of the Soviet Union could increase their influence on the countries located in the Far East.
Yet promised that Stalin would enter the war with Japan but after 3 months after Germany will be defeated. The Potsdam Conference would therefore affirm that decision. But since the previous meeting has me a success over the U.S. atomic bomb, Truman's people told him to use the bomb on Japan. Thus, occupying the work force could be avoided an invasion from the Japan's part saving hundreds of thousands of lives of the american soldiers.
When Harry S. Truman has told Stalin that United States of America have had a very dangerous bomb, then he rapidly appeared thrilled and he even asked no more questions about this problem. But Truman has not mentioned the bomb was atomic, so Stalin has not grasped the new weapon's significance. But as the atomic bomb was dropped over the Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities, the Japanese rapidly has surrendered while the allies has a great success in preventing gains of the Union Soviet from the Far East.
The most important concern of Stalin at that conference was the obtaining of help for the Soviets. Around a quarter of the area of Soviet Union was destroyed while the World War II lasted. Even if the farmes said that the agriculture was hit in a very bad way, almost nothing has remained there. Someone told Stalin that his advisers are ready to take measures on what has caused the low-productivity. The best idea that came out in his mind was to revive the economy of Soviet Union by obtaining many payments for reparations in Germany, as well as for the other countries affected by the war.
The Allies weren't anymore to look at the demands of Stalin in a sympathetic way. As Germany was defeated and United States possess the atomic bomb, the allies did not need anymore the Soviet Union co-operation. Stalin must have been betrayed by this issue, thing that has changed his character and behavior. He thoght that once Franklin D. Roosevelt has died, this would be a very important factor for him.
Once the supplies have ended, the war was rapidly over with the decapitulation of Germany on May while the Secretary of Commercefrom United States, Henry Wallace has resigned. Before it, he wanted to make a speech for the reason to support the Soviet Union demands, also convincing Stalin that the hostility he fell for the Soviet Union had finally returned.
In 1948, Stalin has tried the well known economic "Berlin Blockade" to tempt the ex-former allies to come to negotiations with the USSR, but this trying has unfurtunately failed. Also the Civil War in Greece has failed, where the communists, more than 2 million members have managed to take power, despite the massive aid given by the Soviet Union, through Romania and Bulgaria. Thus, he saw Stalin breaker plans to introduce Soviet warships in Greek ports to exert such pressure on Suez Canal, the only gate to the West. Then the war has failed in Korea, while eliminating the United States from Asia. Since it had no confidence in the total enmity between former allies, far from Concordia in the years of the World War II. During the war, Stalin has promised his Averell Harriman, U.S. envoy to Moscow, as the international Jewish community, the Crimean Peninsula to Israel found there. In those years, Stalin had need of Jews in the United States to lobby and receive massive aid from the U.S. But after the war, Stalin has changed his mind. The Crimean was no longer offered to the Jews, but has invocated the existence of so-called Autonomous Republic of Birobidzhan, located on an inhospitable terrain in Siberia, bordering China.
North Korean leader Kim Il Sung was the person to propose Stalin the invasion of the South Korea sustaining that cells are extremely active in the South, and people will be ready to start a riot when the party will give the signal. These statements were based on existence, but unproven, a number of guerrilla fighters and 77,000 other 500,000 of underground communists.
So, he consulted Stalin Mao Zedong, who has approved the initiative of North Korea argued that the USA will not intervene since the war would be an internal problem of Korea. Stalin, though not as confident as the two Asian leaders, has acquiesced in the invasion of relying on conflict of short duration and a quick victory and avoiding the North American intervention in this way.
The Korean War has eventually ended in 1953 with the trying of communists to unite Korea, but this thing was not possible.
In time, the heath of Stalin has begun to deteriorate having a serious problem with the high blood-pressure. As long as he was sick, Stalin has received a letter from Dr. Lydia Timashuk saying that around 7 doctors have planned to kill Stalin. Buf finally, as the names of the doctors were mentioned in letters, they were arrested and then tortured to confess who took part at this organization of trying to take the Stalin's life.
But at the beginning of 1953, Stalin fell into coma. Even if there were moments when he got briefly consciousness, after 4 days of being fed him with a spoon of those times and also with his daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva, he stopped breathing anymore. Even if many attempts were made to bring him back at life, doctors affirmed officially that Stalin was dead.
Even if his memory was for most of people deleted, most of the aspects of Stalinism and also the system he has created still remained alive. Stalin in the whole history has developed a state apparatus which has protected those that were in power. This system is known to be followed many years from now by the Soviet Union leaders, at least for the next 30 years.
There aremany writers as Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Yevgeni Yevtushenko who have often criticized Stalin while the excesses of the Stalinism structure will be until the M. Gorbachev emergence, until the 1980 years