Joseph Stalin and His Legacy

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            Thesis Question; Joseph Stalin was more of a power hungry villian then a powerful leader 

 

Facts;

  • Stalin has killed 20 to 60 million people.
  • he always wanted to make the Soviet Union a country at par with the United States.
  • He wanted to wage war between the two countries.
  • His son was killed in a Nazi concentration camp when he refused to trade his life for his son.
  • Hundreds of thousands of people from different countries were tortured,raped and killed.
  • People were often killed by mustard gas bombs.
  • More than 1.5 million German women were raped from the Soviet Union.

                                   The Good                                             

     He did a lot for the Soviet industrial economy. there were hardly any people unemployed. next to none. he even set up child care services, so that women would be able to work as well. he also offered free education services for any citizen.     He industrialized the Soviet Union and made hospitals and academics much more important than they were in Russia. Disease like Typhoid fever fell , he reorganized a corrupt decaying systems. Then his military was not loyal to him because of western influence. Joseph Stalin lowered taxes for the poor and lowered the inflation rate to a 3.2%.

                                         The Bad                                                                                       

       while his socialist-economic policies he attained the favor of the poor and working class people .  The concept of a ‘Five-Year-Plan’ was adopted by the Soviet Union as they wanted industrialization.  However, it was through these programs that the true brutality of his nature shone.  Stalin was cruel and merciless and the lives of all those who he ruled were at his expense.   Stalin was at the top, and he enjoyed his absolute power and authority.

In fear of any corruption against him, Stalin took action to ensure his Leadership .  He launched the 1930 campaign entitled ‘The Purge’ which constituted of the execution of the party members and other sectors of the Soviet Union who he though were suspicious and disloyal to him and also the millions to slave labor camps.  Joining with the ally forces against the Nazi’s.  This powerful force strongly aided in the defeat of Germany despite the huge death toll in the Soviet Union . He even extended  to those who had committed either political or criminal offences. Around 800,000 prisoners were executed.