The Life Of Joseph Stalin Essay Research — страница 2

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the old Russian calendar, the Bolsheviks seized power and took over the provisional government. This take over is often called the October Revolution . The new government, headed by Lenin, experienced some small uprisings which grew into a civil war. After a small dispute with Trotsky, Stalin was given an independent command, of some troops, and drove Kenikin s troops back to the Black Sea. He was given the Order of the Soviet Banner, which is the highest military distinction in all of Russia. He also led his troops to many other victories. During the civil war the Russian Social Democratic Party changed their names to the Russian Communist Party. Stalin became one of the five members of the newly formed Politburo (Political Bureau), the leaders of the Central Committee. In 1922,

the Central Committee elected Stalin as its Secretary General. At the end of May 1922, Lenin suffered a major stroke. So without Lenin in Moscow the Politburo had its hands full and didn t pay attention to what Stalin did with his new post. He was making decisions that affected the whole Party. Stalin started to slowly move up in the ranks of the Politburo and the succession of Lenin. They placed Lenin under the control of Stalin, so that Lenin couldn t stress himself into another stroke. Stalin reported to the Politburo on a regular bases. Lenin was slowly getting better and he was allowed to have a few visitors. One day Kamenev let slip that Stalin and Nadezhda Krupskaya (Lenin s wife) had an argument. Lenin was furious and had his secretary write a letter to Stalin demanding

an apology. Stalin apologized but Lenin had another stroke before he could receive it. In late 1922, Zinoviev proposed that Stalin be made secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and was re-elected until he died. In early May of 1923 Stalin claimed his first victim, Sultan-Galiyev. Stalin had sent Sultan-Gaiyev to the Tatar Republic of the Crimea as an observer. He started to attract a following, one that was so big he imagined himself as the leader of the Tatar Republic free from Soviet Rule. Stalin had his secret police forge documents that proved that Sultan-Galiyev had connections to various resistance groups, even to the leader of Turkey. After the arrest even more false evidence was found. Stalin wanted him shot but the Politburo would not allow it, he had

to settle with him from being expelled from the party. After years of re-organizing the party to his favor and destroying the Old Bolsheviks, Stalin became a dictator. Trotsky had been expelled from the Soviet Union in 1929 and the other members of the Politburo had been executed. Nobody had enough power to stop Stalin now. He started what he called the five year plan. Stalin eliminated private business, the production of machinery and farm equipment became more important. He put farming under government control. The farmers resisted by destroying their stock and produce. He exiled millions of families and many others died of starvation. When his plan did not work he staged trials of factory managers and buearucrats, who were made to read false confessions. The great purges were

beginning. Stalin set up a police force that was worst than the czars. Millions of people were executed or sent to labor camps. The secret police forced the slaves to work in government owned industries. Neighbors were ordered to spy on each other, families were torn apart, and children were ordered to tell on parents. People were forced to read confessions moments before they were shot. Stalin ordered the death of anyone who threatened his power including Party members and army officers. War looked inevitable for the world and Stalin was not prepared. He tried, So Stalin was forced to sign an non-aggression pact and a trade treaty with Nazi Germany. On September 1, 1939 Germany marched into western Poland and Russia marched into eastern Poland. The signed a treaty which divided

Poland in half. Soon Hitler made a sneak attack on Russia, which Stalin and his army were not prepared for. The German army marched on Moscow with in months, but the Russians finally started to push the German army back. It was at this time that Stalin reached the height of his popularity. The allies and Russia then worked together until Germany was defeated. After the defeat of Germany in 1945, Stalin slowly cut communication with the western world. He converted goverments in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania over to communism. These countries later became known as the iron curtain, a group of countries that served as barriers from the west. Many non-communist nations joined against Stalin and The Soviet Union, to halt the spread of communism.