Stalin and His Russia
by Shonte' H. & Chris A.
Joseph Stalin was a dictator for the U.S.S.R. from 1929
until 1953. He ruled with an "iron - hand." He wanted to turn Russia into
a powerful industrial state. Stalin was Lenin's successor during WWII.
He felt the same way that Lenin did. Only Stalin thought Lenin's ideas
were not moving fast enough for the economy. So Stalin became harsh and
brutal. He felt that his way, had to be everybody's way. So because of
this way of thinking, the Soviet people had cause to hate Stalin. Much
of the world feared him as well!
His industrial reforms were quickly forced upon the
people of Russia. Moscow became the fastest-growing city
in the world. In the mid 1930's, most of the Bolshevik leaders were forced
to confess to evil crimes they did not commit. After a confession, they
were brutally executed on Stalin's orders. About eighty of the well-trained senior
army officers were also killed. These many purges controlled any remaining
threat to Stalin's absolute power.
In World War II, Russia teamed up with the U.S and Great
Britian against Germany. Stalin disagreed, and many times betrayed his
allies prior to WW II's end. The last years that Stalin ruled the Soviet
Union were marked by the Cold War with U.S, in which many non-Communist
nations banded together to stop the spread of Communism. Sad to
say, a few countries still believe in Communism. One of these countries
is Cuba.
