What did Joseph Stalin do in the Soviet Union?
He served as both General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1952) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (1941–1953).
What was Stalin’s system of government?
It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory of socialism in one country, collectivization of agriculture, intensification of the class struggle under socialism, a cult of personality, and subordination of the interests of foreign communist parties to those of …
What did Stalin want as a leader?
Stalin sought to achieve four specific objectives. After the calamity of World War Two, he wanted to ensure the security of the Soviet Union, the expansion of Communism beyond the Soviet Union, secure his position in world affairs and create of a Soviet empire.
Who was the leader of the Soviet Union?
Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1929 to 1953. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. However, he ruled by terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign.
When did the city of Stalingrad become Volgograd?
In 1925, the Russian city of Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad. In 1961, as part of the de-Stalinization process, the city, located along Europe’s longest river, the Volga, became known as Volgograd. Today, it is one of Russia’s largest cities and a key industrial center.
Who was the leader of the Bolshevik Party?
Instead of studying theology and the Bible, he embraced Marxism and became a follower of Vladimir Lenin, the revolutionary Bolshevik Party leader. Stalin soon joined the Bolshevik movement and was very active in violent attacks on the Tsarist government.
What was the role of the KGB in the Soviet Union?
Although the post-Stalin secret police, the KGB, no longer inflicted such large-scale purges, terror, and forced depopulation on the peoples of the Soviet Union, it continued to be used by the Kremlin leadership to suppress political and religious dissent.