Joseph Stalin

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Account for the changes to soviet society under Stalin up until 1941.

Ruitin a Party member described Stalin as an “evil genius of the Russian Revolution who [was] motivated by a personal desire for power and revenge”. He was the unchallenged and soul leader of Russia between 1922 until 1952. He created a cult personality that encouraged the support of the Soviet population as a means of control over the Russian people. When the myth of Stalin was not enough, he created a atmosphere of terror through arrest, imprisonment and brutal punishments. No one dared oppose stalin “The man of steel”. As a totalitarian leader motivated by a desire for power, Stalin was greatly responsible for the great changes that occurred in Soviet Society up until the outbreak of war in 1941. “Under Stalin, the Communist Party set about controlling every aspect of peoples lives.” [Derek Chapman, 1987]

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As a result of the weakness in Agricultural production throughout Russia, Stalin Introduced collectivisation as a means to retain his power especially over peasants. The introduction of Collectivisation began in the winter of 1929 and 1930. It was ordered by Stalin that 25 million peasant farms were to be combined in order to form 240,000 collective farms owned by the Sate. The myth of stalin attempted to lead the population of Russia to believe that the states direct control over every aspect of economic life was for the good of the people. However, Russia's peasantry was not fooled. “Collectivisation was a bloody, terrible and monstrous means of the seizure of absolute power” [Lyudmila Saraskina, 1994]. Power hungry Stalin knew the political importance of agriculture. Importance was placed on the feeding of the population, not for the good of society but because Stalin felt that the “Failure to feed the population in the towns had led to the collapse of both the Tzar and the provisional Government. He was determined that the same thing would not happen to his regime” [Philip...