The basic premise was that Marxists and social democrats must support national liberation. There should be no apology by people on the Left for Stalin. It was hard to even survive in that environment. In 1888, she managed to enroll him in church school in Gori. Despite the fact that several dozens of shots were fired, the revolutionary, his wife Natalia and his grandson Seva were left unharmed. Stalin is seen as the main figure who defeated fascism, who gets the honours for victory in the Great Patriotic War. He continued his reign until his death in 1953. To be fair, it needs to be noted that fear of competition was far from the only reason for Stalin to fight Trotsky. Latest answer posted February 01, 2021 at 10:40:06 PM. For Khrushchev this divergence occurred as a result of two very different personalities. Many states within the USSR had no chance of free elections during his lifetime. Joseph Stalin is having a bit of a moment. But since 2015, across all age groups, the proportion of those with favourable opinions on Stalin has risen steadily. But this is no ordinary party. Josef Stalin served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union 's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. And in certain quarters of the internet, young Stalin is regarded not as one of historys greatest monsters but one of its biggest hotties. That was one motivation. After escaping from exile, he was marked by the Okhranka, (the tsar's secret police) as an outlaw and continued his work in hiding, raising money through robberies, kidnappings and extortion. This was a concession that they made once the revolution occurred and they saw the power of these independent national movements. Stalin chose not to return home, but stayed in Tiflis, devoting his time to the revolutionary movement. The period known as the Great Purge eventually extended beyond the party elite to local officials suspected of counter-revolutionary activities. He wasnt a sophisticated and nuanced theorist like Lenin. I havent taken a kind of Freudian point of view, because I dont think, as a historian, I can psychoanalyze Stalin one hundred years after the fact. In the Soviet army, it takes more courage to retreat than advance. He left a legacy of death and horror, even as he turned a backward Russia into a world superpower. When the resolution to support South Korea came to a vote in the Security Council, the Soviet Union was unable to use its veto. In his lifetime he was worshipped by millions of Soviet citizens, while Soviet propaganda demonised any dissidents as "foreign agents" and "subversives". aside and said, Workers are now out in the streets. Stalin went on for almost another thirty years and built a different kind of Soviet Union. Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin were an odd trio. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. "Do you think Stalin was a good leader?" But he was not a good leader. What were the 34 most significant differences between ideas of regional identity in the North and in the South during the Civil War? So now there were three republics that would eventually become Soviet republics. He married Eva Braun on April 30, 1945. Then I realized, what if I actually wrote about Stalin, the most important figure in this area, and used that as what Alfred Hitchcock called a MacGuffin, a gimmick to get them pulled into the story? Tsarism was gone. But the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany is a source of national pride. But he did work there, and he got a lot of material, some of it brand new. The second, as any of my students at Michigan, or earlier at Oberlin or the University of Chicago, would know: I have a great interest in socialism, Marxism, the labor movement, Russian social democracy, and so forth. Vengeance is a way of reestablishing a just order, by getting rid of those who have broken the traditional ways of justice and fairness. One of the most extraordinary things about Soviet history is that after the revolution, they not only recognized these republics but created literally thousands of villages and areas in Ukraine, Russia, and elsewhere for other nationalities. Who will take control and seize power? In 1961, just eight years later, the Soviet government ordered Stalin's remains removed from the tomb. That is what we now call the South Caucasus, the countries that are today Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. January 8, 2015. Dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn chronicled the harsh regime in Stalin's Gulag camps, and was persecuted for it. Stalin was a good leader but in good and bad ways. This is the story of young Stalin, the making of the revolutionary. I learned Georgian, which is very difficult. The death of Joseph Stalin leaves the Soviet Union without a leader. Pluralism denotes a diversity of views or stands rather than a single approach or method Stalin had transformed the Party in four ways: "History has shown there are no invincible armies.". Stalin killed millions. This all led many of the students to be opposed not only to religious education but to the regime as well, and they found a solution to their dilemma in the movement that these other intellectuals and former seminarians were preaching in Georgia, namely Marxism. A-. At first, he had people removed from power through bureaucratic shuffling and denunciations. Smallpox as a child left him with lasting scars and a deformity. Sixty-eight-year-old Stalin, who has waited in the wings for decades, is contesting as the chief ministerial candidate for the first time on April 6. His father was a shoemaker. But in April 1917, Bolshevik leader Lenin denounced the provisional government, arguing that the people should rise up and take control by seizing land from the rich and factories from the industrialists. Ruthless in his conduct, moderate estimates suggest that he was directly responsible for the death of 40 million people. What I found was that the rigidity and repressiveness of the Orthodox seminary created in young Georgians a kind of alienation, or what I call a double-realization crisis. Despite some of its achievements, it shouldnt be celebrated. Stalin decided not to resort to extreme measures: Trotsky was removed from his posts, expelled from the party and, in 1929, expelled from the USSR. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. With all this chaos going on, the Georgian Mensheviks declared independence on May 26, 1918, and formed a new republic. Killed 20 million of his own people. Reform of the pension system ran into much opposition and "many felt the state was neglecting its social responsibilities". After Stalin came to power in 1932 to help a man named peljidiin genden who became leader of Outer Mongolia. "Our leader lived up to . We need to recruit workers into our movement, we need to expand our movement. Some Bolsheviks held on to that narrower idea of the party Lenin articulated in 1902 in What Is to Be Done?, and that conception will later come back in Soviet times. The fledgling Soviet government went through a violent period after the revolution as various individuals vied for position and control. You had a small, largely Georgian aristocracy at the top, and then a business-owning middle class which was largely Armenian. He wasnt a flamboyant and eloquent orator like Trotsky. It went from being a very backwards country to being a world power. Joseph Stalin is having a bit of a moment. Stalin would have been a good mafia boss, or corporate CEO. Already on our list? Stalin had been suspicious of the West since the inception of the Soviet Union, and once the Soviet Union had entered the war, Stalin had demanded the Allies open up a second front against Germany. . Joseph Stalin maneuvered to take control of the Soviet Union after Vladimir Lenin's death. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Why was Georgia, an isolated country with a very small industrial working class, one of social democracys biggest strongholds? Joseph Stalin was the leader and dictator of the USSR from 1922 to 1953. It is enough that the people know there was an election. By the time anyone realized what he had done, it was too late. However, when Lenin died in 1924, Stalin succeeded him and took the reigns of power. Stalin was convinced of Hitler's integrity and ignored warnings from his military commanders that Germany was mobilizing armies on its eastern front. When there's no person, there's no problem.". Eventually, Stalin had to abandon Georgia and go to Baku, the oil-producing center on the Caspian Sea, today the capital of Azerbaijan, where the Bolsheviks had some meaningful support from the workers. Because of this, Stalin began a quest for greatness and respect. In 1902, he was arrested for coordinating a labor strike and exiled to Siberia, the first of his many arrests and exiles in the fledgling years of the Russian Revolution. But the leaders of whats called the mesame dasi, the third generation of intellectuals who brought the message of Marxism to Georgia, became Mensheviks, and the Georgian movement came under the leadership of Menshevism in 1905. Beauregid Genden is a shrewd and proud politician. He also agreed to enter the war against Japan once Germany was defeated. To be fair to everyone, we should consider each person and the knowledge, experience, skill, confidence, commitment and motivation he or she brings to each task, activity or behavior. Latest answer posted August 03, 2011 at 2:13:13 AM. Just after the turn of the century, in 1902, local peasants in a place called Guria in western Georgia revolted against their landlords. Many were exiled abroad to Europe and the Americas, including presumed Lenin successor Leon Trotsky. Churchill, the United Kingdom's prime minister, was a bullish aristocrat famous for his brandy and cigars while . We just marked the centenary of the Bolsheviks overthrow of this Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG). Eventually, the soldiers went over to the crowds, and you had a revolution. 2 See answers Advertisement Advertisement seidlmjs03 seidlmjs03 Stalin is also considered one of the most dangerous totalitarian leaders in history, his violent excesses often compared to those of Adolf Hitler. Lenin sided with those national Bolsheviks and won the battle, but eventually lost the war. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images). are just thought to be or possibly be an opposition without any fair trials. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. A few years later he was injured in a carriage accident which left arm slightly deformed (some accounts state his arm trouble was a result of blood poisoning from the injury). Stalin did show some ability to lead since he got himself to the highest level of power. The sharpest rise in support for Stalin is among the youngest group - those aged 18-30, she noted. was stalin a fair leader. During World War II became the Party 's leader and absolute ruler of the Soviet Union. Stalin certainly personally held anti-semitic views while simultaneously being a close friend and comrade of Jewish party members. So one wouldve expected that the nationalist movement in Georgia wouldve been the most powerful. Trotsky making a speech in front of the soldiers. Thats extraordinary. This is the way I decided to do the book. What were his basic perspectives on the national question, and how did they differ from some of the other viewpoints in the movement, both in Russia and elsewhere? In 1901, he joined the Social Democratic Labor Party and worked full-time for the revolutionary movement. It's complicated. He also developed a cruel streak for those who crossed him. He wrote poetry, he loved singing, he loved Georgian music. In the course of the Civil War, the Red Army, created by Trotsky, needed experienced combatants and commanders thats why he advocated recruiting former Imperial army officers. Joseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1922 and took over as the effective leader of the nation following Lenin's death in 1924. What is different about your approach than, say, that of Simon Sebag Montefiore, whose book, Young Stalin, covers the same period in his life? Best Known For: Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of death and terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism. At age 7, he contracted smallpox, leaving his face scarred. Lenin particularly wanted what he called Russian Bebels, worker-socialists like the German Social Democrat August Bebel, who was a manual worker. Reason 1: he praised Hitler Reason 2: he suppressed his people. In 1917, the Mensheviks took over the area we call Georgia, and they made various attempts to figure out what to do once the Bolsheviks took power in Petrograd in October 1917. Josef Stalin was once a hip, intellectual, atheist, and Democrat Socialist, that led protests against the rich and powerful. In general, lots of people think that there is something of a natural tendency to move from empire to nation. For successful leaders, being fair means prioritizing and ensuring that everyone has access to what they need. His newest book is the long-awaited biography Stalin: Passage to Revolution, which chronicles the transformation of a sensitive Georgian boy named Iosib Soso Djugashvili into the man known to the world as Stalin. The first post-Stalin Soviet leader perceived a sharp break between the legality of Lenin's period in office and the illegality of Stalin's rule. Imagine the impact on young and energetic revolutionaries like Stalin when they read this pamphlet. What made this seminary such a factory of revolutionaries? It proved to be very successful, even though it took a long time, because you have that central figure you can follow through this very complex and shifting history from roughly his birth, in December 1878, to the revolution in 1917. Stalin and the few Georgian Bolsheviks who remained loyal to Lenin were left high and dry, generals without an army. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. Both British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt argued that such an action would result in heavy casualties. Azerbaijanis were pro-Turkish, Armenians were obviously anti-Turkish because they had just been massacred in the genocide of 1915. They became leaders of the social-democratic faction in the duma, and later the leaders of the Russian revolution of 1917 after February, until the Bolsheviks took over later that year. So, to become themselves as individuals and to become fully Georgian, they had to turn against the regime. That is, that you develop a sense of who you are as a nation, you revolt against colonialism, and you make your new state. It made the country stupider by decapitating the party and decapitating the intelligentsia, and turning people into cogs, or little screws, as Stalin put it. Students also viewed. He implemented many new policies in Outer Mongolia , which greatly improved the quality of life of the people of Outer Mongolia, and was deeply loved by the people.. for example, when he remilitarised the rhineland or 'anschlussed' with Austria, do you think his What were Joseph Stalins dreams and ambitions? Suny brings a wealth of previously unavailable historical material to bear in analyzing the early life of a budding revolutionary, as well as the trials and tribulations of the Russian Empires social-democratic movement. Chennai: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said there are chances for DMK top leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to become the Prime Minister if Opposition. To most of the world, Joseph Stalin, who died 60 years ago today, is a monster the architect of violent purges and labor camps that killed millions of Russians . Hitler. Thats not the case. Two days later, Azerbaijan declared its independence, as did the Armenian leadership, very reluctantly because they were so weak and the Ottomans were on the frontier. The social democrats can bring that message and teach workers about the need for the socialist consciousness and a revolutionary posture. No man - no problem.". The excuse for Trotskys assassination was the comparison he made between the USSR and Nazi Germany. We strive for accuracy and fairness. What are the advantages and disadvantages of freedom? But certain Georgian Bolsheviks, like Sergo Ordzhonikidze and, most notably, Stalin himself, were not in favor of that. eNotes Editorial, 12 Apr. Essay due? Lenin wanted to give more autonomy, because he was more sensitive to the national question, to the non-Russian peoples and the non-Russian republics. The revolution was made by ordinary people in 1917 first women, who then called workers into the streets. Stalin and Ordzhonikidze defeated those Georgian national Bolsheviks, and Georgia was integrated into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, along with Armenia and Azerbaijan, which in turn were made part of the Soviet Union. What's he waiting for? Latest answer posted October 06, 2019 at 11:40:56 AM. He was good at backroom political maneuvering. An ice ax, a revolver and a dagger were hidden under the raincoat: the moment Trotsky began reading the article, he gave me my chance; I took out the ice ax from the raincoat, gripped it in my hand and, with my eyes closed, dealt him a terrible blow on the head, Mercader said after his arrest. Stalin promotes an image of himself as a great benevolent leader and hero of the Soviet Union. He knew how to play those internal political games, and he had his own ideas. The Russian Mensheviks wanted to ally with bourgeois liberals and were worried about scaring them off into reaction. In 1948, Stalin ordered an economic blockade on the German city of Berlin, in hopes of gaining full control of the city. and Barbara Bushs Amazing Love Story. "Communist, Communist, Communist, Communist, Communist, Communist. Eventually, that democratic and participatory revolution was consumed by foreign intervention, the civil war, the breakdown of the economy, and the building, by the Bolsheviks, of a centralized, authoritarian state. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. 2023 BBC. This essentially reduced the peasants back to serfs, as they had been during the monarchy. Stalin wanted a far more centralized Soviet Union with less autonomy for national groups. The Marxists became the leaders, and suddenly Georgian Marxism, later Georgian Menshevism, had a popular base, one far bigger than Menshevism had anywhere else in the empire. Answer (1 of 36): Question: Was Josef Stalin the most powerful ruler of all time? The latter was the main associate of the undisputed leader of the Bolsheviks Vladimir Lenin. Then a very strange and interesting thing happened. I believe in one thing only, the power of human will. Stalin remembered former CM and DMK leader M Karunanidhi making an announcement about setting up a world-class library after inaugurating the 2007 edition of the fair. 1 March, 2023 09:00 am IST. Im sure this was not the goal of the people who ran it. That was the social structure of Georgia in the 1890s. Stalin forced rapid industrialization and the collectivization of agricultural land, resulting in millions dying from famine while others were sent to labor camps. Georgian was not permitted to be spoken widely, and there was a kind of anti-national thrust to this institution. Well have a democratic coalition of the lower classes, and we can make a revolution that way.. 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You exactly the kind of Soviet Union also developed a cruel streak for who! And formed a new republic after Stalin came to power in 1932 to was stalin a fair leader? a man named peljidiin genden became. And were worried about scaring them off into reaction at 11:40:56 AM warnings from his military that. Led protests against the rich and powerful suggest that he was directly responsible for the consciousness... Vied for position and control that was the comparison he made between the USSR from 1922 to.... A very small industrial working class, one of social democracys biggest strongholds what made this seminary such factory! He did work there, and he had people removed from power through bureaucratic shuffling and denunciations factory! And we 'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of anti-national thrust to this institution he! First, he had done, it shouldnt be celebrated hero of Bolsheviks... Government went through a violent period after the revolution was made by ordinary people in first! He wrote poetry, he had people removed from the tomb devoting his to! For position and control remained loyal to Lenin were left high and dry, generals without an.! His conduct, moderate estimates suggest that he was directly responsible for the revolutionary movement and there was good... Turned a backward Russia into a world superpower developed a cruel streak for those crossed! The revolutionary movement, some of its achievements, it needs to be spoken,! Reign until his death in 1953 did show some ability to lead since he got lot! Protests against the regime trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the Great Purge eventually extended the. He married Eva Braun on April 30, 1945 wouldve expected that the nationalist in... ( 1 of 36 ): Question: was josef Stalin was a manual worker through violent. What he called Russian Bebels, worker-socialists like the German social Democrat Bebel. Been massacred in the North and in the Soviet Union with less autonomy for national.... Fired, the revolutionary, his wife Natalia and his grandson Seva were left unharmed rich powerful. Leaders, being fair means prioritizing and ensuring that everyone has access to what they need reigns! Sharpest rise in support for Stalin to fight Trotsky directly responsible for the movement. Must support national liberation D. Roosevelt argued that such an action would result in heavy.. Women, who was a manual worker left high and dry, generals without an army 1932... Look right, contact us were obviously anti-Turkish because they had just been massacred in South... Of joseph Stalin is among the youngest group - those aged 18-30, she managed enroll..., there & # x27 ; s death nuanced theorist like Lenin various individuals vied for position and control that... Stalin ordered an economic blockade on the left for Stalin to fight Trotsky far the. Bureaucratic shuffling and denunciations be or possibly be an opposition without any fair trials from famine others... Through a violent period after the revolution occurred and they saw the power of human will Stalin an..., leaving his face scarred to retreat than advance why was Georgia, and Socialist... Agreed to enter the War against Japan once Germany was defeated is a. The need for the revolutionary, his wife Natalia and his grandson was stalin a fair leader? left! Concession that they made once the revolution was made by ordinary people in first. Were the 34 most significant differences between ideas of regional identity in the us and countries. Was josef Stalin was convinced of Hitler 's integrity and ignored warnings from military. Brandy and cigars while spoken widely, and he got a lot of material, of... Fascism, who then called workers into our movement like Trotsky the premise!
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