Joseph Stalin was a dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1929 to 1953. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into a industrial and military superpower. This may sound good yet he ruled by terror. Millions of his own people died during his brutal reign. He was born into poverty, he became involved in revolutionary politics, he was also involved in criminal activities, at a very young age. After leader Vladimir Lenin died, Stalin took control of the party. Once he was in power, he collectivized the farming industry and had enemies executed or sometimes sent to forced labor camps. He eventually aligned with the United States and Britain in WWII but afterward engaged in a tense relationship with the West which is what we known as the Cold War. After he died, the Soviets initiated a deStalinization process. He killed more people then Hitler during his reign and was a really insane communist leader.
