Final Copy

Stalin rose to power after Lenins death. Russia was going through a depression while
World War I was going on and afterwards the Bolshevik war started. In 1905 the Russian
revolution was set off by thousands protesting,[they]...[were]seeking[their] last
salvation...Destroy the wall between Yourself and Your people."(Salomoni, Antonella 42-43 &
47)They were rioting about how tragic their lifestyles were and how they want a change.
Thousand people stood in the frigid cold and snow for their rights. They carried a petition that
stated that they basically felt mistreated. Over worked, and rather die than stay in the conditions
they were in. While this was going on World War I was happening. World War I was raging for
three years while Russians were demoralized .Leon Trotsky was the major leader of the
October Revolution. The Bolsheviks came to power, but [wasnt] either a smooth transition
nor...smooth ride once...in power. (Klein, Shelley 44)They fought a bitter civil war with the white
army.
Initially Stalin was trying to work towards becoming leader but Lenin appointed Stalin as
General Secretary and was then in charge of all appointments in the party. Stalin arose to
General Secretary in 1922.He had control over the whole party appointments, promotions, and
declassing, this enabled [Stalin] [to] [fulfill] ranks of Party with allies and solidify enormous
power.(Discover the Networks)With his smart being he appointed only loyal communist to
leadership which caused him to have an enormous power base. Stalin used his power to gain
control within the party. Stalin uses his new power to control all influence, ...shrewdly uses his
new position to consolidate power.(Joseph Stalin) He does so by controlling appointments,
agendas, and moving the party staff in such a way where they will have to eventually owe their
position to them.
One example thats shows how he solidified power is how he influenced his rivals to go
against each other and remained to stay out the picture. In 1922 Lenin appointed Stalin the
General Secretary. Stalin was sure he would be leader. Lenin suffered series of strokes. This
gave Stalin the opportunity.(Klein, Pg 46)Lenin was very ill and had many strokes so he
eventually died. Stalin took that opportunity to rule. Stalin took advantage of an opening that he
had dreamed of to change the country and appoint people where he thought was best suitable.
Stalin used his influence inside of his party to put his rivals against each other He was smart
enough to remain out of the picture. He made an impression that he and only he will be carrying
Lenins position, so the party believed him. He built his agency to get rid of rivals, When he did
this, he eliminated all of his opposition.(Ingram, 61-62)
Stalin starts to improve the economy when taking office to turn the Soviet Union to a
richer land. Stalin created the five year plan to turn the Soviet Union into an industrialized
country. Stalin put the Five Year Plan into action which forced many laborers to become farmers
with state-owned farmers. The government was taking control of farms. Millions of farmers tried
to reject Stalins orders and were executed. Laborers had to rely on the government for wages,
or survive on [Left-overs] after the government had taken [cuts].(Klein, PG 46) Joseph
Stalin then started to kill anyone who started to get in the way of his five year plan. In the late
1920s Stalin created a five year plan. The five year plan was to turn the soviet from a poor
environment to an industrialized land,...Development... centered on government control of...
economy...included... forced collectivization of Soviet agriculture.(Joseph Stalin Later Years)The

plan was based to make the economy better and produce agriculture. Since many farmers were
killed the Soviet Union went into a famine.
Stalin maintained power by killing or sending people to camps who did not follow his
orders. Stalin expanded the secret police and wanted people to spy on each other. He had
many killed or sent to labor camps. Stalin administered a Great Purge, ... campaigns designed
to ridSoviet...from those he considered a threat.(Joseph Stalin) Stalin made sure that the
Soviet Union was looked at as good by the people regardless of what they thought. He made
sure that everyone stayed patriotic and had a great respect for him as the people know they will
be punished if not. In the Soviet Union Propaganda was very big,...period of... intense
uniform[ed] brainwashing, of censorship taken to absurd degrees.(Sarah Davies, 45)Propaganda took over the whole Soviet Union in media, articles, art, and etc. The
Propaganda tried to glorify the Soviet Union and make it look as if it was an uplifting country.
The media was not allowed to produce degrading things about the Soviet Union or Stalin. Many
people got in trouble with the law anti-Soviet agitation when not expressing proper patriotism.
Stalin allied himself with different countries to make sure that his country was protected
and so he can gain more territories. Stalin allied himself with Hitler at first to insure that Hitler
would not harm the Soviet Union. Stalin made a seemingly brilliant move by signing the
Nonaggression pact with Adolf Hitler (Joseph Stalin: Dictatorship).The pact was to keep the
Soviet Union out of attack of the Germans and vice-versa. This would protect the Soviet Union
and create a false allies. This was a good move for Stalin. After allying with the Germans he
later allies with other countries. Before WW2 Stalin and Hitler joined together to sign a
Nonaggression Pact. Stalin then took parts of certain countries that they agreed on. Soon after
Stalin set an invasion to Finland. Hitler then broke the pact and attacked the USSR.
Stalin...ignored warnings from [Allies]... [Also] intelligence agents, about potential invasion,
(Joseph Stalin Later Years) Stalin destroyed anything that could help his enemy. (Joseph Stalin
Later Years)
The effect in WWII caused the country to regain lost territories and helped send enemies
back to their countries. The battle of Stalingrad was in 1942-1943. One million men died in war,
Red Army was able to regain the initiative of the war.(Joseph Stalin, Mitchell G. Bard) Due to
the military supplies the Soviet Union gained the lost territories back. They eventually sent their
enemy back to Germany. After the War and the regain of their territory, Stalin then expanded the
Soviet Union. Soviet Union reclaimed their terrain that was lost during the war, turn[ed] the tide
against the Nazis...With the Nazis defeated.(Scott Ingram, Page 88)Now since the Nazis are
defeated, He sent his troops to Eastern Europe and the land that they crossed was not a part of
the expandment of the Soviet Union. Stalin had made it to the Eastern Europe area and he was
in the position he always dreamed of.
As you can see Stalin was a clever man who deceived many people to take over what
he wanted. Stalin worked his way up by becoming General Secretary then leader. He fastly took
over and made the Soviet Union all his.