Stalin's Leadership

How was Stalin as a leader?

How Stalin was viewed as a leader changed over time. It depended on what was happening at the time and his policies.

What kind of leader was Stalin before the Second World War?

Before the Second World War, Stalin created a personal dictatorship using 3 main methods:

• ❖ Expanding the system of terror, established under Lenin, allowed Stalin to eliminate his enemies both inside the Party and external to the Party.
• ❖ He used the NKVD, Gulags, and his absolute control of art and culture, education and the media to crush all opposition.
• ❖ Pushing through the policies of collectivisation and industrialisation in the USSR to control all aspects of the economy.

What kind of leader was Stalin during the Second World War?

Stalin was seen as good wartime leader because of 4 main reasons:

• ❖ He dedicated the economy to the war effort - over 50% of the national income was spent on fighting the war.
• ❖ He set up the STAVKA, the Soviet High Command, to lead the war effort and listened to experienced military advisers.
• ❖ He reopened Orthodox churches - a very popular move - so that people had emotional support during the war.
• ❖ The USSR defeated Nazi Germany in 1945.

What kind of leader was Stalin after the Second World War?

How Stalin was seen as a leader changed between 1945 and 1953:

• ❖ The years between 1945 and 1953 are known as the period of 'high Stalinism'.
• ❖ Stalin is perceived as having total control as he increased the use of terror, and launched a crackdown on art and culture.
• ❖ However, by 1949, Stalin was becoming weak. His authority was coming under threat from a new generation of Communist Party members, including Beria and Malenkov.