Why was Joseph Stalin important in World War 2?

After Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) died, Stalin outmaneuvered his rivals for control of the party. Once in power, he collectivized farming and had potential enemies executed or sent to forced labor camps. read more

Joseph Stalin in World War II . BACK; NEXT ; Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. Initially, Stalin's role in the committee was limited, but he gradually accumulated power and became the Party's leader and absolute ruler of the Soviet Union. read more

Joseph Stalin didn’t give up the fight against the Nazis although the war had engulfed millions of Soviet men. He always knew USSR had relative advantage of knowing the battlefield, having more population and large area. read more

Stalin aligned with the United States and Britain in World War II (1939-1945) but afterward engaged in an increasingly tense relationship with the West known as the Cold War (1946-1991). After his death, the Soviets initiated a de-Stalinization process. read more