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Joseph Stalin is remembered as one of the bloodiest tyrants in the history of the world. He was the absolute ruler of the Soviet Union and later of the Communist bloc in Easter Europe. He rose to this unprecedented level of power as a result of his own personal capabilities and his understanding of the workings of the Communist Power that had Party. Stalin translated these strengths into total control of the Soviet Union after the Russian Civil War (1917-1920). Stalin was not the natural successor of [[How did Vladimir Lenin Rise To Power?|Vladimir Lenin]], but he was able to use his position within the Soviet Communist Party to become the undisputed leader of the Soviet Union.<ref>Boobbyer, Phillip. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415182980/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0415182980&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=10976fbde66cefcc9a2808e5d094f993 The Stalin Era]'' (Routledge, London, 2000), p. 78</ref>

===Stalin’s Early Life===Joseph Stalin, the future leader of the Soviet Union, often referred to as the ‘Red Tsar', was born on 18 December 1878 to a Georgian cobbler in Gori, Georgia and his wife in a small impoverished village. His real name was Josef Besarionis de Jughashvili. <ref> Boobyear, p. 111</ref> He was ethnically Georgian, but Georgia was part of the Tsarist Russian Empire. After leaving school, he was sent to a seminary. Instead of studying theology and the bible , he embraced Marxism and became a follower of Vladimir Lenin, leader of the revolutionary Bolshevik Party.<ref> Conquest, Robert. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140169539/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0140169539&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=78415985f069f734b98307b00183a2dd Stalin: Breaker of Nations]''. (Viking-Penguin, Hammondsworth, 1999), p. 112</ref>

Stalin soon joined the Bolshevik movement and was very active in violent attacks on the Tsarist government. He was noted as a bank robber, these were undertaken in order to subvert the system and gain funds for the revolution. After being placed under surveillance by Russian secret police, the Ohrakan, for his activities, he went underground .<ref>Conquest, p. 78</ref>. He became one of the Bolsheviks' leaders in the Caucasus, organizing paramilitaries, and helped to organize a terrorist campaign in the region. He was involved in the notorious Tiflis bank robbery, during which 40 people were killed. This led to him being rated very highly by raised his standing among the Bolshevik leadership.<ref>Conquest, p. 87 </ref> Stalin was captured and exiled to Siberia numerous times, but usually escaped. He eventually became one of Vladimir Lenin's closest associates, or so he was later to vigorously claim which helped him rise to the heights of power after the Russian Revolution. In 1910 he changed his name to Stalin, meaning in Russian ‘Man of Steel’ supposedly adopted in an effort to protect his real identity from the police and perhaps also to create a public image as a true revolutionary. <ref>Boobyear, p. 134</ref>

===October revolution Revolution and the Russian Civil War===[[File:Russian_Revolution_of_1917.jpg|thumbnail|300px|Bolshevik troops in red Red Square]]By 1917, Stalin was in St. Petersburg, which was soon to be renamed Petrograd. This was the capital of the revolutionary government that had seized power from [[Why did the Russian Romanov Dynasty collapse in 1917?|the Tsar]] and his government in February 1917. The Provisional Government under Alexander Kerensky was becoming unpopular despite ending the rule of the Romanov’s. They had failed to end the war and to redistributed land to the Russian peasants. <ref> Montefiore, Simon Sebag. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400076781/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400076781&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8d302940930c5b356ba181d00bc19d29 Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar]''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), p. 117</ref> Lenin had returned from exile in Switzerland to Russia, with the aid of the German secret service. He along with the other Bolsheviks began planning to overthrow the Provisional Government and install in its place the world’s first communist country. The Bolsheviks skillfully adopted a policy of promising peace and land to the war weary and starving population. Their message made them very popular and in October 1917, they stormed the Winter Place and declared that the Russian Empire was now the Soviet Union.<ref>Montefiore, p. 111</ref> The exact role of Stalin in the Bolshevik Revolution is not known in any great detail. In later propaganda, Stalin was presented in posters and other images as being by Lenin’s side during the Revolution. In fact, it seemed that Stalin only played a minor role in the Revolution.<ref>Montefiore, p. 113</ref>

=== Stalin as General Secretary of the Bolshevik Party===It has Historians have often been argued that the Russian Civil War was won for the Bolsheviks by the revolutionary Leo Trotsky. This interpretation is now believed to be an exaggeration of Trotsky's role. However, Trotsky, did play a significant role in the Soviet's victory over the White's in the Civil War and was a very important figure in the Communist PARTY and rivaled Lenin in prestige. Lenin was worried about the influence of Trotsky and he employed Stalin to build up a base of support for him. Stalin did this but also at the same time, built up a body of supporters that were loyal to him in the Party. In 1921, Stalin was appointed to the position of General Secretary. This gave him great power in the Party. Stalin created a network of supporters in the Party. Lenin became suspicious of Stalin and was beginning to mistrust his former protégée. In particular, Lenin disliked the brutal methods of Stalin in his native Georgia, where he brutally repressed those who opposed Bolshevism. Despite Lenin’s doubts, Stalin began to grow popular with the rank and file Party members. Unlike Lenin and Trotsky, he was not an intellectual and had the common touch and he was well-liked by many.<ref> Conquest, p. 114</ref>

===Lenin and Stalin===

Ultimate After the Revolution, Lenin held the power lay with Leninin the new country. However, in 1922, after surgery, he had a stroke. He and he was never the same again and he . Lenin was physically weakened and many feared that he would not have long to live. Lenin was largely confined to a country retreat, and cut off from politics. The ruling council of the Bolshevik Party, the Politburo, ordered that Lenin did not involve himself in politics or in public affairs but to avoid and concentrate on his recovery. Stalin as , the General Secretary of the Communist Party , was one of the few people who still had access to him. Stalin used his position to cut Lenin off from the party and effectively to isolate him. He had become aware of knew that Lenin’s dislike of Stalin and that he believed that he was too disliked him, because Lenin perceived him as cruel and authoritarian. One day, Stalin even berated Lenin's wife for breaching Politburo orders by helping Lenin communicate with others on public matters, this . Stalin's attack on his wife angered Lenin.<ref>Read, Christopher. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415206499/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0415206499&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=d05be7a646c17cc922f1ffe49958037b Lenin: A Revolutionary Life]</i> (London: Routledge, 2005), p. 112</ref>  As the relationship between Lenin and Stalin deteriorated, Lenin dictated his Testament. This Testament was, in effect, his analysis of the current Bolshevik Part, the future of the Revolution and an indictment of Stalin's character. In the Testament, Stalin was castigated and denounced as self-serving and focused only on amassing personal power. Lenin called for the removal of Stalin as General Secretary. Before Lenin could publish the Testament, he suffered a heart attack and was paralyzed. Stalin received the Testament from one of Lenin’s secretaries, who was actually his agent. Stalin repressed Lenin’s criticism of him. If the Testament had come to light Stalin’s career would have been finished.<ref>Read, p 234</ref>  Allies of Stalin colluded to repress all mention of the document. Lenin died of a suspected stroke on January 21st, 1924. Stalin was given the honor of organizing the official funeral. He organized the funeral and ignored Lenin’s final wishes. Stalin also gave an oration at the funeral, despite the opposition of Lenin’s window. Stalin under the rules of the Party was now the de-facto successor of Lenin. However, the party was not under his control, he had to share power with a collection of other Soviet leaders, including Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev.<ref>Read, p. 236</ref>

As the relationship between Lenin and ===Stalin’s Rise to Power===Stalin deteriorated, Lenin dictated his testament. This was in effect his ideas analysis of officially the current Bolshevik Part, the future leader of the Revolution and especially on the character of Stalin. In the testamentCommunist party, Stalin was castigated and denounced as self-serving and seeking but to amass personal power many in the partParty, he was only a figurehead. Lenin called for the removal of Stalin Many dismissed him as General Secretary. Before Lenin could publish the testament, he suffered a heart attack nonentity and was paralyzed. Stalin received the testament from one a political figure of Lenin’s secretaries, who was actually his agentno real substance. Stalin repressed Lenin’s criticism of him if it had come to light Stalin’s career would have always been finishedunderestimated by many prominent Bolsheviks because he was not well educated.<ref>ReadTrotsky, Kamenev, p 234</ref> Late allies of Stalin colluded to repress and Zinoviev all mention of saw themselves as the document. Lenin died of a suspected stroke on January 21st, 1924. Stalin was given logical choice as the honor successor of organizing the official funeralLenin. He organized the funeral However, they were not as popular as they believed and ignored Lenin’s final wishes. that Stalin also gave an oration at was very popular with the funeral, despite the opposition of Lenin’s windowordinary Party member. Stalin under was shrewd enough not to appear to be seeking the rules leadership of the Party was now the de-facto successor of Lenin. HoweverFurthermore, the party was not under his controlhe publically denounced Kamenev and Zinoviev, he had when they tried to share power with involve him in a collection of other Soviet leaders, including conspiracy against Trotsky in 1925. This only left Stalin and Trotskyas the sole contenders for the leadership role.<ref> Felshtinsky, Zinoviev and KamenevYuri.<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1929631952/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1929631952&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8e5c4b8740fbfc8f691fb6ae90aae02b Lenin and His Comrades: The Bolsheviks Take Over Russia 1917–1924]</i>Read. Enigma Books, 2000), p. 236201</ref>

==Stalin’s rise to Power=Socialism in One Country===The rivalry between Trotsky and Stalin was officially not only a personal. Both men had different views on the nature of Communism and more importantly antithetical ideas on the leader future of the worldwide Communist partyrevolt. Influenced by Marx, but to many in the PartyBolsheviks, he was only a figurehead. Many dismissed him as a nonentity and believed that he there was not going to be a political figure of real substanceworld-wide Communist Revolution. Stalin had always been underestimated by many prominent Bolsheviks because he was not well educated. Trotskybegan advocating "Socialism in One Country, Kamenev, and Zinoviev all saw themselves as " which says that the logical choice as Bolsheviks should focus building communism in the successor of Lenin. However, they were not as popular as countries they believed and that Stalin was very popular with already controlled rather than spreading the ordinary Party memberrevolution. Stalin was shrewd enough not This drew to appear to be seeking him many like-minded Party members, especially the leadership of the Party. rank and file Furthermore, he publically denounced Kamenev and Zinoviev, when they tried to involve this put him in a conspiracy against ideological opposition to Trotsky in 1925. This only left Stalin and Trotsky as the sole contenders for the leadership role.<ref> Felshtinsky, Yuri. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1929631952/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1929631952&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8e5c4b8740fbfc8f691fb6ae90aae02b Lenin and His Comrades: The Bolsheviks Take Over Russia 1917–1924]</i>. Enigma Books, 2000), p. 201202</ref>

==Socialism in One Country==The rivalry between Trotsky and Stalin was not only a personal rivalry. Both men had different views on the nature of Communism and more importantly different ideas on the future of the worldwide Communist revolution. Influenced by Marx, the Bolsheviks, believed that there was going to be a world-wide Communist Revolution. Stalin began advocating "Socialism in One Country," which says that the Bolsheviks should focus building communism in the countries they already controlled rather than spreading the revolution. This drew to him many like-minded Party members, especially the rank and file and this put him in ideological opposition to Trotsky.<ref> Felshtinsky, p. 202</ref> The Part accepted Stalin’s position and this meant that Trotsky was increasingly marginalized. He then decided to organize public protests, along with others, against Stalin’s growing control of the Party. However, Stalin, employed a law passed by Lenin, ordering unity in the Party. Stalin asserted that Trotsky, was trying to split the party and this ploy managed to sideline Trotsky even further. Another factor, in the growing isolation of Leon Trotsky, despite his achievements during the Russian Civil War, was that fact that he was his Jewishheritage.<ref> Felshtinsky, p. 203</ref> There was a great deal of antisemitism in Russian and this made Trotsky unpopular. By 1927, Stalin was so powerful that he could force Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev from the Politburo and later expelled from the Bolshevik Party. Trotsky was forced into exile and eventually later settled in Mexico.

===Consolidating His Rule===

===Conclusion===