Joseph Stalin
leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born as Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili) (18 December 1878 – 5 March 1953) (Name in Georgian იოსებ ბესარიონის ძე ჯუღაშვილი; Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин) was a Georgian-born Russian revolutionary and politician who was the 2nd leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He replaced Vladimir Lenin as leader of the Soviet Union. His ideas and policies turned the Soviet Union into a powerful, relatively modern country, as the largest on Earth. His way of thinking was called Marxism-Leninism. His form of government was later called Stalinism.
Joseph Stalin | |
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General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
In office 3 April 1922 – 16 October 1952 | |
Preceded by | Vyacheslav Molotov (as Responsible Secretary) |
Succeeded by | Georgy Malenkov (de facto) Nikita Khrushchev (office reestablished) |
Premier of the Soviet Union | |
In office 6 May 1941 – 5 March 1953 | |
First Deputies | Nikolai Voznesensky Vyacheslav Molotov |
Preceded by | Vyacheslav Molotov |
Succeeded by | Georgy Malenkov |
People's Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union | |
In office 19 July 1941 – 25 February 1946 | |
Premier | Himself |
Preceded by | Semyon Timoshenko |
Succeeded by | Nikolai Bulganin after vacancy |
Personal details | |
Born | Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili (1878-12-18)18 December 1878 Gori, Tiflis Governorate, Russian Empire |
Died | 5 March 1953(1953-03-05) (aged 74) Kuntsevo Dacha, Kuntsevo, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Cause of death | Stroke |
Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow (from 31 October 1961) |
Nationality | Georgian |
Political party | Communist Party of the Soviet Union |
Spouse(s) | Ekaterina Svanidze (1906–1907) Nadezhda Alliluyeva (1919–1932) |
Parents | Besarion Jughashvili (Father) Ekaterine Geladze (Mother) |
Signature | |
Stalin invaded Poland on 18 September 1939. In the subsequent World War II, Stalin stayed neutral but signed a peace deal with Germany's leader Adolf Hitler. He then led a bloody war after Germany invaded the Soviet Union known as Operation Barbarossa, and after the end of the war Stalin gained control of all Eastern Europe including part of Germany. There, a series of loyal Marxist-Leninist single-party states were set up, extending his power and making the Soviet Union a superpower.