Joseph Stalin (18 Dec. 1878 - 5 Mar. 1953)
In 1939, the USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty between the USSR and Nazi Germany. Stalin initially wanted a military alliance with Britain and France, similar to the early Entente agreement at the beginning of the century, but these talks failed. The Pact also agreed to divide Eastern Europe into respective spheres of influence.
Stalin would order the invasion of Poland sixteen days after the German invasion. Poland was divided, and the USSR would later annex the Baltic States, and invade Finland. The latter would be unsuccessful and peace was made. During this period, Stalin worked to modernise the Soviet military.
Stalin seemed keen in 1940 to join the newly formed Axis Powers of Germany, Italy and Japan, and would seek entry. Stalin signed a Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941 to show his intentions. However, Hitler had other ideas, and Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22nd 1941. Stalin was unprepared for this invasion, despite receiving warnings from his spies, and hesitated to wait and see if the invasion was ordered by Hitler. There are conflicting accounts that Stalin fled to his dacha in the country for over a week, despairing over what to do. However there is evidence that this may not be true.
Germany pushed forward quickly, reaching Leningrad, Stalingrad and Moscow by mid-1942. Stalin would seek alliances with Britain and, though the British refused to accept territorial ambitions of the Soviets, Stalin would later accept Britain’s aid. At the end of 1942, the Soviet Union launched a counterattack, first saving Moscow, and later Stalingrad and Leningrad. Stalin was Time magazine Person of the Year twice, which is probably an example of propaganda meant to soften the initial uncertain feelings of the Allies.
When Germany invaded, Stalin shifted all military-industrial complexes east of the Ural Mountains, safe from German attack. By 1942/3 these factories’ output was phenomenal and output was higher than that of Germany and most Allied nations. It was at this time when Stalin would concede decisions to his generals, instead of ignoring them. This is an interesting insight, as some historians believe that Hitler’s megalomania and refusal to listen to his generals led to Germany defeat.
Stalin would meet Churchill and Roosevelt at Tehran to discuss the opening of a Western Front to ease the pressure on the Soviet Union. He would later meet them at Yalta, and with Churchill and Truman at Potsdam. The Soviet Union would quickly overrun German defences and capture Berlin in April 1945. Soviet casualties were nearly 50million, roughly 30million of which were military. His tactics throughout the war are questionable, including the Katyn massacre and the rape of thousands of women by Red Army troops through 1944-45. Additionally Stalin’s tactics of throwing manpower at the Germans is considered to be one of the reasons for the high casualty rate of the Soviet Union.
However, he is sometimes credited for being a good military leader. When his son, Yakov, was captured by German troops, Hitler offered an exchange for Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus. Stalin refused the offer, stating: “You have in your hands not only my son Yakov but millions of my sons. Either you free them all or my son will share their fate.” Whether this was Stalin not allowing his personal life to interfere (he also is documented as saying he would not trade a Marshal for a Lieutenant), or whether he did not like his own son (Yakov had tried to commit suicide because of Stalin’s apparent harshness to him) is unclear.
For more information on Joseph Stalin:
Broekmeyer, Marius. Stalin, the Russians and their War, 1941 -1945 (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press), 2004.
Davies, Sarah et. al. Stalin: A New History (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), 2005.
Deutscher, Isaac. Stalin: A Political Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 1967.
Kuromiya, Hiroaki. Stalin (Harlow: Longman), 2006.
Service, Robert. Stalin: A Biography (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press), 2005.
Stalin would order the invasion of Poland sixteen days after the German invasion. Poland was divided, and the USSR would later annex the Baltic States, and invade Finland. The latter would be unsuccessful and peace was made. During this period, Stalin worked to modernise the Soviet military.
Stalin seemed keen in 1940 to join the newly formed Axis Powers of Germany, Italy and Japan, and would seek entry. Stalin signed a Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941 to show his intentions. However, Hitler had other ideas, and Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22nd 1941. Stalin was unprepared for this invasion, despite receiving warnings from his spies, and hesitated to wait and see if the invasion was ordered by Hitler. There are conflicting accounts that Stalin fled to his dacha in the country for over a week, despairing over what to do. However there is evidence that this may not be true.
Germany pushed forward quickly, reaching Leningrad, Stalingrad and Moscow by mid-1942. Stalin would seek alliances with Britain and, though the British refused to accept territorial ambitions of the Soviets, Stalin would later accept Britain’s aid. At the end of 1942, the Soviet Union launched a counterattack, first saving Moscow, and later Stalingrad and Leningrad. Stalin was Time magazine Person of the Year twice, which is probably an example of propaganda meant to soften the initial uncertain feelings of the Allies.
When Germany invaded, Stalin shifted all military-industrial complexes east of the Ural Mountains, safe from German attack. By 1942/3 these factories’ output was phenomenal and output was higher than that of Germany and most Allied nations. It was at this time when Stalin would concede decisions to his generals, instead of ignoring them. This is an interesting insight, as some historians believe that Hitler’s megalomania and refusal to listen to his generals led to Germany defeat.
Stalin would meet Churchill and Roosevelt at Tehran to discuss the opening of a Western Front to ease the pressure on the Soviet Union. He would later meet them at Yalta, and with Churchill and Truman at Potsdam. The Soviet Union would quickly overrun German defences and capture Berlin in April 1945. Soviet casualties were nearly 50million, roughly 30million of which were military. His tactics throughout the war are questionable, including the Katyn massacre and the rape of thousands of women by Red Army troops through 1944-45. Additionally Stalin’s tactics of throwing manpower at the Germans is considered to be one of the reasons for the high casualty rate of the Soviet Union.
However, he is sometimes credited for being a good military leader. When his son, Yakov, was captured by German troops, Hitler offered an exchange for Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus. Stalin refused the offer, stating: “You have in your hands not only my son Yakov but millions of my sons. Either you free them all or my son will share their fate.” Whether this was Stalin not allowing his personal life to interfere (he also is documented as saying he would not trade a Marshal for a Lieutenant), or whether he did not like his own son (Yakov had tried to commit suicide because of Stalin’s apparent harshness to him) is unclear.
For more information on Joseph Stalin:
Broekmeyer, Marius. Stalin, the Russians and their War, 1941 -1945 (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press), 2004.
Davies, Sarah et. al. Stalin: A New History (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), 2005.
Deutscher, Isaac. Stalin: A Political Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 1967.
Kuromiya, Hiroaki. Stalin (Harlow: Longman), 2006.
Service, Robert. Stalin: A Biography (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press), 2005.