Stalin

Definition

Joseph Stalin was a Soviet revolutionary and politician who led the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He served as both General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1952) and Premier (1941–1953).

Related terms

Communism: A political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Five-Year Plans: A series of nationwide centralized economic plans in the Soviet Union, beginning in 1928 under Stalin's rule.

Great Purge: A campaign of political repression in the Soviet Union which occurred from 1936 to 1938 where many perceived enemies were executed or sent to labor camps.