Joseph Stalin

Stalin

According to historian Robert Conquest “Joseph Stalin was a man who perhaps more than any other determined the course of the twentieth century.”   Joseph Stalin, one of the most infamous dictators in world history, was responsible for a series of political repression and persecution of his own Soviet people which resulted in tens of millions of individuals executed or imprisoned.   This “great purge” was involved the persecution and repression of peasants, and was highlighted by a full scale purge of Communist party leaders and government officials.   However, Stalin acted ‘entirely rationally’ in executing and imprisoning millions of people in the Gulags, a controversial new Russian teaching manual claims.   Still today many believe that despite his heinous crimes against his own people, that Stalin made Russia stronger.
In one New York Times article from March 12, 1939 by Harold Denny, “The Soviet Union is stronger because of the purging in recent years and the communist party has now reached a state of stabilization” (New York Times, March 12, 1939, pg.1). Stalin says that the purge did not hurt the Soviet Union.   Instead he stresses the benefit in the removal of ‘murderers’, ‘wreckers’ and ‘other monsters.’   Stalin stated all of this in an address before party congress on March 11, 1939.   Stalin goes on to state “how could the cleansing of Soviet organizations of harmful disintegrating elements shake or disintegrate the soviet structure?” (New York Times, March 12, 1939, pg. 39) More surprisingly is that he was interrupted at times with “stormy applause” and received a “tumultuous ovation” at the end.   This then shows evidence that many believed and supported Stalin despite his actions and still revered him for his strives towards bringing the Soviet Union back to a world superpower.  
In another New York Times article by Harold Denny from March 14, 1939, Stalin is praised as a Red Historian, and he is even called a “scientist.”   In the article,...