The Effects of Stalin on Russia Much like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin was one of the most ruthless and despised people in the recorded history of the world. Stalin though his policies found it fit to abused his people in any way he saw fit. This man started what history now calls “The Great Purges.” Through the late 1920’s when the rest of the world was living it up as the roaring 20’s came to an end, Joseph Stalin was setting the stage for gaining absolute power by employing secret police repression against opposing political and social elements within his own Communist Party and throughout society. This power had only been previosly used on groups against the new power of Communism but here it was now leveled against party members and citizen themselves. This was to be the following trend for the next two decades and the start of the “Great Purges.”To understand the purges it is necessary know what the initial intentions of these actions were. According to the official party line given in the 1930’s, Stalin wanted to use the "purges" (in Russian, chistki or "cleansings") to find out who was in the Party, and to strengthen it organizationally. The communists at the time (and even now) claim that the purges never included imprisonment (much less executions). The communists also claim that the purges rarely resulted in expulsion. Stalin officially said that the main focus of the purges was not aimed at rooting out opposition to himself, but rather at getting rid of the dissolute, drunks, careerists, and others who clearly had no place in the disciplined Communist party. Stalin, a paranoid ruler, always feared his political opponents, military officials and even common citizens. In his mind he felt they were plotting against him politically and posed a serious threat to his very life. Perhaps as a means of self-defense or simply just insanity, Stalin was responsible for killing mill...
