Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was a Soviet political leader who ruled the USSR from the 1920s until his death in 1953. He transformed Russia into a major industrial and military power through centralized control and rapid development, but his tenure was also marked by widespread repression, purges, and forced labor camps that caused millions of deaths. Stalin's leadership established an authoritarian regime with strict censorship and political suppression, shaping the Soviet Union's direction during a critical period in 20th-century history. His legacy is complex, combining achievements in modernization with profound human suffering.