Joseph Stalin


Get this SparkNote to go!

Study & Essay

Study Questions

Discuss the origins of Stalin's Marxist political philosophy.


Why did the Revolution of 1917 succeed?


Analyze Stalin's rise to power in the 1920s.


Essay Topics

Discuss the political climate in Russia during Stalin's youth.

Why did Stalin ally with Hitler in 1939? Was the Nazi-Soviet Pact a sound strategic choice?

Discuss the ideological roots of the persecution of the kulaks.

How did Stalin maintain and reinforce his own power in the 1930s?

In what ways was the Cold War a natural corollary of Stalin's will to power? How was it an extension of Marxist ideology?

What was the difference between the New Economic Policy and the Five-Year Plan? Which was more successful?

Discuss Stalin's life in the context of this century. How will he be remembered in the future?

Readers' Notes allow users to add their own analysis and insights to our SparkNotes—and to discuss those ideas with one another. Have a novel take or think we left something out? Add a Readers' Note!

More Help

Buy the ebook of this SparkNote on BN.com

Easy to view on your iPod, phone, or ereader.

EVEN MORE HELP! ↓

Take a Study Break

SparkLife

Star Trek gets SEXY

Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana heat up the red carpet!

SparkLife

Are you afraid of relationships?

Auntie SparkNotes can help!

SparkLife

Wanna get JLaw's gorgeous glow?

Click here for simple, sexy makeup tricks!

SparkLife

Sexy starlet style

See every single look from the Met Gala!

SparkLife

Who'd be on your zombie-apocalypse crew?

We already dib'sed Genghis Khan.

Geek out!

The MindHut

Geeky Actors: Then and Now

Travel back in time!

The MindHut

Villains We Want These Actresses to Play

From super cute to super bad!

The MindHut

10 Movies Better Than Their Books

What do you think?

The MindHut

How To Look Like J-Law...

When you don't look like J-Law.

The MindHut

12 Scientific Inaccuracies in Into Darkness

What did Star Trek get wrong?

The Book

Cover image

Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like

Get Our FREE NOOK Reading Apps