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?
