20 Facts About Stalin

1. Joseph Stalin was leader of the Soviet Union between 1922 and 1953.

2. Joseph Stalin was one of the most influential and controversial political figures of the previous century and existed the undisputed leader of the extremely powerful USSR for over thirty years.

3. In 1948, Stalin ordered an economic blockade on the German city of Berlin, in hopes of gaining full control of the city.

4. In 1922, Stalin was appointed to the newly created office of general secretary of the Communist Party.

5. Joseph Stalin had a very active contribution throughout Russian revolutionary movements.

6. Joseph Stalin was a well-known political personality of the Soviet Union and the key driving factor that brought changes in people's thoughts and revolutionizing developments in the country of Russia.

7. In early 2010 a new monument to Stalin was erected in Zaporizhia, Ukraine; in December unknown persons cut off its head and in 2011 it was destroyed in an explosion.

8. In October 1952, Stalin gave an hour and a half speech at the Central Committee plenum.

9. In 1950, Stalin issued the article "Marxism and Problems of Linguistics", which reflected his interest in questions of Russian nationhood.

10. In March 1948, Stalin launched an anti-Tito campaign, accusing the Yugoslav communists of adventurism and deviating from Marxist–Leninist doctrine.

11. In 1948, Stalin edited and rewrote sections of Falsifiers of History, published as a series of Pravda articles in February 1948 and then in book form.

12. In June 1945, Stalin adopted the title of Generalissimus, and stood atop Lenin's Mausoleum to watch a celebratory parade led by Zhukov through Red Square.

13. At the conference, Stalin repeated previous promises to Churchill that he would refrain from a "Sovietization" of Eastern Europe.

14. In November 1943, Stalin met with Churchill and Roosevelt in Tehran, a location of Stalin's choosing.

15. At this point, Stalin turned against the NEP, putting him on a course to the "left" even of Trotsky or Zinoviev.

16. In late 1924, Stalin moved against Kamenev and Zinoviev, removing their supporters from key positions.

17. At the conference Stalin met Lenin for the first time.

18. In October 1899, Stalin began work as a meteorologist at a Tiflis observatory.

19. At his teachers' recommendation, Stalin proceeded to the Spiritual Seminary in Tiflis.

20. In late 1888, aged 10 Stalin enrolled at the Gori Church School.