Was Stalin a good leader?
Define good! He ruled virtually uncontested for about 30 years. He built up a relatively backwards Russia, torn apart by war and unrest, civil and international, into a superpower rivalled by only the US. He could manipulate people, shown by his rise to power, and he ruled while the Red Army destroyed arguably the most formidable fighting force at the time, Hitler’s pride and joy, the 6th Army of Germany. However he was also reckless, power hungry and ambitious. He rushed the economic improvements, leading to a famine killing about 5 million people. He purged (killed or incarcerated) Russia in his early years to remove all opponents, including 90% of army generals and admirals, about 1 million communist party members, and about 11 million Russian people. Draw your own conclusions!
