Compare the Characters and Beliefs of Lenin and Stalin

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Compare the Characters and Beliefs of Lenin and Stalin

There are similarities in the characters of Lenin and Stalin. Both Lenin and Stalin were ambitious. Lenin came to power as the head of the Bolshevik party after many years of planning, and retained his leadership until his death in 1924. Stalin won the power struggle with Trotsky to become leader of the Communist party and remained the leader until his death in 1953. Both Lenin and Stalin were extremely patriotic, they loved their land and country and each did a considerable amount to try and improve it. Lenin and Stalin were both ruthless leaders. Lenin used his secret police (the Cheka) to squash any party opposition, people were not allowed freedom of speech, and he also used Requisition squads to take food from the peasants during the period of War Communism. Stalin used his secret police (the NKVD) to eliminate his opponents. He had party members, army generals and members of the public purged and his treatment of the Kulaks (Dekulakisation) during his policy of Collectivisation was despicable.

There are also differences in the characters of Lenin and Stalin. Lenin was discreet in his use of the Cheka