Compare the Characters and Beliefs of Lenin and Stalin

Barbara Heselwood

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 and his elimination of the opposition. Stalin was carefree in his use of the Cheka and his eradication of the opposition. Stalin held public ‘Show Trials’ to eliminate members of the party. He also purged members of the public and the army. Lenin was loyal to his fellow party members and popular without the use of Propaganda, probably because of the Revolution. Stalin had all of his major party members purged as a result of his increasing paranoia and ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

There are similarities in the beliefs of Lenin and Stalin. They both believed in State Control of Agriculture and Industry. Lenin introduced a period of ‘War Communism’ to improve Russia after the war, Stalin introduced ‘Collectivisation’ and his ‘Five Year Plans for Industry’ to enable Russia to become a Major World Power. Lenin and Stalin equally believed in a One Party State and a Totalitarian Dictatorship and they both believed in the use of the Secret Police to squash any opposition. Lenin closed the ‘Constituent Assembly’ to take full control of the government and outlawed opposition. Stalin purged his opponents and eliminated any opposition.

There are differences in the beliefs of Lenin and Stalin. Lenin was flexible in the use of his policies and prepared to compromise, he introduced the ‘New Economic Policy’ to enable Russia to recover from the terrible experiences suffered under ‘War Communism’. He realised that sometimes sacrifices had to be made in order to progress. Stalin would not budge on any of his policies, he was prepared to make sacrifices but, only with the people. He created a famine in the Ukraine and millions died because they refused to conform to Stalin’s policies. Stalin was totally stubborn and inflexible in his policies and was unprepared to compromise in any way. Lenin believed in World Revolution and hoped Communism would spread throughout Europe. When Stalin came to power he dismissed Lenin’s ideas of World Revolution and adopted his own plans of ‘Socialism in One Country’.