USSR under Stalin
Stalin comes to Power
• When Lenin died, a power struggle
between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky
took place.
• Stalin won.
• Those who had sided with Trotsky were
either killed or sent to prison labor camps
(gulags) in Siberia.
The Purges
• Throughout the 1930s, Stalin continued these
types of ruthless methods against anybody he
thought was against him.
• These campaigns of terror were called Purges.
• The people sent to the Gulags were accused of
being enemies of the people (or the state).
• Stalin used the secret police to spy on people.
Show Trials
• Often, public trials were held in which those
accused of plotting against the state confessed
to their guilt.
• It was found out later that they were told if they
didn’t, their families would be killed.
• Stalin’s purges resulted in over 1-million deaths
and 5-7 million people sent to gulags.
Soviet Life under Stalin
• Religion was outlawed.
• There was no free press—Stalin used the news agency
Tass to control the information that went out to the
people.
• Most people had a pretty low standard of living while the
Communist Party leaders had a higher standard of living.
• Stalin is considered to be one of the most ruthless
dictators in the history of the world.