Start Date
4-26-2023 12:30 PM
Disciplines
History
Subjects
Stalin, Soviet Union, Communism, Psychology, Great Purge
Abstract
Under Joseph Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union, the Purges, or “repressions” as they are now known in Russia, led to the direct and indirect deaths of an estimated twenty million people through starvation, executions, and forced labor camps. As the uncontested dictator of the Soviet Union for nearly twenty-five years, Stalin made no attempt to gain popular support among his nation but enforced his interpretation of communist-socialist rule by means of unremitting oppression and terror. Why did he utilize such vindictive measures? Was it his absolute aversion to any authority and ruthless insistence on total control at all times? This paper explores Stalin’s mental state through his personal documents, political actions, and psychological indicators throughout his life. The Purges concluded when Stalin died, demonstrating that he was the key to the violence, not an inherent product of the circumstances or historical repetition, and that his clinically-unwell mind may have instead been the culprit.
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
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Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/39816
Included in
Death and Vengeance Behind Every Corner: The Great Purge and the Psychology of Joseph Stalin
Under Joseph Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union, the Purges, or “repressions” as they are now known in Russia, led to the direct and indirect deaths of an estimated twenty million people through starvation, executions, and forced labor camps. As the uncontested dictator of the Soviet Union for nearly twenty-five years, Stalin made no attempt to gain popular support among his nation but enforced his interpretation of communist-socialist rule by means of unremitting oppression and terror. Why did he utilize such vindictive measures? Was it his absolute aversion to any authority and ruthless insistence on total control at all times? This paper explores Stalin’s mental state through his personal documents, political actions, and psychological indicators throughout his life. The Purges concluded when Stalin died, demonstrating that he was the key to the violence, not an inherent product of the circumstances or historical repetition, and that his clinically-unwell mind may have instead been the culprit.