Quote Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine
May one of you please summarize the Stalin's deeds ? I only know that he was a dictator, nothing more..
In Short:

Stalin was born in Georgia. He joined the communist part and along with many other famous Russian Revolutionaries (particurally Vladamir Lenin) helped overthrow the oppressive tsarist regime to form an athiest, Marxist state. After the death of the first leader (Lenin), Stalin rose to power elimimating policatal rivals. By the 1930s he had total control over the USSR. During this time, he made many purges including many of the top military officals and engineers of the USSR. Many people were sentenced death or exile on charges of false treason. Stalin killed some of the best and brightest the USSR had to offer. He also made many 5 year plans which industrilzied the USSR but at the cost of millions of lives. When Hitler declared war on Russia, 20 million Russians perished before Berlin was finally taken. Stalin had stern policy of not surrendering and sending soldiers of the Red Army on suicidial charges. After WWII was over, he lied to the other allied countries with his promisees of free elections in many of the nations "liberated". Access was also denied to East Germany and the USSR from western nations. Stalin continued his purges until his death in 1953.

Stalin certainly saved the USSR from death by Nazi Germany, but at what cost? He also made it a world super power, but at what cost?