History That Doesn't Suck

186: From Czardom to Stalinism: Building the USSR & the Ascent of Joseph Stalin

Aug 25, 2025
Explore the chilling execution of the Romanov family amid Russia's revolutionary chaos. Discover Joseph Stalin's journey from an unsuspecting choir boy to a ruthless revolutionary. Uncover the intense power struggles between Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin that paved the way for his rise. Dive into Stalin's ambitious First Five-Year Plan, aimed at industrializing the USSR. Learn about the devastating consequences of his policies, including famine and purges that marked his reign of terror and set the stage for future global conflicts.
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ANECDOTE

The Romanovs' Final Moments

  • Yakov Yurovsky lured the Romanovs to a basement room with a believable story and waited for the truck to mask sounds.
  • Within ten minutes the entire imperial family and retainers were executed and later buried in unmarked graves.
INSIGHT

Violence Hardened Stalin's Political Path

  • Stalin's rise illustrates how violent revolutionary credentials and organizational skill propelled him from seminary boy to Bolshevik leader.
  • His early embrace of violence foreshadowed the ruthless methods he later used to consolidate power.
ANECDOTE

From Gori Choirboy To Seminary Student

  • Born Ioseb Jughashvili in Gori, Georgia, young Soso suffered injuries and family instability while his mother pushed him through schooling.
  • He excelled academically, joined the choir, and entered Tiflis Theological Seminary before radical politics changed his path.
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