Labels:text | human face | man | screenshot | person OCR: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Stalin, Joseph Joseph Stalin Uncontested ruler of the Soviet Union from 1927 until his death in 1953, Joseph Stalin rapidly emerged as a ruthless dictator. After succeeding Vladimir Lenin as head of the Soviet Communist party in 1922, he methodically transformed the U.S.S.R. into a totalitarian state and became a dominant player in world politics. Imposing a dictatorship under the guise of socialism, Stalin introduced five-year plans to develop the country's industrial base. All opposition was crushed during the massive purges and show trials that he instigated in the 1930s. During World War II, although the Soviet Army under Stalin repelled Adolf Hitler's invasion of Russia, millions of Soviets lost their lives. At the close of the war, Stalin negotiated a pact with the Allies that enabled the U.S.S.R. to exert a stranglehold on Eastern Joseph Stalin, Soviet dictator, Europe that lasted for more than 40 years. 1879-1953 A cunning negotiator, Stalin was characterized by the Allies as benign "Uncle LLLL * Joe" - a myth dispelled after his death when LLL the horrors of his policies of genocide and repression were revealed. CHRONOLOGY
