Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was changed from a peasant society into an industrial and military community. Since he was born in poverty,
Stalin became involved in revolutionary politics, as well as criminal activities.
After Bolshevik leader died, Stalin took control of the party. Once in power, he collectivized farming and had potential enemies executed or sent to forced labor camps. Stalin aligned with the United States and Britain in World War II but afterward engaged in an increasingly tense relationship with the West known as the Cold War. After he died, the Soviets undid everything he had done.