Who do you think was the more important figure in Russian history, Lenin or Stalin?? Essay Example

seen as a deity in Russian society. It is ironic that the Communists condemned Christianity for promoting the idea of enduring suffering in life and being rewarded in the afterlife, while they upheld a similar concept of enduring hardship in this life for the sake of future generations. Lenin recognized the need to retreat from War Communism and implement the New Economic Policy (NEP) as a means to improve conditions. Had he survived, he may have initiated further changes. The NEP provided an economic foundation for Stalin to establish State Socialism. While Lenin faced challenges such as famine and Civil War and needed to persuade people to adopt Communism, Stalin was better positioned to enforce it with his political power.

Although Lenin was not successful in managing the Civil War or famine, it cannot be assumed that Stalin handled the war poorly. In fact, if their positions had been swapped, it is probable that Lenin would have been equally ruthless as Stalin while Stalin may have performed even worse during the Civil War. During the conflict between Germany and Russia, Stalin lacked complete support to rely on. Nevertheless, many individuals fought for Russia and followed Stalin because they believed that Hitler's rule would be worse.

Without Lenin's leadership, War Communism would have likely been more severe and the introduction of the NEP, which effectively saved Communism, may never have occurred. The public's perception of Stalin would have also been different without Lenin's prior influence, possibly resulting in a response similar to what would happen if someone like Stalin attempted to gain control of the UK today. The people would have remembered life before the reign of terror

and taken action. Additionally, as Stalin was not a skilled or persuasive speaker, it seems unlikely that he could have gained public support without already having a significant following.

Lenin's captivating speeches were renowned, and the Japanese Communist leader observed a hypnotic quality about him. Having been spurred into revolution by his brother's death, Lenin dedicated his life to promoting Marxism in Russia. Despite occasional similarities to the former Tsar's reign, Russia was undoubtedly undergoing a revolution. Lenin's policy of electrification aimed to industrialize Russia and empower workers by placing factories under their control. Although Stalin pursued a different path toward industrialization, Lenin's method could have rivalled or surpassed its success.

Lenin's establishment of the world's first Communist state will forever be remembered. While Stalin achieved phenomenal accomplishments, good and terrible, he ruled for a much longer span of time and did not achieve the same level of remarkability as Lenin. As Trotsky fittingly stated, "the October Revolution would have been victorious anyway" with Lenin's presence, meaning Stalin could not have accomplished what Lenin did in securing the Bolsheviks' rise to power. As Helvetius aptly put it, "every period has its great men, and if these are lacking, it invents them," which accurately describes Stalin's legacy.