Hitler Vs. Stalin

Stalin vs. Hitler

If two men were to be tagged with having the most impact, good or bad, on twentieth century Europe the names Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler would ring loud and clear.

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were the most recognizable and known totalitarian leaders in Europe. They both had a great impact on the world's history. Adolf Hitler was the Fuhrer of the III Reich and a leader of the Nazi Party. He is to blame for the break out of the II World War and for the creation of an ideology which caused the holocaust and suffering of many nations. Stalin was a leader of the Soviet Union until 1953.

He was the initiator of the Great Purges in 1937 and the collectivization which caused a huge amount of victims in his own country. They both were very cruel and strict leaders; but both men were skilled users of propaganda and they each shared had one very important goal: Become the central figure in their country and make their respective countries as powerful as anyone else in the world.

The circumstances in which they each took power can be said to be similar, because both Hitler and Stalin took advantage of the destabilization within the state, their methods however on which they did so varied. Hitler took full control as the only leader in Germany in only 19 short months. The reason Hitler was able to take control over the entire country of Germany was because, Hitler joined the German Workers Party in 1919 and soon converted it into Nazi Party becoming its leader. This Party didn't mean much then but in the beginning of 1930's as a result of the radicalization of the political views of the German society they became the most significant party in Reichstag.

Joseph Stalin's road to power was much different than the freight train Hitler road on his was to become the sole leader in Germany. Stalin's started in Russia and it was the November Revolution in which the Bolsheviks' under leadership of Lenin had seized the power. Later Stalin became very close to Lenin and he gained his trust. After Lenin's death Stalin climbed on the career ladder and in 1929 he became the only ruler. Stalin's scheme looked differently because it started in a state which has already been authoritarian and had already been involved in it. He didn't have to win support of masses as Hitler did but had to eliminate his contenders and strengthen his position inside the party.

The biggest difference in the two's method on becoming the central figure in their countries government was Hitler's was very short, and acted more on instinct to win over the respect of his country in a little over a year. While Stalin's was more of a very strategic chess match, so he had to build his positions slowly and had to remove many contenders that would enable him in his goal. Then very carefully set up his last opposition