Totalitarianism is defined as of or being a political system in which those in power have complete control and do not allow people freely to oppose them. Joseph Stalin, infamous for his campaigns of terror, was totalitarian dictator of the USSR from 1941 until his death is 1953. Stalin's policy of state-organized industrialization turned his country into a powerful industrial and military power.
When the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party split into Menshevik and Bolshevik factions in 1903, Stalin joined the more militant Bolshevik party led by Lenin. Stalin became a devout follower of Lenin and was arrested and exiled many times for his political involvement. After the Bolshevik victory in the civil war, Stalin threw himself into organizational work and administrative tasks. Stalin gained a lot of control when he was elected secretary of the communist party in 1922. Before his death, Lenin doubting Stalin's leadership called for Stalin to be removed from his post. Stalin succeeded in covering up this request and won the campaign over Trotsky, becoming the supreme leader of the USSR. He did this by using all forms of propaganda. In the mass media he appeared as very athletic, friendly, and hardworking, when in fact he was very lazy.
With the economy on the decline, Stalin pressed forward with a program of rapid industrialization. His program, called the Five Year Plan forced the peasants to give up their land to the state and stay to raise the crops and farms for the state. This plan failed because the peasants, not wanting to give up their land or farms, destroyed everything. Millions of exploited peasants died from starvation.
During the 1930's, Stalin established an all powerful, totalitarian rule by doing away with his rivals in purges. He also removed and erased the memories of all scientific, cultural, and educational figures who didn't follow him. He removed access to anything that didn't follow his rule so there was no free press.
