All About History  |  Issue 66
MAKING THE MAN OF STEEL: STALIN
“One death,” Joseph Stalin once said, “is a tragedy; a million is a statistic.” Unfortunately this is the only measure for Stalin’s brutal legacy. Ten to twenty million died at his hands and eighteen million passed through his Gulag prison camps. The Man of Steel was under no illusion about his own barbarity: “The advantage of the Soviet model,” he said, “is that it solves problems quickly – by shedding blood.” However, it seems many modern-day Russians seem to be less clear eyed on the subject. Last year during the centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution, which paved the way for Stalin’s rise, monuments to the man were erected across the country. A Russian opinion poll last June also crowned him the ‘most outstanding’ figure in world history. With state-approved textbooks softening Uncle Joe’s image, praising him as an “effective manager” and for defeating the Nazis in World War II, it’s no wonder the number of Russians who think Stalin committed ‘political crimes’ has dropped. This issue we take a hard look at how Stalin
actually rose to power and ruled through terror and intimidation.
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First published in 2013, All About History is the UK’s biggest independent history magazine. Bringing together the drama of human history with expert analysis, incredible illustrations and captivating storytelling. It’s the ideal read for anyone who loves learning about history.
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What if: Leading historians debate how the world may have looked today if some of the key historical events had turned on their head. What would have happened if Germany had won the Battle of Britain? What if the gunpowder plot had succeeded? What if the Vikings had colonised North America?
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Articles in this issue
Below is a selection of articles in All About History Issue 66.