Stalin In History Of the many noted dictators in history, Stalin will go down as one of the most, if not the most formidable. He personally had control over a greater number of people for a longer period of time than perhaps any other dictator, or leader, for that matter. During his life as leader of the Soviet Union, his influence upon his world and the world at large was formidable. In addition to his …showed first 75 words of 418 total…

…showed last 75 words of 418 total…walk this earth (for full text, see Half-Way to the Moon, ed. P. Blake and M. Hayward, Anchor Books, 1967, pp. 177-180) In Russian history, Stalin will take his place alongside the likes of Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Lenin, as leaders who transformed Russia at critical junctures in its history. The continuities of Russian character and history are strong indeed, and make one pause when asking, "will Russia ever become a democratic state?"