Hitler & Stalin: the Roots of Evil
Hitler & Stalin: The Roots of Evil
Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were two of the most ruthless and infamous dictators of the twentieth century. They each left a legacy of cruelty, terror, and death; managing to change the course of history to this day. Throughout their lives, both leaders surprisingly had many similarities. They both lived deprived childhoods, with violent fathers and adoring mothers. Both suffered from inferiority complexes and paranoia. Most importantly, they were both mass murderers.
Joseph Stalin is responsible for the murders of more than 20 million lives, including those of his own people, political opponents, as well as innocent victims, whom he considered a threat. Born in the Georgian village of Gori on December 21, 1879, Stalin grew up with an abusive father who savagely beat both him and his mother. One time, Stalin was beaten so severely that he later found blood in his urine. This abuse had a lasting impression on him, leaving him with low self-esteem and an inferiority complex throughout his life.
Stalin’s mother hoped he may one day become a priest, and sent him to the church’s choir. At age 15, he entered the theological seminary. His intelligence, prestigious memory, and attention to details impressed his teachers, but they also witnessed a stubborn, violent side to his nature. He soon turned away from religion, and instead became attracted to anarchism, revolutionary terrorism, and Marxism. His violent, revolutionary activities lead to his expulsion from the seminary after just 5 years. As a child, Stalin was always quick to lose his temper and easily harbored grudges against people. His whole life consisted in struggle against those he put down in his mind as enemies. In 1927, after being examined by a famous neurologist, Stalin was diagnosed as paranoid.
As a political leader, Stalin was aggressive and cruel. He eliminated the people he imagined as enemies, having them removed completely from all historical records and
Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were two of the most ruthless and infamous dictators of the twentieth century. They each left a legacy of cruelty, terror, and death; managing to change the course of history to this day. Throughout their lives, both leaders surprisingly had many similarities. They both lived deprived childhoods, with violent fathers and adoring mothers. Both suffered from inferiority complexes and paranoia. Most importantly, they were both mass murderers.
Joseph Stalin is responsible for the murders of more than 20 million lives, including those of his own people, political opponents, as well as innocent victims, whom he considered a threat. Born in the Georgian village of Gori on December 21, 1879, Stalin grew up with an abusive father who savagely beat both him and his mother. One time, Stalin was beaten so severely that he later found blood in his urine. This abuse had a lasting impression on him, leaving him with low self-esteem and an inferiority complex throughout his life.
Stalin’s mother hoped he may one day become a priest, and sent him to the church’s choir. At age 15, he entered the theological seminary. His intelligence, prestigious memory, and attention to details impressed his teachers, but they also witnessed a stubborn, violent side to his nature. He soon turned away from religion, and instead became attracted to anarchism, revolutionary terrorism, and Marxism. His violent, revolutionary activities lead to his expulsion from the seminary after just 5 years. As a child, Stalin was always quick to lose his temper and easily harbored grudges against people. His whole life consisted in struggle against those he put down in his mind as enemies. In 1927, after being examined by a famous neurologist, Stalin was diagnosed as paranoid.
As a political leader, Stalin was aggressive and cruel. He eliminated the people he imagined as enemies, having them removed completely from all historical records and