How can one person convince an entire nation that he is necessary for the growth and success of communism in Russia? After the death of Lenin in 1924, Russia was faced with Joseph Stalin who ruled the Soviet Union with an iron fist for 24 years. Stalin rarely appeared to be what he really was and consistently was underestimated by his opponents, allowing him to gain support and create fear in the Russian people’s lives. Although Stalin faced much opposition, his manipulating ways allowed him to bypass this through purges, control on media, and his use of propaganda. Stalin pushed the Soviet Union into world power, but with this power he forced his nation upon one of the most ruthless reigns in history.
As Stalin gained power in Russia, his opposition grew within the Communist party. Initially Stalin was a mediator, between the two main factions, in the debate about when to replace the New Economic Policy, and what to replace it with. The left of the party, Trotsky, and his supporters, wanted the New Economic Policy to be replaced, as soon as possible with a centrally planned economy, and for all farms to be collectivized. The right of the party, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin, wanted to maintain the New Economic Policy, and a gradualist approach to collectivization.
After the defeat of Trotsky and the Left Opposition, Stalin shifted his position to the left - taking most of Trotsky's ideas and re-framing them as his own. Bukharin supported Stalin as he began to demolish the Right Deviation of Zinoviev and Kamenev, and their supporters. During the second half of the 1920s, Joseph Stalin set the stage for gaining absolute power by employing police repression against opposition elements within the Communist Party. In order to defeat any major political figure opposing Stalin, he commenced an act that became known as the purges, or the elimination of any unwanted competition. Stalin killed millions of Russians, forcing people to