STALIN

Stalin did not demonstrate truly wise and honourable leadership of his country, and it was only because of the unstable nature of Europe at this time that the people of Russia trusted and put their faith in him. Stalin was the son of an alcoholic cobbler and a washerwoman, and was all too aware of the privileges of class. He came to loathe anyone wealthier than himself (he even annihilated the Kulaks, a wealthy peasant …

…He was a very selfish autocrat who was so paranoid that it eventually led to him severing all ties with the west - since he felt they were out to get him. This set the stage for the Cold War, the arms race and many conflicts around the world, from Korea to Afghanistan. Once asked the moral question, 'Does the end justify the means?', Stalin replied, 'You cannot make a revolution with silk gloves'.