Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin, born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, was a Soviet revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953.
He rose to power as General Secretary of the Communist Party and later became Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
Initially part of a collective leadership, Stalin consolidated power and became a dictator by the 1930s.
He adhered to Leninist interpretations of Marxism, formalizing these ideas as Marxism-Leninism.
His own policies became known as Stalinism.
Stalin's leadership had a profound impact on the Soviet Union and global politics during his three-decade rule.
