Benefits of Stalin's Rule

Joseph Stalin is, in most countries, is a very vilified historical figure. He was the "General Secretary of the Communist Party of Russia", but his real title was dictator. He was responsible for more deaths than Hitler, and he killed millions of his own countrymen. However, there were a number of positive things that Stalin did for Russia. He provided stability after anarchy, civil war, and several revolutions in Russia. He ruled for 31 years, in which time Russia became a world superpower along with the United States. The Russian people were tired of civil war, and unrest in their government, so when Stalin came to power, he was treated as a hero.

His policies greatly increased industrialism in Russia. He forced collectivism on the people, which for many was considered a bad thing, but greatly increased the amount of farming that was able to be done, almost 200% over what it had been before.

During the Russian Civil War and the revolution of communism, the economy and industry fell greatly. When Stalin came to the front, Russia began producing new products, and other products that they imported from other countries and learned how to make. The economy stabilized and Russia became one of the most industrial countries in the world.

Stalin also gave women far more rights than they had under the Tzars. They were given equal rights in education and employment, improving lives for many. Stalin also greatly improved the healthcare of his nation, increasing the life expectancy in Russia by decades. Women during this time were also able to give birth in hospitals, with prenatal care. People were much more literate, due to the mass-literacy campaigns launched in the 30's by Stalin. More jobs were created because of the large loss of life in World War II.

So, while there are many horrible things that Stalin did while he was in power, not all was bad.