Dictators Comparison Project

Coming to Power:

• A combination of force and legal cheating. He used his position of secretary general to place men loyal to him in government positions. Then, he called in the favor when Lenin died and used the power to outmanuever the other competitors.
• Propaganda and censorship were vital in destroying the opponent's public image and then erasing them from history

Keeping Power:

• Stalin uses the secret police (KGB) to make dissenters disappear
• From within and without opponents quietly disappeared, had an accident and died, or vanished (and were sent to work camps in Siberia)
• He uses propaganda to increase his fatherly, proud leaderlike impression and bash his opponent's. He also censors old photos, videos, audio, and news to cause vanished citizens to disappear completely
• Stalin tries to be stiff and tough (like a true Russian) in order to gain the respect of his audience. He isn't popular so much as well known and respected.

Style and Policies:

• Economic policies include the collectivization of agriculture and other industry and the 5 year plans
• Political policies include a tense/hostile relationship with NATO, expansionist sentiments, and Bolshevik/communist dictatorship beliefs

Success of Stalin:

• Stalin remained in power until he died of a stroke (which implies that he was very powerful and successful at dictating)
• A medical condition caused him to get a stroke. No poison or plots were involved.
• The collectivization and 5 year plans were successful due to the raw amount of manpower the USSR could throw at the tasks. However, this put strain on the country's economy and helped accelerate the country's downfall which culminated in 1991.
• The good: Stalin helped industrialize the USSR and make her a superpower.
• The bad: millions of people died under Stalin's rule either by execution or by being sent to Siberian prison work camps.

Coming to Power:

• Castro tried to come to power through legal means, but when that failed, he took control by force
• He only took power because of his popularity. The people supported his efforts to uproot a cruel dictator (but didn't think to consider whether he would take the job). Without popular support, his band of guerillas wouldn't have been able to hide and recruit
• He justified by saying that the current dictator could not be allowed to rule and that he knew what the common man wanted.

Keeping Power:

• Castro used his guerilla army to gain power; he used his actual army the same way (using force to control rebellions)
• Before unrest got to that level of intensity, Castro used his good public image as a freedom fighter to gain acceptance
• Opposition was either executed or sent to a military tribunal and then executed in order to get rid of the threat.
• Communist propaganda was used to support communism and Castro but looked unfavorably upon the US and capitalism. A star upon a red background is a common theme (if remembered correctly)
• Castro put a large effort into being popular and liked because he already had a positive connotation as a prior freedom fighter and could be persuasive with words if he wanted to

Success of Castro:

• Castro remained in power until 2008, when he peacefully passed the dictatorship to his brother Raul (think of it like the dictator's version of retirement)
• Castro's goal of ridding Cuba of a dangerously cruel dictator were accomplished and he recieved the power he wanted. He used his influence to support the revolutions of other nations effectively.
• The good: By winning the revolution, Castro kicks Fulgencio Batista, a terrible military dictator, out of power and saves lives. He also encourages oppressed lands to fight for their rights and independence, improved Cuba's literacy and education rates by building schools, and enacted other positive infrastructure changes.
• The bad: Castro became a dictator himself and involved Cuba in foreign politics that still have ramifications today. The US has a trade sanction/embargo on Cuba since the '60s that hurt some industries.

A more detailed breakdown...

What This Means:

While both Castro and Stalin were communist dictators of their respective countries, they differed in many ways. Castro tried to gain power legally before attempting revolution, while Stalin joined the revolution immediately. Also, they both used similar tactics to enforce and keep power- powerful propaganda and false trials to destroy their opposition.

Two Shades of Red

Joseph Stalin Versus Fidel Castro

• Stalin gains influence through his appointment to a political comittee
• He furthers influence by rising through the ranks (becoming secretary general)
• After previous leader dies, he amasses his power and manipulates his way into the dictatorship.
• Focused upon his 5-year economic plains and collectivization of agriculture and industry
• Stalin dies of a stroke, ending his leadership

• Castro joins political party and participates in a (failed) coup
• He tries to run for a seat in the Cuban government, but fails
• Without his seat, he begins planning the revolution
• He leads the revolution and actively participates in battles
• He supported communist revolutions in other countries
• Castro leaves power when he hands the dicatorship to Raul Castro

Works Cited

• Communist leaders that read Marx's writings
• Used propaganda and false trials to keep power
• Tried to get into power through legal cheating
• Were not violently overthrown
• Started a series court trials/disappearances that kept opposition out of power

Biography.com Editors. "Joseph Stalin Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/joseph-stalin-9491723#early-life>.

"Biography: Joseph Stalin." PBS Red Files. Abamedia, 1999. Web. 8 Dec. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/bios/all_bio_joseph_stalin.htm>.

History.com Staff. "Fidel Castro." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/fidel-castro>.

History.com Staff. "Joseph Stalin." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-stalin>.

Joseph Stalin. N.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2015. <http://miwilliamsesl.pbworks.com/f/1216581468/stalin.png>.

MacLeod, Kevin. Chase. N.d. MP3.

"Timeline: Soviet Union." BBC News. BBC, 3 Mar. 2006. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1112551.stm>.

Vineyette of Fidel Castro. N.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2015. <http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/godfather/images/4/4d/Fidel_Castro.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100415052925>.

Joseph Stalin

Fidel Castro

• 1878: Joseph “Stalin” Djugashvili born
• 1899: Stalin expelled from seminary for missing exams/tuition fees and reading Marxist literature
• 1912: Lenin (in exile in Switzerland) appoints Stalin to first Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party
• 1917: Bolsheviks take power of Russia
• 1922: USSR established, Lenin is in power, Stalin becomes secretary general of Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party
• 1924: Lenin dies, Stalin begins maneuvering for dictatorship. Collectivization of agricultural industry- public ownership of land and all production means. Thousands of Kulaks (peasants) killed in this time period (until 1929) and their lands confiscated.
• 1929: Stalin takes power of Communist Party, Dictator of USSR, 1st 5-year plan begins.
• 1936: Stalin launches a campaign against Leon Trotsky and supporters by claiming they are undermining the government and planning to put Trotsky in power. Thousands of accused were sentenced to death or imprisonment in siberian camps.
• 1939: USSR and Germany enter non-aggression pact.
• 1941: Germany broke non-aggression pact and invaded USSR. Several cities are put under siege: Leningrad, Stalingrad, Moscow, and most of Ukraine and all of Belarus are under German control.
• 1943: Siege of Stalingrad lifted by Russian forces, turning point in war. Russian forces advance into Germany.
• 1945: World War II ends, Russia captures Berlin, Stalin attends and negotiates at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences. Germany divided.
• 1953: Stalin dies, ends rule of USSR

• 1926: Fidel Castro born
• 1950: Castro graduates from University of Havana as a lawyer. While in college, he was part of an anti-corruption Orthodox Party and participated in a failed coup attempt against Rafael Trujillo (a dictator of the Dominican Republic).
• 1952: Castro runs for election to Cuban House of Representatives. Election never happened because Fulgencio Batista seized power. Castro begins planning a popular uprising.
• 1953: Castro lead an attack against the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba and was captured and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
• 1955: Batista released Castro as part of a general amnesty meant to improve his self image. Castro goes to Mexico, meets Ernesto “Che” Guevara, and starts planning return to Cuba.
• 1956: Castro and men return to Cuba. Have no supplies. Hide in Sierra Maestra mountains.
• 1957: His cause attracts recruits to the cause and wins small battles against Rural Guard patrols. Guerrilla tactics.
• 1959: Castro leads overthrow of Fulgencio Batista (dictator in Cuba) and takes over as Prime Minister. He begins tribunals to get rid of previous dictator’s supporters.
• 1960: US enforces a trade embargo against Cuba after Castro nationalizes all US owned businesses.
• 1961: Castro declares himself Marxist/Leninist.
• 1962: Russia places nukes in Cuba, US freaks out; Russia and US have a talk.
• 1960-1989: Castro provides support for revolutions in other countries
• 2008: Castro gives power to his brother, Raul Castro.