Question by Parker Thomas: what important decisions did stalin make?
I am doing a project and need 10 or so important decisions that stalin made so that I can make a timeline.
Answers and Views:
Answer by cp_scipiom
he cooperated with Hitler in preparing the outbreak of WW2
he cooperated with Hitler in attacking Poland- and starting WW2
he ordered the murder of 50 thousand Polish officers in the Katyn Forest massacre – souring Polish-Russian relations for the last half-century and for the foreseeable future
he planned to double-cross Hitler in July 1941, which caused Hitler to attack him, leading to over 20 milion soviet dead (most from soviet actions)
he ordered the outbreak of the Cold war, the invasion of China (aka Mao’s “civil war”) the invasion of South Korea
Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?
Tim D says
He launched five year plans which rapidly industrialized the USSR–around early thirties.
He crushed Ukrainian etc independence movements.
He purged the soviet military and party of all hint of opposition (thirties).
He built up the red army prior to 1941.
He ordered troops to beat the japanese at Khalkin Gol in august 1939.
He signed a nonaggression pact with the reich in August 1939 to avoid any chance of having to fight it alone.
He took over part of Finland 1940.
He appointed able commanders to fight and win the war with germany e.g. Zhukov and konev.
He established a soviet sphere of influence in east/central europe mid/late forties.
He saw to it that the USSR acquired nuclear weapons to match those of the USA by c 1950.