What were the consequences of Stalin’s rise to power in the USSR?

Question by January Prom Queen: What were the consequences of Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union in the late 1920’s?
What were the consequences of Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union in the late 1920’s and what motivated his controvercial policies?

Answers and Views:

Answer by erik v
Stalin deeply believed in this profound yet disturbing statement quite literally: “Death solves all problems – no man, no problem.”

He annexed many countries and deported (or shipped people to siberia to starve) tens of millions of people (he murdered multiple times more than the nazis), including russians. It was not genocide though, it was the killing of anyone of intelligent or of “controversial” background. To some extent this worked – the people didn’t dare question him, and he remained ruler until his death. He set the tone and style for the leaders to come, because he was very different the Lenin. although pure by no means, Lenin highly disagreed with the direction that stalin was taking the country, in giving absolute power to himself, the very opposite of the communist ideal of dictatorship of the proletariat (working class).

Read all the answers in the comments.

Give your own answer to this question!