Are there any differneces between Stalin and Peter the Great?

Question

I haven't found any differences bettween how Stalin and Peter the Great obtained and used their power to rule over Russia. Did Peter the Great have any known enemies? I know Stalin and Hitler started off as cooperatives but in the end, Stalin went elsewheere. Did Stalin get land for Russia or ports as Peter the Great did? Please help.

Answer 1

Karen,

A good question. Peter the Great of the late 1600s and early 1700s was as different from Joseph Stalin as night and day. Peter came to the throne legally by royal line. Joseph Stalin manipulated himself into power. Leon Trotsky was Lenin's choice to follow him. Stalin, who was a master schemer and manipulator of the bureauracy, followed instead. He used doctored photographs, and falsely tried to make it appear that he was Lenin's favorite. Stalin had Trotsky assassinated in Mexico.
Stalin was paranoid and looked for enemies. He virtually wiped out his military (a factor in the Soviet Union having more trouble, such as against Finland, at the start of World War II, than was expected) leadership. He also killed millions of kulaks, middle to uper class farmers. These actions caused starvation and chaos iin the Soviet Union.

The world was shocked when Hitler signed a pact with the Soviets in 1939. Exactly why the German dictator would link with the Communists Russians, who he had denounced as inhumane in his book "My Struggle," and then turn against them when it defied all military logic, just shows Hitler's irrationality. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned Stalin about the attack, but was completely ignored. The Soviets victory over Germany was more self inflicted by Hitler's idoicy, than by what Stalin did. Keep in mind Germany, which is about the size of my home state of Georgia in the United States, fought war on several fronts. Nevertheless, the Soviet losses were tremendous. The Soviet Union emerged as a leading power mainly because all of the countries in Europe, much, much smaller, were devistated by World War II.

Now to Peter the Great, who unlike Stalin, rationally helped Russia to become a leading European power. He did have opposition, such as to items such as encouraging, almost forcing Russians to shave beards, not wear long cloaks, and to be more like the more modern countries in the West. There is not doubt there was a ruthless intensity to Peter the Great. He had the city of St. Petersburg constructed, which was a window to the West, but also resulted in many peasant workers death from the very cold and wet terrain.

He toured Europe, supposedly incognito, but at about 6 foot 7, the word soon got around who he was. Peter helped Russia develop a stronger navy and military. Earlier in his rule Russia suffered some military setbacks, but eventually they successfully expanded. Russia established itself as a leading power, when under Peter, it defeated Sweden, who had the great
military leader, Charles XII. A real rebellion was led by Peter's son, who had church support. In contrast to Stalin, who enjoyed putting the knife to his enemies, Peter did so to maintain power.There are some superficial similarites between Stalin and Peter, but an examination of the two show they were vastly different.

I do need to acknowlege Stalin did gain territory the Soviets had lost in World War I, including Lativia, Estonia, and Lithuiania. Yes, this was an accomplishment, but had Hitler not been attacking at the same time, the Soviet Union could not have seized the territory. Peter the Great gained territory, but did not have an ally like Stalin briefly did with Hitler. Peter started with a smaller less developed country than Stalin had. Catherine the Great largely completed the work of Peter the Great in making Russia very powerful.

In closing, Stalin's main interest was keeping power, destroying any kind of resistance, potential opposition. Peter's main goal was to modernize and strengthen Russia.

Answer 2

Stalin took over some land using "ideology" and not only idealogy. He also had this unsuccessful war with Finland right before WWII. He didn't do as much as Peter the Great. Maybe he did more internal damage, actually. Before Peter the Great there was no sea ports that were any useful. That was a big deal. Peter the Great separated the Church from State. I think this was a big achievemnt. Even though there were both ruthless as it came to killing people, I don't think it is a good comparison.

Answer 3

I would think the biggest difference between the two had less to do with methodology and more to do with ideology. Whereas Stalin was very much Russia-internalized (even at the expense of his own Georgian ancestry), Peter looked outwards, particularly enthralled with French culture. Peter tried to 'civilize' his country by seeking example in Western Europe, while Stalin detested all things not-Russian.

Answer 4

Stalin is a mass murdering sociopthic freak-peter the great was a ruler of an empire no comparison

Answer 5

the two Stalin and Peter the large have been: - Russian dictators - had entire administration over their human beings - the terrific reformers in Russian history i could advise to learn out some essays on Stalin and Peter the large