What role did Stalin play in World War II?

Question

i have to do a report on the Axis leaders and my teacher told me to include Stalin.

Answer 1

he was the "leader" in the "great patriotic war" in russia waged by russia against germany. aside from being a raging psychopath, he almost helped to lose the war for russia by purging a huge number of general officers. i think that may even have been done during the campaign, but memory fails. as a result of that war, directly, about 60 million were killed. if i'm not mistaken he killed many more than that number in russia during his "reign". one question that might be asked is : why is it so popular to have the planet's leadership composed primarily of psychopaths, both then and now? ;-)

Answer 2

It's an interesting question. I don't think your teacher had this in mind when he/she talked about Stalin as being 'included' as an Axis (basically 'enemy') leader in World War II, but Stalin (and Russia) were on 'both' sides at different stages during the war.

Between 1939 and June 1941 Germany and Russia were on the same side and jointly divided up Poland, while Russia invaded Finland, and took over the Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. None of these moves met with the approval of the 'Allies' (our side if you're taking a US or UK perspective), but on the other hand Russia wasn't too loudly condemned because the Allies didn't expect the Germans and the Russians to stay friends for very long. Some say it was Stalin playing for time while he built up his army, other's saw it as an opportunistic grab for land - it was probably both. Certainly in 1939 (before Poland) nobody else was standing up to Germany, and Stalin knew that there was strong support amongst some in the UK and the US for Germany to attack Russia. It is true that Stalin hated Hitler even when they were both 'Axis' leaders, but so did Franco and Mussolini. The only Axis leaders that seemed to 'get along' with eachother were Hitler and Tojo (who never met each other).

When Germany attacked Russia in 1941 Stalin became the West's 'best ally'. When the US joined the War in December 1941 the 'Allied' leaders were basically Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. As the British official history of the Second World War pointed out, at the time of the defeat of Germany there were some 30 army divisions (US and UK) fighting in the West, and 130 (Russian) fighting in the East. The bulk of the German Army was destroyed in Russia.

But this is 'way too big' a question for a school assignment. You are probably better off listing the Axis leaders with just a very few facts on each, and then include a separate list of 'on both sides at different times' leaders that would include Stalin.

Answer 3

If your teacher told you that Stalin was part of the Axis then he or she is wrong . Stalin was part of the Big Three or Big Four which included FDR, Churchill, Stalin and eventually deGaulle. Stalin was the leader or Commissar of the USSR who led one of the fronts that is the Eastern front. Yes Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Germany on August 23, 1939 mainly because of his purges of his best generals due to his paranoia that anyone with power or popularity was dangerous to his leadership and to buy time Stalin was still a suspicious ally at best but never an Axis member because of their different ideologies and Hitler consider the Russians less than human.

Answer 4

Well, Stalin played a major role.

Hittler and Stalin were totally against eachother by nature. The very fact that Hittler was facist and Stalin was Communist is in itself opposing right down to the ideology of the two movements.

However, Hittler's plans of expansion were eventually disrupted slightly. By 1939, Hittler wanted to take over Poland, however, did not quite yet want to fight the Russians, and a conquest of Poland meant a certain clash with the Russians, since Poland was on Russia's border, and a take over of Poland would have been considered a threat by the Russians.
Before Hittler was able to take Poland, the Nazi-Soviet Pact (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) needed to be signed. This basically consisted of Hittler and Stalin agreeing that Hittler takes Poland and leaves half to Russia, and that they have peace.

That was short lived however, because when the western front of the war was defeated (ie France, Belgium and so on) he turned his attention to the East and Russia.

Now, Stalin's policies, the 5 year plans, saved Russia. When Stalin took over Russia, it was a very backward country industrially and militarily. The 5 year plans quickly made Russian industry much more efficient, production increased, in fact whole cities were raised during the 5 year plans. Now, it was these very policies that allowed Russia to be able to produce its armaments with which it defended itself and eventually pushed the Nazi's back, and defeated them at Berlin.

Answer 5

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Hitler betraying Stalin after he believed the western front was dying down. Nazi's having a large kill ratio per soldier, and Soviets having an ocean of under equipped people charging in, Soviets doing a lot of damage to Nazi Eastern front on their own, not a lot of concern with western allies over their lost. On Japans side, the Soviets coming in at thy very end, stealing machines from China, symbolical "assisting" against the Japanese. Now looking at my answer I think I situated my answer to stalinist Russia more so than the man himself, not sure what you were looking for.

Answer 6

Stalin was the Russian (called Soviet Union at the time) dictator who joined forces with Hitler (People say Germany, but it was technically Nazi Party) and led the Axis Power which consisted of Germany, Soviet Union, and Japan.

Answer 7

He kept the German busy shooting up Soviet troops and saving thousands of American and British Empire lives.

Answer 8

He created an eastern front, giving the Germans 2 fronts to fight on (US and Brits on the west).

Answer 9

He was the ruthless ruler of Russia.