From a Georgian Revolutionary to the Dictator of the Soviet Union: Myths and Truths of Stalin

This paper aims to reexamine Stalin as a Bolshevik revolutionary and the dictator of the Soviet Union, using recent researches about his biography which revise the general images of his life. As many scholars show on the basis of primary sources including recently declassifying archival materials, Stalin was a contradictory and complicated person, who can not be judged simply as "a great man" or "an incarnation of evil." Stalin can not abandon Georgian identity, even though he wanted to be a Russian. He had the courage to challenge Lenin if he needed, while he worshiped Lenin as his hero. He was always doubtful of those close to him, even after he obtained autocratic power to condemn them to death if he wanted to. Moreover, he depended on informal "inner circle" consisting of a few people when he had to made a decision, but, on the other hand. he continued to decentralize the structure of government formally. He personally decided on some policies, but he did not even look at many other policies, leaving them in the hands of his subordinates. In this respect, a final version of Stalin's biography is not completed, although many scholars, Russian and Western, have attempted to reevaluate his entire life in earnest particularly since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In addition, it does not seems to be written even after all the materials concerning him ate available. It is because Stalin himself showed ambivalent and unclear attitudes and actions at every crucial moments of his life, which make possible conflicting interpretations at any time. Thus, Stalin will remain "a fascinating man," attracting the attentions of many biographers in the future as before