Stalin's rise to power can be attributed to his ruthlessness, discuss.
Stalin would not have gained power had it not been for his ruthless nature, however there were many factors that contributed to Stalin's success. Stalin had the characteristics of a dictator from childhood, he was unable to cope with defeat or admit that he was wrong. This definitely assisted him in his quest to become ruler of Russia, though had Stalin not been a member of the Bolshevik central committee, had Russia not been in economic depression, had it not been for World War I, or Lenin's illness and death, Stalin would not have been successful. He was underestimated by his opposition, who were not united against him and he had the support of the working class of Russia, all of these factors contributed to Stalin's rise to power.
Stalin was born into a peasant family in Georgia. He was forced to live like the Russian people and had no respect for authority from a young age. His father was abusive and beat both him and his mother, however his mother remained saintly and had her heart set on Stalin becoming a priest. He did well in school, always determined to be the best, and in 1894 received a scholarship into an orthodox seminary. It was while attending the seminary that Stalin learned about the Marxist philosophy, he saw the possibility of rising to power and became a member of the Social Democrats, also known as the Russian Marxists. Stalin had no respect for the elders of the seminary and because of this, and his involvement in Marxism, he was expelled in 1899.
Stalin began to work his way to the top of the Bolshevik party. He organised strikes and bank robberies and was often imprisoned or in exile. Stalin married in 1904, but his wife died in childbirth, further increasing Stalin's bitterness toward life. He gained a reputation for himself and met and impressed Lenin in 1905. Stalin saw that Lenin was going to go places and decided that it was imperative he get on Lenin's good side.
