WAS LENIN THE GOOD GUY AND STALIN THE BAD?

GCSE: History

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For many years there has been a discussion on who ruled Russia in the best way for the people. There has been two camps formed. Those who say Lenin ruled for the people and those who say that Stalin ruled for the future of the nation. In this essay I will try to explain why these two groups have occurred and how the leaders (Stalin and Lenin) made life for their people during their time of rule.
Lenin came to power when the Bolsheviks sized the power in the October revolution (it was actually in November but due to different calendars it is called the October revolution) 1917. Lenin had recently returned from exile in Switzerland (April) and had from this timed managed to organise the Bolsheviks so that they would not loose their power when the final violent revolution came. The Bolsheviks did not have a majority, even if the name would suggest it, but the opposition was to unorganised to put up a fight against them.
The Bolsheviks main aim was "dictatorship for the proletariat", and by that he meant that all means of production should be run by the workers. He believed that if this happened there would be no more classes, and thus no more wars, so everybody would share equally. They would by this also let the people run the country from their Soviets in their factories. The main points in Lenin's` program was what the people wanted to here. He would give them peace with the Central Powers, redistribution of land to the farmers, transfer of factories, mines and other industrial plants from the capitalists to the soviets and recognition of the soviets as the supreme power in the country. He promised them "Peace, Bread and Land", and they got it, at least for a little while. As the Bolsheviks got their power the changed from being known as the Bolsheviks to Communists, especially those people who did not like them.
From 1918 till 1921 Lenin led the country through what has been known as the War Communism. The main points in this policy was:
1. State ownership of some central industries (steel & coal)
2. Factories owned by workers committees (Soviets)
3. Private small companies were allowed
4. Small farmers and kulaks (large farmers) had to give state deliveries.
In the beginning this led to a rapid change in peoples life. They had more freedom than before, and a better life. Lenin gave people what they wanted, so in that way he was not a communist but a Socialist.
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