Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-2-1-stalins-popularity [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [IGCSE](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse.md) › [History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history.md) › [Edexcel IGCSE](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse.md) › Stalin's Popularity # Stalin's Popularity History: Edexcel IGCSE USSR, 1924-1953, topic 5.2.1 ## Stalin as Wartime Leader Stalin took on a new role in 1941 when Russia entered the Second World War. He was now the leader of a country at war. ### Nazi-Soviet Pact ![Nazi-Soviet Pact](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-05/c22a9d1d-651a-4f33-a449-6e14674ff83b/image-4-640x360.jpg) - Stalin entered an agreement with Nazi Germany in August 1939 to try to avoid conflict with Hitler. - The pact said that Germany and the USSR would not attack one another. Stalin stuck to the agreement stubbornly. - The Nazis broke the pact in June 1941 when they invaded the Soviet Union. - The Soviet Union was now at war. ### War Leader ![War Leader](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/98b3436c-6457-4368-b2e4-b8a0de5e4b99/shutterstock_372570586.jpg) - Stalin became an incredibly successful and popular war leader. - He was very pragmatic (practical) - he relaxed his ideology to support the war effort. - He opened the Orthodox churches again, which was very popular. - He used the radio for speaking to the people about heroes from Russian history. ### Weaknesses ![Weaknesses](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/chemistry/4.2.2%20The%20pH%20scale/weak-arm-min.jpg) - Stalin made a number of mistakes as leader. - He tried to hold territory he was losing for too long and refused to retreat. ### 1944 ![1944](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/2bede837-36a6-40de-9888-f3920983cf26/shutterstock_639877309.jpg) - Stalin turned everything around in 1944. - He was able to bring about the almost total destruction of the German army groups in Russia. ## Test yourself on Stalin's Popularity - Nazi-Soviet Pact - What was Stalin like as a war leader? - What mistakes did Stalin make as leader? - What did Stalin achieve in 1944? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/f1dc4f79-6e3d-4596-a089-7367ed6fee1e/section/cd2b7c0f-35bd-41e0-bced-af1a420c632c/session) - Previous topic: [5.1.2 1943-1945](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-1-2-1943-1945.md) - Next topic: [5.2.2 Post-War Consolidation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-2-2-post-war-consolidation.md) ## History: Edexcel IGCSE USSR, 1924-1953 contents ### 1 The Leadership Struggle, 1924-1929 - 1.1 Struggle for Power 1924-28 - [1.1.1 Stalin & his Rivals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-1-stalin-and-his-rivals.md) - [1.1.2 The End of Lenin & Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-2-the-end-of-lenin-and-stalin.md) - [1.1.3 Stalin & the Communist Party](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-3-stalin-and-the-communist-party.md) ### 2 Five Year Plans & Collectivisation - 2.1 Changes in Industry - [2.1.1 Industrialisation & Gosplan](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-1-1-industrialisation-and-gosplan.md) - 2.2 Agriculture & Collectivisation - [2.2.1 Five Year Plans & Grain Hoarding](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-2-1-five-year-plans-and-grain-hoarding.md) - [2.2.2 Collectivisation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-2-2-collectivisation.md) - [2.2.3 Kulaks](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-2-3-kulaks.md) ### 3 Purges, Show Trials & The Cult of Stalin - 3.1 The Use of Terror in the 1930s - [3.1.1 Purges](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-1-purges.md) - [3.1.2 NKVD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-2-nkvd.md) - [3.1.3 Show Trials](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-3-show-trials.md) - [3.1.4 Labour Camps](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-4-labour-camps.md) - 3.2 Propaganda & Censorship - [3.2.1 Art & Religion Under Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-1-art-and-religion-under-stalin.md) - [3.2.2 Media & the Cult of Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-2-media-and-the-cult-of-stalin.md) - [3.2.3 The Cult of Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-3-the-cult-of-stalin.md) - [3.2.4 History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-4-history.md) ### 4 Life in the Soviet Union, 1924-1941 - 4.1 Life in the Soviet Union - [4.1.1 Living Conditions & Ethnic Minorities in the USSR](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/4-1-1-living-conditions-and-ethnic-minorities-in-the-ussr.md) ### 5 The Second World War, 1941-1953 - 5.1 USSR in the War - [5.1.1 1941-1942](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-1-1-1941-1942.md) - [5.1.2 1943-1945](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-1-2-1943-1945.md) - 5.2 Stalin & WW2 - [5.2.1 Stalin's Popularity](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-2-1-stalins-popularity.md) - [5.2.2 Post-War Consolidation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-2-2-post-war-consolidation.md) - 5.3 Post-War Recovery - [5.3.1 Economic Recovery](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-3-1-economic-recovery.md) - [5.3.2 The USSR by 1953](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-3-2-the-ussr-by-1953.md)