1. Part 2: Stalin and Tojo

2. Communism in the Soviet Union
After the October Revolution if 1917, a civil war breaks out in Russia
When the Bolsheviks finally win in the early 20’s, V.I. Lenin becomes Premier of Soviet Union
Lenin and the Bolsheviks seek to totally remake society, and completely control all aspects of life
Lenin dies in 1924

3. Joseph Stalin “A single death is a tragedy
Joseph Stalin “A single death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic."
Born Joseph Vissarionovich Djugashvili in 1878 or 79 in a small village in Georgia, Stalin later changed his name. “Stalin” literally means “man of steel”
Stalin is sent by his mother to seminary to become a priest, but Stalin never completes his training, and instead becomes a part of the revolutionary circles active in Russia at that time
Stalin had injured his arm as a child, was short in stature, and suffered a bad bout of smallpox, so he always felt physically inferior to others
Stalin joins the Bolsheviks early in the teens, and is noted for his steadfast adherence to Bolshevik beliefs and his ruthlessness, but is never seen as a leading intellectual light of the party
Stalin spends time in exile for his involvement with the Bolsheviks, and will always refer to this as a testament to his commitment as he rises through the ranks of the party
In the early 1920’s Stalin becomes the General Secretary as Lenin positions him in opposition to Leon Trotsky

4. Stalin v. Trotsky
After Lenin’s death, Stalin got the chance to show off his ruthlessness and skills at political maneuvering. Leon Trotsky, who was widely held as the natural choice as Lenin’s successor, was politically discredited, exiled, and assassinated, thanks to Stalin’s machinations. Never again would Stalin face a serious challenge to his absolute control of the Communist Party or the Soviet Union.

5. Forced Collectivization
Starting in the 1920’s, Stalin forced millions of Russian peasants off of their land and into collective farms. About 14.5 million people died from the resulting famines

6. Purges
Starting in the 1930’s Stalin initiated a series of purges. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions were arrested by the secret police, imprisoned, sent to labor camps, and killed.
You were at risk of being “purged” if you were:
Too radical in your views
Not radical enough in your views
Perceived as an enemy by Stalin
Not well-connected enough
Too well connected
Too unpopular
Too popular
A General in the army
In the wrong place at the wrong time

7. The Great Patriotic War
In 1939, Stalin and Hitler signed a non-aggression pact. Both Dictators fully planned to abrogate the pact when they felt the time was right- Hitler just beat Stalin to the punch. After the initial shock wore off (Stalin apparently believed Hitler was sincere, and he went into hiding for a few days after Germany attacked), the two countries engaged in one of the bloodiest conflicts of human history. At the end of the “Great Patriotic War”, as the Soviets called the fight with Germany, over 26 million Soviets would be dead, some at the hands of their own troops, as Stalin had called for the elimination of a great number of people who had spent part or all of the war behind Nazi lines.

8. Maximum Facts About the “Maximum Leader”
Much of the early archive footage of Stalin is actually an actor portraying him in scenes taken from the movie Oktyabr (1928).
People were afraid to stop clapping for Stalin after his speeches. Eventually, an “applause machine” was made to time applause so that no one had to be the first to stop clapping. The people’s fear was actually well-founded:
At a district Party Conference, when at the end a tribute to 'The Great Leader' was given, the standing ovation lasted for five minutes, then eight minutes. No one dared to be the first to stop clapping. The crowd kept clapping for eleven solid minutes, until the Director of the town's paper factory 'assumed a businesslike expression and resumed his seat.' The factory director was arrested that night and given ten years in the Gulag.(The Gulag Archipelago p )
Stalin was diagnosed with "Typical clinical form of paranoia" by the leading psychiatrist I. Sechenov and his assistant doctors. Three days later I. Sechenov and his assistant died of poisoning. Clinical paranoia explains ruthless killings of millions and brutal treatment of his own wives and children.
Stalin loved the "Tarzan" movies and often watched them at the Kremlin. For some reason, he was amused by the concept of a man being able to communicate with apes. Stalin ordered an expedition in Africa, which gathered over 100 apes and monkeys for his plans of breeding an obedient soldier. The secret research center was set in Sukhumi for breeding experiments on apes and monkeys under personal patronage of Stalin. After several years of non-results Stalin ordered the principal scientists executed and lost interest in breeding soldiers from apes. Today this research center is known as "Obeziannii pitomnik" in Sukhumi.
At the funeral of his first wife, Ekaterina, Stalin commented that any warm feelings he had for people died with her, for she was the only person who was able to melt his heart. He later ordered Ekaterina's relatives shot.

9. Cult of Personality
People were always coming up with new laudatory titles for Stalin as a way to curry favor. He was known as “Koba”, or boss, “Great Leader”, “Maximum Leader”, “Generalissimo”, “Father of the peoples”, “Gardener of Human Happiness”, and one of my favorites “the Genius of All Times and All Peoples”. Despite his cruelty, Stalin was revered as a god by many of the Soviet people, and that’s just the way he wanted it . When Stalin died in 1953, his body was put on display in the Kremlin before being preserved and placed in a mausoleum next to Lenin. It is estimated about 500 people were crushed to death in the huge crowds trying to view Stalin’s body.

10. Soviet Propaganda

11. The Rise of Japanese Nationalism- The Meiji Restoration sonno joi ("revere the emperor, expel the barbarians")
In the 1850’s and 60’s, revolution swept Japan. Feudal warlords were replaced by a central government which restored the Emperor as the figurehead . The Restoration was a reaction to fears of Western powers, and one of the main goals of the new government was to modernize and militarize Japan.

12. State Shinto
Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan. It is divided into three categories:
State
Cultural
Shrine
State Shinto was encouraged by the Meiji government, and had at its center fierce devotion to the Emperor, who was revered as an actual god.

13. The Japanese Co-Prosperity Sphere
In the rush to modernize and militarize, Japan needed raw materials. In the 1930’s Japan began to invade and occupy its neighbors to form the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”. The Japanese military was ruthless towards the conquered people, and millions were tortured and killed.

14. The Rise of Tojo
Hidekei Tojo was a general in the Imperial Army. He held many key roles in the Japanese Government, including Army Minister during his term as Prime Minister, from 18 October 1941 to 22 July He also served concurrently as Home Minister from , Foreign Minister in September 1942, Education Minister in 1943, and Commerce Minister in From , Tojo WAS the Japanese government.

15. Tojo or Showa- Who Is Really To Blame?
In the 1930’s and 1940’s the Japanese government was responsible for millions of deaths, the occupation of many countries and territories, and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Thousands of Japanese suffered and died in the famine and devastation that tore through the Japanese islands during WWII. Emperor Showa (known as Hirohito in the west) was the figurehead of the government, but Hidekei Tojo was the de facto leader during the war. Other Generals and military figures were also in key positions of power through the era.
“The Greater East Asia War was justified and righteous. I am very sorry for the nation and all the races of the Greater Asiatic powers. I wait for the righteous judgment of history.” – Tojo, after he attempted suicide when American forces attempted to capture him

16. Japanese Propaganda