I don't know who Stalin is... Am I ignorant?

Reply 40

DeceitfulDove

19

Original post by chocolatesauce

Joseph Stalin was an evil person but you've got to love that hair

He is pretty hot.

Reply 41

JustBeing

3

I only found out about him from my AS History course when i was learning about China and Mao Zedong, (Mao was an evil leader too)

I think Stalin was the Russian leader, he adopted communism and he was thrown from his position at some point because of something he did was too extreme the Russians didn't want him, and this shocked Mao Zedong because Mao was a bit like Stalin, so Mao feared losing his position in case the Chinese did the same thing

Something like that

Reply 42

letsbehonest

15

Original post by benplumley

I didn't know that super bowl was american football until it was on the other week. I thought it was baseball (because bowl, bowling).

I didn't know till now!

Wait.. I don't even know the difference between American football and baseball.

Reply 43

puella_optima

9

Original post by Qymberley

Well, on one hand you can say Stalin was evil because of his purges, gulags etc. But, for a long time America was blaming everything they did wrong on Stalin, and were pretty much ignorant bullies. Also, you have to feel sorry for the guy, when he died, he was found in a puddle of his own piss (in his pajamas) because he had a stroke.

Sorry for the guy? You haven't studied Stalin's Russia have you....? More than 30 million of his own people were starved because of him. People were sent to gulags for 30 years for stealing bread. People resorted to eating the grain in horse poo because they were so desperate. The list is endless. I don't think I could feel pity for Stalin after all he did, even if he did die from a stroke, millions died from a needless and painfully prolonged death thanks to him.

Reply 44

daisychain_

13

I know nothing about politics, tax, the economy and law.

And i don't get the offside rule

Reply 45

Maximillion.

OP

Don't laugh at me but I didn't know who Nelson Mandela was and why people cared about his death. I was like who?

Reply 46

puella_optima

9

Original post by JustBeing

I only found out about him from my AS History course when i was learning about China and Mao Zedong, (Mao was an evil leader too)

I think Stalin was the Russian leader, he adopted communism and he was thrown from his position at some point because of something he did was too extreme the Russians didn't want him, and this shocked Mao Zedong because Mao was a bit like Stalin, so Mao feared losing his position in case the Chinese did the same thing

Something like that

Stalin was NEVER overthrown. Not even close. He didn't adopt communism either, Lenin was the leader of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution and Stalin emerged as leader in the late 1920s, after the leadership struggle between him, Trotsky, Brezhnev, Zinoviev and Kamenev. Once he was in power, it was an autocracy with no there where no coup's either.

:/

Reply 47

StarvingAutist

17

Original post by MidnightDream

I didn't know Oxbridge was Oxford and Cambridge combined until last year :colondollar:

Lol me neither :rofl:

I used to have no idea what 'yolo' meant.

Reply 48

Reeeeyah

13

I don't know my times tables, never been able to remember them. If I want to add something up and I don't have a calculator I have to use my fingers :redface:

.

For a long time I also thought that Africa was in North India :confused:

don't know why, don't know how, but I really did think that.

Reply 49

Manbeerpig

one of the greatest leaders in human history

Reply 50

Qymberley

10

Original post by puella_optima

Sorry for the guy? You haven't studied Stalin's Russia have you....? More than 30 million of his own people were starved because of him. People were sent to gulags for 30 years for stealing bread. People resorted to eating the grain in horse poo because they were so desperate. The list is endless. I don't think I could feel pity for Stalin after all he did, even if he did die from a stroke, millions died from a needless and painfully prolonged death thanks to him.

I should have expected this i suppose. I've briefly studied it, obviously probably not as much as you have, but the fact that I feel sorry for him should be taken lightly. Although he did all those terrible things, you have to remember that he is still human and did what HE thought was the best, you also can't forget all the good things he did for his country such as the beginnings of Russia's industrial revolution, his priority was national security and he was extremely intelligent. Also, he was betrayed by the Nazi's and even though that doesn't justify all the unnecessary ruthlessness it just shows that there are reasons for him doing what he did. Don't get me wrong, i'm not defending him or supporting him, but it's better for people to understand the world at the time and what led Stalin to do what he did. You can't just call Stalin 'evil' and be done with it, you have to understand both sides. Like, school in the 60s would just put so much emphasis on how bad and wrong communism is, whereas now we're taught with less subjectivity, or should be.

Reply 51

C_G

11

Is this a thread celebrating how stupid you are?

Reply 52

puella_optima

9

Original post by Qymberley

I should have expected this i suppose. I've briefly studied it, obviously probably not as much as you have, but the fact that I feel sorry for him should be taken lightly. Although he did all those terrible things, you have to remember that he is still human and did what HE thought was the best, you also can't forget all the good things he did for his country such as the beginnings of Russia's industrial revolution, his priority was national security and he was extremely intelligent. Also, he was betrayed by the Nazi's and even though that doesn't justify all the unnecessary ruthlessness it just shows that there are reasons for him doing what he did. Don't get me wrong, i'm not defending him or supporting him, but it's better for people to understand the world at the time and what led Stalin to do what he did. You can't just call Stalin 'evil' and be done with it, you have to understand both sides. Like, school in the 60s would just put so much emphasis on how bad and wrong communism is, whereas now we're taught with less subjectivity, or should be.

I never said 'Stalin is evil, end of' nor would I say that about Hitler. Obviously Stalin did transform Russia, but if you look into the five year plans, all of them, you'd see the atrocious way in which Russia industrialised and a lot of their products were useless because it was quantity rather than quality. For example, a pair of shoes may last a day. The severe inefficiencies in the towns and countryside seriously hindered Russian development because so many raw materials went to waste and workers were not skilled enough to produce the type of things Stalin demanded of factories, for example the chemical industry was a good idea, BUT, workers just didnt have the skills and training necessary to usefully make those products. Believe me, I did weigh up both sides, had to for my history exam!! His priority wasn't so much national security, though the third five year plans could argue that, but rather his own power and dominance both within Russia, and as a leader of an emerging superpower. Plus, he betrayed the Nazis because he was always intending to double cross them; by signing a pact with Hitler, he delayed Russia and Germany going to war with one another as Stalin knew his inefficient army and their weaponry were no match for the Nazis and the pact bided them more time. It was self interest and not moral scrutiny of Hitler which compelled him to 'betray' them. That's why it was called a 'marriage of convenience' http://pennreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/hitler_stalin_married-350x300.jpg

I do do my best to be subjective, Ive applied to do history at university! (Sorry if I sound like Im having a personal go at you, i'm not, I just like debating...which I suppose is a good thing for a history student!) :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 53

Old_Simon

12

Original post by JennaEmBee

He is pretty hot.

He had a wonky arm.

And he may have been the worst mass murderer in history.

And you think he was "hot" ?

Reply 54

Stephanie_12

13

Well, now you do, I presume. A year and a half ago, I didn't know either, and now I'm studying History at uni so all hope isn't lost.

Reply 55

EarthlingyThingy

I don't know why I made an account just to post here.

Reply 56

Old_Simon

12

Original post by JustBeing

I only found out about him from my AS History course when i was learning about China and Mao Zedong, (Mao was an evil leader too)

I think Stalin was the Russian leader, he adopted communism and he was thrown from his position at some point because of something he did was too extreme the Russians didn't want him, and this shocked Mao Zedong because Mao was a bit like Stalin, so Mao feared losing his position in case the Chinese did the same thing

Something like that

This is pretty good nonsense really.