Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the political system and policies of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin from the late 1920s to 1953. It combined forced collectivisation, rapid state-led industrialisation and 'socialism in one country' with a personality cult and mass repression.
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Formal federal republics existed, but power was concentrated in Moscow and the leader.
Personal rule by one leader within a one-party state, with no meaningful elections.
Relied on secret police, purges, labour camps and pervasive censorship.
Shifted priority from world revolution to building socialism within one country.
Heavy militarisation, a huge army and military-industrial investment.
Russification and mass deportations of national groups marked later policy.
Total state ownership and forced collectivisation of agriculture.
Five-Year Plans placed nearly all economic activity under central command.
Pursued economic self-sufficiency with trade controlled by the state.
Repressed religion for long periods, with a partial easing during the Second World War.
Reversed some early Soviet social liberalisations and promoted conservative family values.
Prioritised rapid heavy industrialisation and technical modernisation.