4. Josef Stalin
Josef Stalin succeeded Lenin to become the leader of the Soviet Union in 1924. He did not waste time in launching programs that would turn Russia into one of the most progressive and powerful nations in the world. However, his move was made at the expense of countless Russian lives. His new economic program led to the starvation of 10 million of his own people. When people including Russia’s intellectuals and top-ranking activists started to show their disapproval of Stalin’s leadership, the dictator launched the “Great Purge” which killed everyone who stood in his way.
