Joseph stalin-became the leader of the USSR following Lenin's death in 1924-was politically ruthless-held absolute power as a totalitarian dictator -restricted individual freedoms the first 5 year plan-stalin established a command economy to modernize the soviet economy-believed the USSR could outproduce capitalist nations-set unreasonably high quotas for production-shifted resources away from producing necessities to creating steeleffects of the 5 year planspositive effects-industrialization and modernization-growth of infrastructure -negative effects- extremely inefficient and wasteful-few consumer goods produced resulting in shortages-high human cost including the use of slave laborcollectivization-in 1929 stalin seized millions of privately held farms and combined them into collective farms-reasons for collectivization -soviet farming was inefficient and most people farmed at the substance level-residents of cities needed food-there were too many farmworkers and not enough industrial workers-cash crops were needed results of resistance-the peasants resisted collectivization-the army was sent in to force the peasants to submit-many especially the wealthier kulak class was imprisoned-millions of peasants died severe famine-the resistance to collectivization resulted in widespread famine-peasants couldn't keep any food until their government quota had been met the great terror -dictators of totalitarian states use terror and violence to control their population-stalin believed the country had to be united with him as absolute authority-stalin believed that war with germany was coming and that the nation had to be prepared-stalin became increasingly paranoid Stalin's secret police-the NKVD was part of the secret police force of stalinist russia-could arrest and hold anyone for any reason-used torture to interrogate suspects-targeted anyone suspected of being disloyalthe great purge-the great purge- a campaign of terror against members of the communist party-during "show" trials suspects confessed to impossible crimes-thousands of government officials and military leaders were executed -millions of others were sent to labor camps called gulags persecution of othersreligious persecution-sent orthodox clergy to labor camps-forced catholic leaders to leave the USSR-abolished the practice of Judaism and prohibited islam cultural persecution -targeted those of non-russian descent-arrested and imprisoned thousands of writers, scholars and scientists Stalin's cult of personality -stalin wanted to be viewed as a godlike figure to the soviet people techniques used-widespread propaganda -strict censorship-revison of history books and photographs women enter the workforce-under stalin large numbers of women entered the workforce-by 1935 2 in 5 factory workers were women-other women worked in health care, education and service industries value of motherhood-stalin's government promoted and placed a high value on motherhood-women were encouraged to produce more workers for the nationsoviet education-soviet education expanded under stalin and schools were reformed-schools emphasized soviet ideology -children joined the "young pioneers" a communist youth organization -students learned skills necessary to contribute to industrialization-the number of citizens able to obtain university educations increased 1924-start of Stalin's rise of power1928- first 5 year plan1929- start of forced collectivization 1934-1939- the great purge1953- stalin's death