His paranoia was demonstrated through his actions as a leader as well. Stal describes paranoia as a “pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others.” Perhaps one of Stalin’s most infamous time periods during his reign was the Great Purge/Terror. After Stalin had gained power within the Communist Party, his desire to maintain control grew to an extreme. Between 1936-1938, the Great Purge took place, marked by three significant show trials targeting high-ranking Soviet officials: the 1936 trial against Lev Kamenev and Grigorii Zinoviev, among others; the 1937 trial against Iurrii Piatakov with others; and the 1938 trial against Nikolai Bukharin and Aleksei Rykov. All of these men were accused of Trotskyism as well as other terrorist activity.
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Stalin’s paranoia “…included him; allegedly caused by his suspicion that he is not as great as he believes himself to be. This made Stalin dependent on the attitude of others, believing that if they see him as a hero-figure, then it is so” (Stal). The paranoia stemmed not only from fear of losing his position as the powerful leader of the USSR, but also was a result of his insecurities. Not knowing who his real father was and the subsequent bastard accusations, being attacked and beaten regularly, and suffering from a number of physical deformities as well as his small stature surely all contributed to a deep rooted insecurity that followed Stalin into his adult years. This is also related to another lasting effect of childhood abuse – lowered sense of self-esteem. Stalin was insecure and endured “feelings of inferiority about himself” and projected his “self hate” in a convoluted process of “denial and repression” (Birt 610). Even the fact that Stalin internalized any dissent of his politics as a personal attack on himself reinforce how his confusing childhood withheld from him a true and real sense of security and
Stalin’s paranoia “…included him; allegedly caused by his suspicion that he is not as great as he believes himself to be. This made Stalin dependent on the attitude of others, believing that if they see him as a hero-figure, then it is so” (Stal). The paranoia stemmed not only from fear of losing his position as the powerful leader of the USSR, but also was a result of his insecurities. Not knowing who his real father was and the subsequent bastard accusations, being attacked and beaten regularly, and suffering from a number of physical deformities as well as his small stature surely all contributed to a deep rooted insecurity that followed Stalin into his adult years. This is also related to another lasting effect of childhood abuse – lowered sense of self-esteem. Stalin was insecure and endured “feelings of inferiority about himself” and projected his “self hate” in a convoluted process of “denial and repression” (Birt 610). Even the fact that Stalin internalized any dissent of his politics as a personal attack on himself reinforce how his confusing childhood withheld from him a true and real sense of security and