Compare And Contrast Zedong And Joseph Stalin

During the early 1900s, two separate nations were experiencing a revolution. The Russian Revolution began in 1917 as a result of the people’s dissatisfaction with the czar. Czar Nicholas II was overthrown by his subjects when he decided to enter World War I, despite Russia being unprepared to fight its powerful and industrialized enemies. Communist leaders within Russia soon started to gain more control. A similar event occurred in China in 1911, when revolutionaries overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Communism began to spread throughout China causing many problems. The rise of the Communist party in nations such as Russia and China also came with the rise of powerful Communist dictators. Two of these leaders were Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong. Josef Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union following the Russian Revolution, and Mao Zedong, leader of China during the Chinese Revolution, were similar and different in many ways. They were both Communist leaders who had complete control over their respective nations. They came up with plans to improve their country both socially and economically, while trying to gain as …show more content…
They were similar in that they were communist leaders who wanted as much power as they could get. They both had complete control over their nations and made all decisions. Their totalitarian governments were ruled using force and terror. Both Stalin and Mao had Five-Year-Plans, as well as other methods, to improve their country’s economy. However, they focused on different aspects of the economy itself. While Stalin worked towards industrialization and modernization, Mao’s main focus was agriculture. This difference affected Russia and China in significant ways. Stalin and Mao established a style of leadership that future leaders of Russia and China would follow. They built the foundation for Communism in their respective nations, and their actions continue to affect the countries