About
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; 18 December [O.S. 6 December] 1878 – 5 March 1953) was a Soviet revolutionary and politician who was the longest-serving leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1952) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (1941–1953). Stalin initially governed the country as part of a collective leadership before consolidating power to become a dictator by the 1930s. Stalin coined the term Marxism–Leninism to outline his Leninist interpretation of Marxism, also known as Stalinism.