Abstract This paper attempts to chart the changes undergone by the Communist Party during the reign of Josef Stalin. It begins by looking at the background on one of the most notorious mass murderers in history from his birth as Ioseb Jughasvili on December 21, 1879 in Gori, Georgia. It examines his education, his introduction to socialism and his work with the political underground in the Caucasas. It also discusses the background to the Communist party, Stalin's involvement in the Party Committee and how he ruthlessly took over as chair after Lenin's death. It also examines the highlights of Stalin's reign from his 5-year plans to his purges against senior members of the Party and his participation in World War II.
From the Paper "On December 1, 1934, Kirov was walking along a corridor in the Smolny Institute, when a young man pulled a revolver and shot him. He died almost instantly. A few hours later, Stalin drafted the decree that came to be known as the "Law of 1 December". It was approved by the Politburo two days later and ordered that the period of questioning terrorist suspects be reduced to ten days, allowed suspects to be tried without legal respresentation and permitted executions to carried out immediately. It has always been assumed that Stalin initiated the purges as a response to opposition to him within the party. Recent works cast doubt about Stalin's involvement, however."
