Political Snippets 4 - Of Two Men : The most Revered and Most hated in History : In this post I have looked behind into history in the 20th century. There were great men who in this century turned the course of the world’s events, to name a few they are Karl Marx, Engels,, Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao–Tse–Tung, Mahatma Gandhi, and Ayotullah Khomeini. Amongst all of them two men stood unique in history, and they were the ones who were most revered and the most hated, and they were none other than Joseph Stalin and Mao – Tse – Tung. While Marx and Lenin brought about the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1914, Mao – Tse – Tung brought about the Chinese revolution in 1949 and Ayotullah Khomeini made the Shah of Iran flee into exile in 1977, all these were militant struggles, but the one peaceful was the one led by Mahatma Gandhi. In all these revolutions, the establishment was overthrown or changed and a new order was brought in and except in Russia the results of all the other revolutions have not failed until now. They have not been usurped nor has there been any counter – revolution. In Russia it failed when the great Soviet Union split into smaller republics (The CIS States) Joseph Stalin became the general secretary of the Communist Party in Russia after the demise of Lenin. (The General Secretary is the head of State) and Stalin ruled the Soviet Union in its most difficult period with success. His conviction to the cause of communism and its idealism was utmost and so was his brutality and ruthlessness, Enemies of the State (By enemies it is meant “people who think or speak against Communism – no act was necessary). Religious Institutions were closed, Summary executions, disappearances without a trace, and torture were common during his period, his head of intelligence was the most dreaded Beria. Through Beria, Stalin crushed any opposition and decimated them to non existence. Beria’s power and writ was absolute such that he was called the “Supreme Executioner”. When Adolph Hitler invaded Russia , Stalin had no ammunition or armoury to match those of the invading German army , but the Russians fought hard with whatever they had and the ones who do not fight for heir motherland were executed, The Germans fought an hostile war, and lost in Stalingrad and were beaten back by the Russians they were also losing on all fronts and when the Russians were close to occupying Berlin, Stalin conceived of a brilliant idea which is adored even by military strategists, having known that the German resistance would be so very severe and tough inside Berlin city, he sent the rapists, murderers and criminals sentenced to life in Russia into Berlin first followed by the regular Russian army, knowing fully well that these people were dispensable and he did not want the regular Red Army to suffer heavy losses. The other allied powers were not aware of Stalin’s plans and they declined General Patton’s request to enter into Berlin first ( who was also close then to Berlin ) as they did not want any losses on their side but instead chose the Russians to do the work for them. Stalin outfoxed both the British and the Americans .Those criminals and murderers who were sent inside first were already condemned to death in the Soviet Union and what did it matter if they were to die in a battle for their motherland? They were told that they would be granted amnesty if they come out alive, but none did. He was a brilliant man of course such than even Churchill after the war admitted that Stalin’s intelligence was admirable. Stalin was revered and adored for saving Russia and equally despised for his brutality and acts of ruthlessness. Of course he would qualify to be one of the most revered and hated man in the 20th Century. His death is shrouded in mystery , history says he was poisoned and they blamed it on Beria. Beria was later executed. Now coming to Mao – Tse – Tung , an ardent Communist ( Not the Marxist – Leninist School). He was the father of the Chinese revolution and a man who awoke the peasants and the proletariat ( the worker class ) into struggle against the nationalist party ruled by Chang Kai Chek, ( a stooge of the Imperialists ) Mao Sacrificed more than a million lives for this cause and at one time he fought both the occupying Japanese Army and the rulers in China who had already fled the north as the Japanese army conquered the north.His famous saying that all “Power comes from the barrel of a Gun” and “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” stands true even today. The Red army led by him had many an hurdles, the peasants were illiterate and had no means to fight a prolonged war, but Mao marshaled them using their impoverishment and sufferings as a cause against the state and so was the conviction of these ordinary peasants that there came a time to cross a marshy land and the old, sick and the elderly volunteered to lie flat on the marshy land for the able Red army to cross ( just walk on top of them ). Thy ones who volunteered were dead of course. Mao came to power finally in the year 1949 and the Chang Kai Chek Fled to Formosa ( Now Taiwan ) and Mao practiced what exactly Stalin did, enemies of the regime were silenced once and for all, torture and executions of “Counter Revolutionaries” were common, Lands which rightfully belonged to people were forcibly seized and distributed to peasants. Religious institutions were abolished and no form of religion was allowed to be practiced. Mao they say died a sad man in the year 1977, His two other ambitions of invading Taiwan and making North Korea annex South Korea failed, While he never attempted the first one as America protected Taiwan militarily, the invasion of South Korea proved unsuccessful as America and its allies entered into the war and foiled the military campaign of North Korea and China. Mao was embalmed when he died, His body could be seen still at Beijing in a glass coffin and many a people pray their respects every day to him. He rose as a leader from the grassroots and brought about the greatest revolution. Though he is adored, revered and hated most, I can’t be without admiring him for his revolutionary cause and sacrifice. Both Stalin and Mao did not know a word of English but the whole western world dreaded and respected them. History can never repeat people of these statures.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 17:54:05 +0000
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