This episode explores Stalin's rise during the Russian Civil War, focusing on his role as a political commissar who used brutality to enforce loyalty, his rivalry with Trotsky, and his cunning exploitation of the General Secretary position to consolidate power. With guest Giles Milton, the discussion reveals Stalin's unremarkable early image, his manipulation of Lenin's inner circle, and the embalming of Lenin as a political relic. The host notes that the civil war laid the groundwork for decades of repression, while Stalin's awkward family life and his conflict with Lenin over a rude phone call to Krupskaya are highlighted.
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