Young Stalin

“The Party gave birth to me and raised me in its own image and likeness." - Stalin, writing upon taking power in 1929"Here are some presents for you from God! I am the executor of his will!" - Stalin, note to Kosygin on a gift of fish"Only the saints are infallible. The Lord God can be accused of creating the poor." - Stalin, speaking to Molotov************Simon Sebag Montefiore chronicles the life of Stalin through the 1917 revolution. Growing up in a small town near Tbilisi, Georgia, he had a troubled childhood, with a violent alcoholic father and a devoted but impoverished mother who moved him from home to home. She was apparently attractive and afforded Stalin with three wealthy benefactors who assumed the role of a missing father. In early life he was an excellent student, first at a church high school and later at a seminary in Tbilisi, similar to a university, where he studied Latin and Greek, secular subjects and religious training for priesthood.ScholarStalin also had a wild side, a natural leader of boyhood gangs and later as a rebellious reader of forbidden Marxist books. He was a bibliophile and talented tenor singer, a published and recognized poet by age seventeen, but expelled from the seminary short of graduation for failing to take final exams. At age twenty one in 1900, he became an avowed atheist and revolutionary. In his own words, the seminary taught him “surveillance, spying, invasion of inner life and violation of feelings". He spoke the language of religion in Bolshevism, the church's cults, saints and icons projected upon himself.RevolutionaryStalin discovered the writings of Lenin soon after he left the school. In Tbilisi he plotted worker strikes with Marxists from the seminary and soon led 50 revolutionaries and 500 strikers. The Tsar's secret service stalked him, engaging in elaborate espionage, with double and triple agents. From the beginning Stalin was more radical than his rivals, moving quickly to assassinations and bombings. Montefiore explains Bolshevism and Stalinism as a result of the violent, clannish and conspiratorial culture of Georgia, in order to reconcile the ruthless dictator with his obscure earlier background.TerroristStalin hid in Batumi, a port on the Black Sea. A Rothchild's oil refinery was set on fire and the prison stormed. The city was papered with pamphlets, informants killed, factory managers murdered. He agitated for worker strikes as the Cossacks massacred demonstrators. Stalin was imprisoned for the first of many times in 1902, and sent to a small village in Siberia. Exile by the Tsar was nothing like the gulag system he would later employ. One could rent a room or house, as Lenin and Trotsky did, receive a state allowance, socialize with other radicals and share subversive literature.RacketeerStalin escaped from Siberia in 1904 and returned to Tbilisi, where moderate Mensheviks and radical Bolsheviks fought political battles. Winning control of the Bolshevik committee in Georgia, Stalin came into communication with his hero Lenin. In St. Petersburg a 1905 demonstration led to the Bloody Sunday massacre, sparking revolution across the industrial cities, as Russia surrendered in its war with Japan. Ethnic battles broke out in Baku on the Caspian Sea. Stalin formed a brigade to extort protection money from the locals. Georgia entered a state of anarchy beyond the Tsar's control.PoliticianStalin envisioned an overthrow of the Romanov throne and a separate socialist state in Georgia, unlike the international communism of Lenin. Nicholas II was forced to concede to a constitutional monarchy and free press, but factory worker and peasant rebellions were unabated, militias roaming the streets. Arsenals were raided, while Tsarist pograms killed thousands of Jews. On the Black Sea, sailors of the battleship Potemkin mutinied and Trotsky proclaimed himself leader of a parallel government in St. Petersburg. Traveling to Finland Stalin was chosen by Lenin as head of the Caucasus region.FinancerStalin met party members important to his future political life in Sweden's 1906 4th Party Congress, Dzerzhinsky, later head of secret police, and Voroshilov who purged the army in 1937. The Party renounced robbery and terrorism but Lenin abstained from voting. Stalin became his main source of funding. Experimenting with piracy on the Black Sea, the booty was used to buy arms in Europe. Meetings with Lenin in Berlin and London plotted further mayhem. The English press was thrilled to have famous anarchists in their midst. Max Gorky mingled with the delegates and Jewish refugees.OrganizerStalin met Trotsky, who had just escaped from Siberia on a reindeer pulled sleigh, at London’s 1907 5th Party Congress. He considered Georgians provincial bumpkins, an attitude he would later come to regret. Although the Bolshevik faction won the majority, Stalin grew to dislike Mensheviks, Jews and intellectuals. Back in Baku Stalin worked to arm the Persian constitutional revolution which overthrew the Shah. Wealthy families of Europe helped to fund Bolsheviks, who would destroy their interests in Russia and Asia, either by misguided altruism or to end strikes organized by his outfit.GangsterStalin formed a hit squad to avenge a crackdown in Georgia by killing officers of the imperial army. He began a string of bank and train robberies in 1906 to fund Lenin's operations and pulled off a heist in 1907 which made headlines around the world. Gangsters bombed the central square in Tbilisi, shot police and soldiers, and stole a million rubles from the state. Stalin came to regard himself as a military commander although he had no training or experience. Money not sent to party headquarters was spent publishing propaganda on secret printing presses and gang members lived ascetic lives.RomanticStalin had married the younger sister of a ex-seminarian and fellow revolutionary in 1906 and soon had a son. After her arrest and release by police looking for Stalin, they hid out in Baku where she became ill, dying shortly later. At the funeral Stalin sobbed “This creature softened my heart of stone. She died, and with her died my last warm feelings for humanity.” At the burial he threw himself on top of her coffin, but then abandoned his son. One day in Baku Stalin saved the baby girl of his neighbor and friend who had fallen into the Caspian Sea. She would become Stalin’s second wife.ConspiratorStalin suspected that his Caucasus organization was riddled with spies. He had his own contacts in the secret police and began a witch hunt to eliminate moles. Trials and executions became widespread, and would remain so under his future rule. Montefiore discusses theories of rival revolutionaries, and other historians, whether Stalin may have been a double agent for the Tsar, but sees them as unlikely. Instead Stalin cultivated contacts in the police who fed him information on who were spies in the Party, or just as often, misinformation that led him to believe that loyal Bolsheviks were traitors.PrisonerStalin met with Lenin in 1908 on Lake Geneva, and in need of money counterfeiting and kidnapping of oil tycoons and their children resumed in Baku. The police caught him and he was sent to prison, where he ruled the criminal inmates, ordering hits on informers and spies. He was exiled to the north in 1909. As was common in the communist culture, Stalin had numerous liaisons with female comrades during exile. He escaped again, like tens of thousands did each year, returning to Baku. Between 1908 and 1917 he had only a year at liberty. In exile he was editor of the party paper Pravda.InterloperStalin was drafted at the end of 1916 after dodging military service for years, sent west to fight the Kaiser, but judged unfit for military service. Unknown to Stalin and fellow exiles, protesters and army deserters had overthrown the Tsar and a provisional government installed. Released from exile he went straight to Petersburg. Socialist leaders were living abroad, Lenin, Bukharin and Trotsky. Molotov had led the riots but now Stalin vied for party control. State power was split between Parliament and a Soviet of revolutionaries. Lenin clashed with Stalin on overthrow of the government.InsiderStalin greeted Lenin’s arrival in a armored train, and pledged to support his radical program. Attacking the government for the war with Germany and land reform, Lenin harangued crowds for a dictatorship of the proletariat. The Central Committee elected Lenin, Stalin, Kamenev and Zinoviev to a precursor of the Politburo, and Lenin persuaded Trotsky to defect from the Mensheviks. Trotsky was a great orator and writer but lost an internal power struggle with Stalin. A disastrous offensive against Germany, and movements to secede by Finland and Ukraine, weakened the government.SchemerStalin was impatient with Lenin’s delay in seizing power. While Lenin was on a holiday break, Bolshevik soldiers and sailors rose up, encouraged by Stalin, demanding the Soviet to lead. Mensheviks demurred, accusing Lenin of treason and German backing. Government troops surrounded the palace and fortress as Lenin went on the run. Suppressing the revolt Kerensky became Premier, but lacking military support he left to rally troops from the front. Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin pressed for action, the Winter Palace taken by Red Guards in 1917, and the provisional government deposed.Montefiore is an Oxford trained historian, but 'Young Stalin' is not primarily a scholarly text, mostly without analysis of the political or economic context. As a biography aimed at a popular audience it is more successful. Since much of the content comes from memoirs written during Stalin's lifetime it is easy to be suspicious of how accurate or impartial the authors were. In this first volume of his two part biography Montefiore's style of writing is a bit overwrought. 'The Court of the Red Tsar' is better written, about Stalin's later years in power, but his earlier development is still interesting.

This is very interesting book if you want to learn world history.

Attention all historians! This is the way that history should be written. Simon Sebag Montefiore's magnificent chronicle of Stalin's early years is easily one of the most entertaining and knowledgeable historical biographies that I have ever read. Montefiore has proven to be both an assiduous researcher, as well as a masterful storyteller. Some reviewers have accused Montefiore of being too sensationalistic and novelistic. I call it vivid, descriptive storytelling of the highest caliber. I could actually visualize the scenes in my head as he was describing them. Remember that excruciatingly leaden college professor whose lectures you dreaded sitting through, that tiresome mathematician in historian's clothing? That is the type who will surely be annoyed by this book, although anyone with half a pulse will find it to be a superlative exercise in biographic history. For Pete's sake, the reason I like history is because it is the study of animate objects; people, places, events, etc. It is adventurous, and when done rightly, like Montefiore here, it can truly inspire. Witness the style:"So this is not just a biography, but the chronicle of their milieu, a pre-history of the USSR itself, a study of the subterranean worm and the silent chrysalis before it hatched the steel winged butterfly."Born in 1879 as Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, the man who would become known as Stalin, was known throughout his childhood and youth as Soso. Young Soso was born and raised in the industrial Georgian town of Gori, in the far reaches of the Russian Empire. This seething Caucasian town was a turbulent mix of piety, honor and drunken unruliness. "Gori was one of the last towns to practice the picturesque and savage custom of free for all town brawls with special rules, but no holds barred violence. Boozing, praying and fighting were all interconnected, with drunken Priests acting as referees." Soso's father was a drunken cobbler who viciously abused him. His mother was compassionate, yet maybe too much so, as she had a reputation for being promiscuous. Stalin was certainly aware, writes Montefiore, that his biological father might have been one of three neighborhood men that were close to the family. The Georgia of Stalin's youth was also steeped in a culture of rebellion and banditry. Young Soso grew up hearing stories of heroic Georgians who fought off the imperialist forces of Russia, and his original revolutionary cohorts were a turbulent admixture of dedicated Marxists and bloodthirsty criminals. Here is another quote that highlights both the ambiance of Stalin's birthplace, as well as Montefiore's writing style:"Georgians and other Caucasian men in traditional chokha, their skirted long coats lined down the chest with bullet pouches, swaggered down the streets singing loudly. Georgian women in black headscarves and the wives of Russian officers in European fashions, promenaded through the gates of the Pushkin Gardens, buying ices and sherbet alongside Persians and Armenians, Chechens, Abkhaz and mountain Jews in a fancy dressed jamboree of hats and costumes.... ....This un-Slavic, un-Russian and ferociously Caucasian kaleidoscope of east and west was the world that nurtured Stalin."Soso was somewhat of a paradox from early on. He was at once the brightest, most hard-working student, as well as the most mischievous and violent. He was small but tough, constantly getting into fights and assorted thuggery, but at the same time he was a gifted poet, and star choirboy. "Attractive to women, often singing Georgian melodies and declaiming poetry, he was charismatic and humorous, yet profoundly morose, an odd Georgian with a Northern coldness." He was a dashingly handsome and prolific lover, a great organizer, and a maliciously effective political gangster. Soso was, in fact, a typical Georgian in many ways, a people of unfailing hospitality and blood feuds. From Gori, he moved to Tiflis (Tblisi) where he entered a seminary to become a Priest. Ironically, it was here where he first encountered Marxism. After several years, Soso quit the seminary and dedicated his life to being a Marxist revolutionary. It was in Tiflis where he began his political career, which included activities such as brazen bank robberies and extortions. He was constantly on the move, residing at one time or another in Batumi, Baku, Vienna, London, and twice exiled to Siberia, the second time for several years, which had a lasting effect on him. We also learn about his relations with Lenin, Trotsky, and the rest as Montefiore takes us right up until 1917. Montefiore also notes that Stalin's turbulent underground life helped mold his extreme notions of loyalty and betrayal.It is commonly thought that Stalin was not particularly intelligent, but according to Montefiore, that is not true. He lacked a formal education, yet he was a voracious autodidact with a mind like a steel trap. Occasionally mentioned is what type of books Stalin was reading at certain times, and how it affected him. Montefiore also notes that much of the prevailing opinion about Stalin, his intelligence, and his involvement in the Revolution has been taken from Trotsky, who Montefiore says is not entirely reliable. I could go on and on about this terrific book, but I suspect that you get the idea. `Young Stalin' is just an all around enthralling read. Five stars.

As I am planning to read, “Stalin: Court of the Red Tsar,” I thought it would make sense to read this volume first and I am so glad that I did.This volume takes Stalin from his childhood, up to 1917, and encompasses so much. I knew very little about Stalin, before reading this, and so this was full of surprises for me. It begins with a bank raid – of which Stalin was involved in many – to get money for the cause. Montefiore writes as though this is fiction, rather than fact, and really draws the reader in.Mind you, much of Stalin’s life reads like fiction. We have the poverty stricken childhood, the over-protective mother, and violent, drunken father. A child who is obviously bright, and intelligent, whose father is opposed to his receiving an education. Always in trouble, always rebellious, Stalin’s young life contained many contradictions. He almost became a priest, was always an obsessive reader and inspired great loyalty, friendship and love. Yet, he was argumentative, took deep dislikes to people, held a grudge, was thin skinned and was, indeed, always in trouble. In later years, this resulted in several visits to prison and to exile, including to Siberia. The book states, “a little piece of Siberia remained lodged in Stalin for the rest of his life.”I enjoyed this biography immensely and look forward to reading on with the second volume in this biography.

Young Stalin is a true treat for the senses. Simon Sebag Montefiore has weaved a historical tale that reads at times like a romantic novel, a crime thriller, an historical epic, rather than just simply another study of the Soviet Dictator.       While there are some masterly works out there, as the acclaimed biography by Robert Service, and Oleg Krasniuk’s updated study, making full use of the archives, a reader may ask the question, why bother with Young Stalin?       The account of Stalin’s early life may not be first on the list for a scholar who concerns themselves with moments that shaped the 20th century, but in Young Stalin, the reader is introduced to the harsh world that shaped the Soviet Dictator.       Young Stalin takes the reader back into the lost world of late 19th and early 20th century Georgia, a place of austere religious traditions, coupled with a harsh dog eat dog lifestyle, to his abandoned seminary days, to the key moments that shaped the Red Tsar, when he discovered Marxism and became an agitator supreme.       Stalin lived an extraordinary life, stirring up strikes, sabotaging the oil industry, robbing banks, and operating like a true street criminal, when he wasn’t whisked away into Siberian exile.       The parts of the book concerning Siberian exile are particularly poignant, and are a true delight for the senses.       The latter part of the book offers a highly readable account of the October Revolution, and gives the readers an overview of the fates of the cast of characters.       Young Stalin is a true delight to read. It is a history, but it reads like a novel. Highly recommended, not just to enthusiasts of Russian history, but to anyone who enjoys a good read.

I had to give this work five stars as it is obvious the author has made a gargantuan effort to collect the material from so many different sources and painstakingly put it all together wound into a narrative that is easy to follow, take a bow sir. I now have a very clear picture of the type of person Stalin was in his early days. I am now ready to take on and follow the story with The Court of the Red Czar. I look forward to reading that in due course. My thanks to the author for his hard work in producing such an engaging book.

To enable true absorption of the many key players, locations & aliases used in this amazing biography, I have read it as my 'Sunday' book, devouring several chapters each week in order to reflect & ponder as events unfolded. The detail, no doubt down to impeccable research by the author, is incredible. Documents have been unearthed, testimonies taken & memories retold, all culminating in the complex jigsaw that sees Josef Stalin rise from street urchin to Commisar. This is a volume to truly treasure.

This book sets out the early life of Joseph Stalin better than maybe any other book around. Born in the brutal clannish, gangster fuelled Georgian town of "Gori", one of the then Russian Empires most lawless places, Joseph Stalin even as a child was cunning, strong willed and very intelligent, excelling in his studies but also in other, activities such as choir singing and poetry. The Author starts from the very beginning, even before Stalin was born and gives a brief insight (brief due to lack of records that still exist) of Stalin's mother and fathers life just before they got married. The book goes on from there, right through Stalin's early childhood, him and his mother getting badly physically abused by his father (nicknamed in the village "Crazy Beso") right up to Stalin's numerous exiles in the frozen, deadly lands of Siberia and finishes off just after the October 1917 Revolution had succeeded in bringing Lenin to power and Stalin to the beginning of his job of attaining power in Russia. Of course there is COUNTLESS other facts about young Stalin's life in between what I have just mentioned, his gangster activities in the "Oil Kingdom" of Baku (modern day Azerbaijan), his countless mistresses, his bank robberies, the activities him and his cronies got involved in in order to fund the Bolshevik movement, Stalin's time in Vienna (at the same time the young Adolf Hitler was in Vienna as a poor, failed artist), his brief time in London, etc and much more. I highly recommend this book, brilliantly researched and really goes into depth about Stalin and is clearly backed up with evidence as noted by the author along the way. 5 stars.