Part 1: Stalin was born in a small town in Georgia in which he was educated to become a priest. After succeeding in school and becoming a devout follower of the faith, Stalin left the priesthood and became a communist revolutionary. World War I and the revolutions of 1917 set the stage for Stalin and the Communists to take power in Russia.
As part 2 begins Lenin is dead and Stalin is trying to consolidate power. Although various people were vying for the position, Stalin had already effectively taken over Lenin’s job. Lenin’s last will and testament says bad things about all his successors, with Trotsky coming out the best, yet does nothing to dislodge Stalin from power. Stalin continues, through hard work and cunning, to gather power but also because people believed that he stood for the principles of the revolution.
Stephen Kotkin
Videos
Taiwan is the most urgent test of whether the United States and its allies can deter China and preserve peace in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing is increasing pressure on Taiwan while exploiting gaps in allied coordination across military, economic, and political policy.
August 18, 2026
Videos
How can the United States keep energy affordable as electricity demand rises? Meeting growing demand from AI, industry, and households will require not only expanding energy supply but also lowering the regulatory and construction barriers that make new infrastructure slower and more expensive to build.
August 18, 2026 • 5 Min Watch
Articles
Hoover Institution fellow Abbas Milani talks about why more Iranians are fleeing their country and whether there's a realistic path to end the US-Iran war.
August 14, 2026
