Joseph Stalin, one of , if not the greatest military mind in history. Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia on December 21, 1879. He was the fourth of his mothers four children. the first three children died and Joseph was prone to bad health. On several occasions Stalin's mother feared he too would die. Obviously Stalin's mother was very protective. Joseph wa very poor in his childhood. He had a bout with smallpox, survived, but was forever cursed with scars on his face. Stalin made good progress at school despite his shaky health. Eventually Joseph received a free scholorship to Tiflis Theological Seminary. This is where he first became aquainted with the the beliefs of Karl Marx.
             In May, 1899 Stalin was expelled from the Seminary. The reasons given by authority figures was disrespect and reading forbidden books. STalins reasons were a bit different. He said the reason was that he was trying to convert classmates to Marxism. In 1901 Stalin joined the Social Democratic Labor Party and whereas most of the leaders were living in exile, he stayed in Russia where he helped to organize industrial resistance to Tsarism. Stalin was arrested for organizing a riot. He was exiled to Siberia. Joseph eventually escaped.
             `Later there was a dispute between to leaders of the Social Democratic Labor Party. Julius Martov based his ideas on the socialist parties that existed in other European countries such as the British Labor Party. Lenin argued that the situation was different in Russia as it was illegal to form socialist political parties under the Tsar's autocratic government. At the end of the debate Martov won the vote 28-23. Lenin was unwilling to accept defeat. He then formed a group called the Mensheviks. Lenins followers were then called Bolsheviks. The reason this is important in Stalin's life is the fact that he along with 23 other party members supported Lenin.
             Later Lenin accused some of the Bolsheviks of betraying
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