Stalin and Russia's Industrialization

The debate over how to view Stalin's approach to industrializing Russia is a delicate one; on the one hand, you have a leader who deemed it necessary to ruthlessly kill millions of citizens in the name of Russia and industrialization, but on the other hand, you have someone who saw the critical need for industrialization and took perhaps the fastest and most effective way possible of grasping that industrialization. After reading about Nate's, Andra's, and Mia's perspectives on the topic, I feel I should contribute my own. I find myself in agreement with Mia. Coming from a democratic nation, where dictatorship is prevented by checks and balances and where justice is considered an integral part of the legal system, we naturally see only the brutal side of Stalin's approach. And no matter if our own ideologies conflict with Stalin's on every level, I don't think what Stalin did for Russia in terms of industrialization can be overlooked. Russia was far behind; the Crimean War had begun Russia's downfall politically and militarily in the world, and the outcomes of World War I only solidified Russia's fading presence. As we have seen, it had taken Russia centuries to build itself up to the power it was before the Crimean War; reigns of corrupt and weak tsars had stalled progress between the progressive reigns of such tsars as Peter the Great and Catherine the Great and medieval traditions such as serfdom plagued Russia's progression all the way up until the 19th century. And now, a country that was burdened with traditions and systems of the past was met with the prosperous capitalism of the west, which only highlighted even more Russia's delay in progression. While it could be argued that Stalin's drastic approach only quickened a process that would come naturally to Russia over time, I believe the key part that refutes this argument is capitalism. The nature of capitalism is speed: capitalism allowed for rapid industrialization in the west, it allowed for swift market expansion, and it allowed for countries to gain prosperity more quickly, building them up as major powers of politics and economics in Europe. Capitalism would not accept a slow industrialization of Russia over centuries, as had been its trend in the past, and capitalism would be heartless; if Russia couldn't keep up, it would simply be left behind. Although Stalin was against capitalism, an industrialized Russia would have to be built to compete with the West's capitalism. Speed was Stalin's focus; he needed to industrialize Russia, and he needed to do it fast. Any time lost would inhibit Russia's reinstatement as a powerful figure in Europe. His methods for industrializing Russia might be tasteless from a western perspective--but a country, whose foundations had been shook to the ground, whose military and economic strength had been decimated, would not have been able to get back on its feet in a matter of decades unless drastic measures were implemented.  Stalin's methods, however brutal they can be seen to be, industrialized Russia, tightened its structure, stabilizing its political system and providing a structured society that could more or less support the population, and reinstating Russia as one of the great world powers.