Changes

In 1917, the Commissariat of Nationalities was formed with Stalin as its Commissar (Minister).  The Commissariat addressed the question of the nationalities of the Russian Empire, and helped integrate them into the [[Soviet Union]].  From 1919-1922 he was also the People's Commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection (Rabkrin, from the Russian), which was founded to be a check on the burgeoning Soviet bureaucracy.

In 1917, the Commissariat of Nationalities was formed with Stalin as its Commissar (Minister).  The Commissariat addressed the question of the nationalities of the Russian Empire, and helped integrate them into the [[Soviet Union]].  From 1919-1922 he was also the People's Commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection (Rabkrin, from the Russian), which was founded to be a check on the burgeoning Soviet bureaucracy.

In 1920, Stalin was tasked with invading Poland and then Germany, after having chased the Polish army out of a Ukrainian revolt it had aided.  However, when the Red Army reached Warsaw, they were defeated in battle and forced to retreat back to Russia.  This damaged Stalin's reputation as a general.

In 1920, Stalin was tasked with invading Poland and then Germany, after having chased the Polish army out of a Ukrainian revolt it had aided.  However, when the Red Army reached Warsaw, they were defeated in battle and forced to retreat back to Russia.  This damaged Stalin's reputation as a general and helped persuade Lenin to adopt the long-term strategy of inducing another European war through political agitation and seizing the opportunity to invade when the nations were thought to be at their weakest.

In 1922, Lenin named Stalin General Secretary of the CPSU.  In 1924 Stalin in turn created the "Secret Department," a unit of 94 of his personal functionaries that maintained special privileges as the ''[[nomenklatura]]'', or a list of trusted individuals.  He also appointed regional party secretaries who all, of course, supported Stalin.  Through the Secret Department Stalin gained control of the [[Red Army]] after removing [[Leon Trotsky]] in 1925 and the OGPU (later, [[KGB]]) when its leader [[Felix Dzerzhinsky]] died in 1926.  Lenin had foreseen all of this and had warned in his last testament that Stalin should be removed from General Secretary because the position's power was unlimited.

In 1922, Lenin named Stalin General Secretary of the CPSU.  In 1924 Stalin in turn created the "Secret Department," a unit of 94 of his personal functionaries that maintained special privileges as the ''[[nomenklatura]]'', or a list of trusted individuals.  He also appointed regional party secretaries who all, of course, supported Stalin.  Through the Secret Department Stalin gained control of the [[Red Army]] after removing [[Leon Trotsky]] in 1925 and the OGPU (later, [[KGB]]) when its leader [[Felix Dzerzhinsky]] died in 1926.  Lenin had foreseen all of this and had warned in his last testament that Stalin should be removed from General Secretary because the position's power was unlimited.