Lenin's search for obedient, hard-working followers eventually led him to Joseph Stalin. Stalin was courageous, turbulent, daring, ferocious and determined. Stalin knew that to secure his place within the Bolsheviks and rise through the ranks, he needed to prove himself worthy of their cause. Stalin used these characteristics and put them to work, earning Lenin's admiration. What Stalin really excelled at was organization, something the First Bolshevik Party desperately needed. While Stalin may not have been the smartest or most “typical” candidate for acceleration, he did. At that time, if this had been a normal government, Stalin would not have risen through the ranks due to his lower class upbringing. The “perfect” candidate would be someone like Leon Trotsky, a man with an incredible education who came from wealth. However, Lenin noted Stalin's dedication and loyalty and had come to the conclusion that this kind of man was the kind of people the Bolsheviks needed in the early days. This choice would be one of many stones thrown at Trotsky that would hinder his ability to take Lenin's place and would be another reason why Joseph Stalin would eventually take command. Something then began to happen in the late 1920s. Lenin was having difficulty getting his policies passed. . In response to this, he decided to give more power to his closest ally, Joseph Stalin. On April 3, 1922, Lenin successfully had Stalin appointed general secretary, or leader, of the Communist Party. With this new power, Stalin began to build his loyal base. He appointed loyal followers to positions of power. This in turn made these followers even more loyal and they would not dare to oppose him later. This... middle of the paper... two methods: political cunning and violence. He was a cunning man, but it is more likely that it was his violence and menace that drove him to become leader of the Soviet Union. His early days in the Bolshevik Party would inspire another man with many of the same attributes, Adolf Hitler. If Leon Trotsky had been more adamant about his disapproval of Joseph Stalin and more adamant about his own ability to be the leader of the Soviet Union, things might have been very different. Ultimately, Joseph Stalin and his rise to power were not just about Russia and the Soviet Union. It affected the whole world. Joseph Stalin's story of his rise to power is fascinating, brutal and frightening. If nothing else, it reminds all of us who love our Democratic Republic what a free and truly great society and nation truly is..