Hitler vs. Stalin

[ulmont]

Yes, it was ultimately Stalin.  My point is that anyone of Stalin's potential replacements would have likely done the same things.

I have my doubts about that.  They might have had similar goals but surely they would have done different specific things to attain those goals.

Specific things, yes.  The overarching points of Stalin's modernization (lots of heavy industry, screwing the kulaks) I think would have been implemented in any event.

[Josephus]

What happens if we were to throw Mao into the mix?

[ulmont]

What happens if we were to throw Mao into the mix?

Well, Mao did attempt to industrialize China and repressed the farmers, so I agree that Mao would have implemented policies similar to Stalin's if Mao had run Russia in Stalin's place.

[Josephus]

What happens if we were to throw Mao into the mix?

Well, Mao did attempt to industrialize China and repressed the farmers, so I agree that Mao would have implemented policies similar to Stalin's if Mao had run Russia in Stalin's place.

By "repressed", you mean "killed" right?

[ulmont]

What happens if we were to throw Mao into the mix?

Well, Mao did attempt to industrialize China and repressed the farmers, so I agree that Mao would have implemented policies similar to Stalin's if Mao had run Russia in Stalin's place.

By "repressed", you mean "killed" right?

I meant "repressed", since there are still quite a lot of Chinese farmers left, but obviously quite a few were killed during the process.  That word choice was really a sideshow to the main point, though.