Stalin (1879-1953) Born in Gori, Georgia
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Stalin was the Russian dictator, born in Gori (currently in Georgia - was part of Russia then), of a poor family. Son of a cobbler and house cleaner, he was academically good, and had talent in painting and drama. Small pox at a young age made his left arm shorter, and marks on his face.
He was born as Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili and adopted the name Stalin, which means "Man of Steel".
He became revolutionary at a young age, and organized crimes, banditry to fund the revolution. Several times, he was taken in to police custody, even exiled to Siberia for his unlawful activities as a revolutionary. He also ran Pravda, the Bolshevik newspaper. After death of Lenin, Stalin promoted himself as a dictator of Russia.
When he took control, he initiated 5-year plans to industrialize Russia. He is said to be the architect of Russian Industrialization, farm collectivization of agriculture, and totalitarianism. In 1989 the Soviet historian Roy Medvedev estimated that about 20 million people died as a result of the labor camps, forced collectivization, famine, and executions, and were victims of imprisonment, exile, and forced relocation.
When Hitler was pursuing military muscle, Stalin had a pact with Hitler to avoid war with Germany and agreed to carve up Eastern Europe amongst themselves. However, Hitler betrayed and attacked Russia, leading Stalin to then group with Allied forces during the WWII. He participated in 3 high-level Allied meetings at Tehran (1943), Yalta (1945) with Churchill and Roosevelt, and in Postdam (1945) with Churchill and Truman, during WWII.
Later, the allied forces fell apart with Russia, when Russia blocked allied forces entry in to Russia occupied east Berlin. In 1949, Russia tested its first atomic bomb.
He was fond of using railway. The coach he used is kept at the Museum in Gori. Also, his house is maintained as a showpiece.
He died in 1953.
Source:
1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Stalin/Role-in-World-War-II
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/articles/zhv747h