Most historians and history teachers agree that preserving history is of the utmost importance; as history gets lost to time, so do its lessons. The choice to nearly omit the horrific atrocities of Joseph Stalin from many curriculums is a dangerous one. Erasing Stalin’s deadly acts from history and keeping his brutality a secret from future generations puts the world at risk. The history of Stalin’s genocides is difficult to uncover as censorship, and his connection to socialism/communism, has caused a lack of available resources that reveal the truth. Many survivors of his evil regime have tried to develop memorials for their loved ones so that the world would not forget the pain and terror that Stalin inflicted on his own people in the name of communism; however, most of these memorials no longer exist. It is time for Joseph Stalin to take his rightful place in history among the most inhumane, evil, and ruthless tyrants whose merciless rule took the lives of millions of innocent people. This lesson focuses on Stalin’s genocides, not as a question of whether or not it was genocide, as the answer to that is undoubtedly yes, even though the United Nations appeased Stalin’s request to alter the definition of genocide so that his actions would not fall under that category, and educators have followed suit. (Stalin’s position among the Allies of World War II is for a discussion in that context in which students come to understand the war against Nazi Germany.) This lesson does not question Stalin’s brutality, like many others so wrongfully do, nor does it hide the suffering inflicted on people living under communism. This lesson will be one that changes the future as more and more generations learn the truth about Stalin and his murderous communist regime including the deadly gulag system and the Holodomor.

Download: Stalin’s Genocides Lesson Plan

Parent resource coming soon!