Stalinism is the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy. Stalinist policies in the Soviet Union included: rapid industrialization, socialism in one country, a centralized state, collectivization of agriculture, and subordination of interests of other communist parties to those of the Soviet party - deemed to be the most forefront vanguard party of communist revolution at the time.
Stalinist rapid industrialization in the Soviet Union was officially designed to accelerate the Marxian development towards communism, stressing that such rapid industrialization was needed because the country was previously economically backward in comparison with other countries; and that it was needed in order to challenge internal and external enemies of communism. Rapid industrialization was accompanied with mass collectivization of agriculture and rapid urbanization. Rapid urbanization converted many small villages into industrial cities. To accelerate the development of industrialization, Stalin pragmatically created joint venture contracts with major American private enterprises, such as Ford Motor Company, that under state supervision assisted in developing the basis of industry of the Soviet economy from the late 1920s to 1930s. After the American private enterprises completed their tasks, Soviet state enterprises took over.
Stalinism took an aggressive stance on class conflict, utilizing state violence to forcibly purge society of the bourgeoisie such as the affluent middle-class peasant Kulaks and other "class enemies", as well as claiming that class conflict existed within communist parties. Stalin committed classicide against the Kulaks for being such class enemies.
Stalinism is commonly used in a negative or pejorative manner due to the known extremely repressive political actions undertaken by Stalin. The reasons for Stalin's repressive actions have been debated. One perspective claims that Stalin's repressive actions were calculated and that he was mentally sane in his execution of repressive measures. Another perspective claims that Stalin's repressive political actions were the result of him having mental illness. This claim states that Stalin likely had the mental disorder of psychopathy and that its traits such as paranoia and manipulative behaviour influenced his political decisions. A third perspective claims that Stalinism's repressive actions were an extension of the prevailing authoritarian and repressive political culture that originated in Tsarist Russia.
Read more about Stalinism: Etymology, Stalinist Policies, Stalinist Economic Policy, Legacy, Relationship To Leninism, Claims of Stalinism Being "Red Fascism"