A leader is defined as one who guides or directs. Stalin was the leader of the party ruling the Soviet Union. He created a totalitarian regime that caused great suffering to the Russian people. The Russian individual played two distinct roles under Stalin. One role would be that of a person who, under the Stalinist system, was no different from the person standing next to them. Everyone was treated equally in all areas. The other role played by the Russian individual was that of victim. We can see through many different accounts that an individual had different roles to play and under Stalin each role had a price which sometimes led to death. The role of the Russian individual played a huge role in Stalin's goal of creating a stronghold on a nation that ended up imprisoning and killing millions of its own citizens. Under Stalin's regime, the Russian individual was at the center of his grand plan for better or worse. Stalin wanted all his people to be treated the same. In the factory, the best producer and the worst producer received the same salary. He wanted everyone to be treated equally. His goal of bringing the Soviet Union into the industrial age placed enormous pressure on his people. Through violence and oppression, Stalin attempted to maintain an absurd vision of the Soviet Union. Although individuals were considered equal, they were also considered equal in other ways. No one could be exempt when the system wanted someone to be imprisoned, killed or disappeared. From the poorest to the rich, everyone was at the mercy of the regime. Millions of individuals have been subjected to false, fabricated accusations, either by the government or by others who have treated them as... middle of paper ... sense of worth in which they were as they should be. change who they were to survive in troubled times. Ultimately, Stalin was not looking to eradicate or find a neat "final solution", because since his plan did not go as planned, he must constantly try to adapt and refine his idea until that it becomes something completely different. The Russian people let Stalin get the best of them, and if enough people had revolted, the outcome could have been different. Most people accepted their fate and eventually died from it. Works Cited Applebaum, Anne. Gulag: A History of the Soviet Camps. London: Allen Lane, 2003. Print. Ulam, Adam B. “The Convolutions of Terror.” Ideologies and illusions: revolutionary thought from Herzen to Solzhenitsyn. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1976. 311-20. Print."Leader." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, and Web. February 24. 2014.