Stalin's Curse

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A chilling, riveting account based on newly released Russian documentation reveals Joseph Stalin’s true motives and his commitment to expanding the Soviet empire during his collaboration with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and the capitalist West. At the Big Three conferences of World War II, Stalin skillfully portrayed himself as a great world leader. Observers like George F. Kennan viewed him as a modern-day tsarist figure focused on international strategy and power politics rather than ideology. However, Robert Gellately uncovers documents that show Stalin was an unwavering revolutionary, biding his time to establish Communist regimes across Europe. His actions during this period, along with the miscalculations of Western responses, set the stage for the Cold War. Gellately takes readers behind the scenes, illustrating how Stalin disguised his political ambitions while prioritizing the future of Communism, even as he fought against Hitler. The ascetic dictator’s Machiavellian strategies and unpredictable behavior kept Western leaders on high alert in an increasingly dangerous and divided world. This work offers an unprecedented revelation of the sinister machinations of the Soviet dictator, making it both exciting and deeply engaging.