Edits to the Mock-up of the Second Edition of the Book "Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin: A Short Biography" (1947)

Source: Tom 18

[Stalin's handwritten corrections and insertions to the second edition of his official biography. The edits reveal his views on his own role and the shaping of his public image. Key passages below.]

On the question of the author's characterization of Stalin's role in the October Revolution:

Stalin crossed out a passage that excessively praised his personal contribution and wrote in the margin: "This is excessive. It was Lenin who was the inspirer and leader of the October Revolution."

On the description of industrialization:

Stalin added: "The industrialization of the country was not Stalin's personal achievement. It was the achievement of the entire party and the entire working class. Stalin only helped give organizational form to the creative initiative of millions."

On the passages about the wartime period:

The biography's assertion that Stalin had "foreseen the German attack and prepared the country for it" was modified by Stalin, who crossed out the words "foreseen" and replaced them with "warned about the possibility."

On the personality cult:

In the section lauding his personal genius, Stalin wrote: "The author has gotten carried away. What matters is not the individual but the party, the masses. The individual can play a significant role in history only when he correctly understands the conditions of development and knows how to change them."

On military strategy:

Stalin inserted a passage explaining the principles of his wartime strategy: "Stalin's contribution to the art of war lies in the fact that he brilliantly developed the Stalinist military science, the science of active defense and successful counter-offensive. The operations planned under Comrade Stalin's direction were distinguished by their boldness and scale."

However, in other places, Stalin rejected overly flattering characterizations, crossing out phrases like "the greatest genius of all times and peoples" and "the greatest military leader in all of history."

Note

The extensive edits to the Short Biography constitute one of the most revealing documents about Stalin's complex attitude toward his own cult of personality. While he clearly participated in and promoted aspects of the cult, these edits show that he also occasionally restrained the most extreme manifestations of personal glorification.