Chapter 1
In the first chapter of Young Stalin, we are introduced to the origin story of who will become one of the most iconic leaders of the 20th century. We learn that Soso was born to Keke and Beso Jughashvili in 1878 in Gori, a small village in Georgia that was part of the Russian Empire. We also learn about Soso’s childhood, his parents’ background, and the conditions of the time period. We get a glimpse of the events which shaped Sosos’s early life, including poverty, disease, and political unrest. Through these experiences, Soso learns to be strong and independent, something that will carry over into adulthood.
Chapter 2
In chapter two, Soso moves to Tiflis (Tbilisi) as a young man to pursue an education. He quickly becomes involved in the revolutionary movement and starts to develop his political ideology. We learn of Soso’s writing, his connection to the Social Democratic Party, and his activities in various publications. We also get to see how he begins to gain power among his peers, despite his age and poverty.
Chapter 3
Chapter three focuses on Soso’s further involvement in the revolutionary movement. We see him join the Bolsheviks and rise in leadership, while also developing a close relationship with Vladimir Lenin. We also get to see how Soso gains more power and influence, not only with the Bolsheviks but with the people of Georgia as well.
Chapter 4
Chapter four sees Soso become the leader of the Bolsheviks, leading up to the October Revolution of 1917. We get to see how well he manages to manage the political situation and how he begins to develop the controversial policies that will define his later life as Stalin. We see how Soso handles the Brest-Litovsk Treaty and the Treaty of Rapallo, and how he begins his transformation into Stalin.
Chapter 5
In chapter five, we begin to see Stalin’s rule take shape. We learn of the collectivization of farms across the Soviet Union, Stalin’s use of terror and propaganda. In the concentration camps and gulags, millions of people suffer under his leadership. We also see how his paranoia and suspicion leads him to purge the party of anyone he deem as an opponent or just potentially dangerous to his rule.
Chapter 6
The final chapter of Young Stalin focuses on the international scene, with a focus on Stalin’s involvement in World War II, and his role in the emergence of the Cold War. We also get to see his increasing involvement with other world leaders, from his signing of the Non-Aggression Pact with Hitler, to his meetings with Roosevelt and Churchill. We also get a look at the Iron Curtain and his policies of containment regarding the United States and the West.
