From the mid-1920s the leader of Soviet Russia was Joseph Stalin. He had been ruling the USSR until his death in 1953. Though Stalin and Adolf Hitler never met or spoke, their lives and their fates were inextricably linked. Both men loathed and feared the other, yet there was much Hitler and Stalin had in common. Both were born into humble backgrounds, their early lives shaped by poverty and impoverishment. As young men, both were drawn to radical political movements.Inside you'll read aboutJoseph Stalin. From Georgia with RageJoseph Stalin. Winds of Change Begin to BlowJoseph Stalin. WarfareJoseph Stalin. The Great TerrorAdolf Hitler. Just a ManAdolf Hitler. Rise to PowerAdolf Hitler. Infamous VillainAnd much more!Both Hitler and Stalin became revolutionaries and unlikely national leaders, rising to power in the tumultuous years between the two world wars. Both promised progress, modernization and better lives for their countrymen - but both were more concerned with consolidating and expanding their power, rather than pleasing the people. Where the fates of Hitler and Stalin intersected, there would be little but war, conquest, and misery for millions of Europeans.