10 Real Life Historical Figures With The Highest Kill Counts

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1952. Though he started out as part of collective leadership, the Communist Party member would eventually become the nation's de facto ruler (dictator).

One of the most talked-about leaders of the 20th century, Stalin helped successfully lead his nation through the second world war. However, there are also a number of atrocities associated with the Soviet dictator.

Events like The Great Purge, the introduction of forced labor camps run by the Gulag, and population transfers under Stalin, resulted in the deaths of millions of Soviet citizens.

The exact number of lives lost during Stalin's tenure varies greatly depending on sources. According to a New York Times article, as many as 20 million souls may have died under the Russian leader's rule. Of course, finding contradictory reports with much smaller numbers isn't difficult given the amount of coverage he's received over the last several decades. In any case, millions of people died as a result of Joseph Stalin's policies.

On 5 March 1953, Stalin died of a cerebral hemorrhage. He was 74.