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Did the CIA Conclude That Stalin WASN'T a Dictator? (www.youtube.com)
submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by sadschmuck@hexbear.net to c/history@hexbear.net
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No.

According to a claim circulating online, there is a CIA document or internal communication from the 1950s asserting that Joseph Stalin was not a dictator. The existence of this document is cited as proof either that Stalin was not a dictator after all, or at least that even the CIA didn't think he was. However, looking at the document in question, we see it is not a pronouncement of fact by the CIA whatsoever, but an anecdotal information report submitted to CIA information gatherers. As such, the document is a primary source representing the perspective of one anonymous informant, not the opinion of the CIA as a whole. Additionally, the document is contradicted by dozens of more reliable or detailed documents obtained or created by the CIA in the same period, indicating that they did not believe Stalin was non-dictatorial as claimed.

The transcript is in the comments.

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[-] purpleworm@hexbear.net 15 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Turns out there is no such thing as one person controlling a government unilaterally

Edit: welp, see below

[-] sadschmuck@hexbear.net 9 points 7 months ago

I don't think you've watched the video

[-] purpleworm@hexbear.net 2 points 7 months ago

You're right, I've been owned. I honestly find it pretty surprising that they believe he was an autocrat, not because of the note but because it's a silly idea that isn't true even of military dictators or kings.

Looking at the transcription that was helpfully written, I think our friend does overcorrect on a trivial point when looking at the text itself, because the text really does say that Stalin, while being very powerful, still was part of a larger body. The author does not say that he has "near-absolute" power like our friend says it does. I don't even understand why they make this argument when they already made a perfectly solid argument to discard this evidence as worthless, and it just makes their claim look weaker rhetorically.

[-] RedWizard@hexbear.net 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

This video isn't saying that. The video is saying that this CIA document isn't evidence that "there is no such thing as one person controlling a government unilaterally" and that it is even an authoritative opinion from the CIA as an organization. Presenting it as such is easily disproven, and there is far more documentation of a higher level of authority within the CIA at the time, exposing that the CIA did in fact believe Stalin was a dictator.

It doesn't take a position on the nature of Stalin's level of power relative to the collective management of the Soviet Union. It is only pointing out how weak this document is as evidence of the claim that "even the CIA didn't believe Stalin was a dictator." Then effectively calls on the viewer to act and discard this document as a vehicle for agitprop and find new material.

[-] purpleworm@hexbear.net 4 points 7 months ago

Fair enough

this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2025
52 points (98.1% liked)

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