Architects of Terror: A Comparison of Hitler and Stalin

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge 

When comparing Hitler and Stalin, we uncover significant similarities and differences in their ideologies and methods of governance. Both leaders were responsible for the establishment of totalitarian regimes that prioritized state control over individual freedoms, employing propaganda and repression to maintain power.

There were a number of similarities and differences between them. Both were ruthless dictators, and both exterminated people without remorse. Both we antisemites.

Hitler and Stalin had tormented childhoods and were especially rejected by their fathers, endured paternal abuse, and, in the later part of their lives, had unresolved mental conflicts towards their fathers. These psychological features later navigated their character and behavior.

Hitler loved his mother, whereas Stalin hated his mother and often insulted her. When Hitler's mother died, he became emotionally devastated. When Stalin's mother died, his emotional reaction was insignificant, and he never bothered to attend her funeral.

Both Hitler and Stalin were mediocrities, not bright students. However, Hitler had some artistic creative ability, and Stalin had none. Stalin studied in a seminary, but due to revolutionary activities, he was expelled from the religious institution. Hence, he could not obtain a formal education.

Hitler served in the military and participated in World War I, and was exposed to combat stress. Stalin was arrested by the Tsar's secret police and was sent to Siberia; however, the Tsar's government used his opponents to send to the Eastern war front. Stalin had a limb deformity and was not suitable for military service.

When Hitler engaged in active combat, Stalin joined with the Bolsheviks and committed highway robberies and collected funds for the political organization. Stalin had no higher education and had no profound knowledge of Marxism, but he was a pragmatic man. He was a schemer and a manipulator.

Hitler was exposed to artillery fire and gas attacks and suffered from battle stress and combat-related dissociative reactions. Stalin saw no war theatre but engaged in gruesome acts in Georgia.

Hitler was a convincing orator and had oratory skills. But Stalin had no oratory skills, and he spoke Russian with a Georgian accent. His words could not convince the masses. Hitler ignited racial hatred, and Stalin fueled class envy. 

Stalin never had close human relationships; he was once close to his first wife, Kato, and when she died, his human side ceased to exist, and he became emotionally numbed. His second wife, Nadia, became disappointed in Stalin's political and personal actions and shot herself. During his life, Stalin had no close, affectionate people. Although he fathered three children, his favourite child, Svetlana, later denounced him. His two sons, Yakov, became a POW and died in a German war camp, and Vasily became an alcoholic and died prematurely.

Stalin never trusted anyone and was never close to anybody. He lived an isolated life. Stalin systematically purged his close associates and comrades who once stood by him. When he died, there was no one near him. Throughout his life, he struggled with invisible enemies and paranoia.

Hitler was close to his niece Geli, but the relationship was complicated. He emotionally abused her, and then she committed suicide. Hitler's connection with Eva Braun was largely superficial, serving more as a public facade than a genuine personal bond. They were not an intimate couple. Some experts believe that Hitler was a closet homosexual. (Stalin had numerous extramarital affairs, some of which involved significantly younger women). However, unlike Stalin, there were people such as Eva Braun, Josef Goebbels and his wife, Magda, who were ready to commit suicide along with him, demonstrating their loyalty.

Hitler became more professional with his military generals, whereas Stalin was harsh on them. Before WW2, Stalin eliminated nearly 45,000 higher-ranking Red Army officers, causing fear and confusion among them. Hitler, who was a corporal, had an inferiority complex while dealing with high-ranking German generals. Some German generals disregarded Hitler's orders, and some plotted to assassinate him. But the Russian military officers always feared great Stalin. 

The central inquiry we must address is the contrasting fates of Hitler and Stalin: why did Hitler ultimately fail while Stalin emerged victorious? This raises the question of whether Stalin was able to outmaneuver Hitler strategically. 

In my opinion, there are several possible reasons for Stalin's victory. Stalin controlled the Red Army with an iron fist; those who retreated were killed by the NKVD, and those who failed to fulfill military objectives were sent to penal battalions (Shtrafbats). Stalin allowed General Georgy Zhukov and others to do the master military planning. He hardly interrupted their plans but gave deadlines.

Hitler constantly interrupted his generals and overruled some key military attacks that led to immense debacles. Moreover, Hitler was treated with amphetamine by his doctor, Dr. Theodor Morell, and after some stage, Hitler became delusional. When the Red Army surrounded Berlin, he was ordering nonexistent divisions to attack the Red Army forces. But there was no formidable force to protect Berlin, only Hitler youths and a bunch of child soldiers like Peter Kanz were there.

Hitler's strategic miscalculations during the war, such as his invasion of the Soviet Union and the air campaign against England, significantly contributed to the United States' decision to enter the conflict and establish a second front. A multitude of factors played a role in both Hitler's downfall and Stalin's eventual triumph, indicating that no single element can be pinpointed as the decisive cause.