Why isn't Stalin the leader of Russia/USSR

[Ian Beale]

Why was Stalin not chosen as the leader of Russia surely he made the biggest difference to the nation. When he assumed dictatorial powers the country was backward and weak after it was a world superpower who had defeated Germany and had a nuclear capability despite his purges!

[Padma]

Stalin would not exactly be "politically correct".

[Benderino]

Originally posted by Padma
Stalin would not exactly be "politically correct".

I don't think Mao is either. Him, Stalin, and Hitler all would have been innapropriate, IMHO.

[Padma]

Agreed, Bendarino.

[AlcTrv]

Because they wanted a good male/female Ratio. I would have chosen Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Lenin, or Stalin, but hey

[WillJ]

I personally don't see why anyone gives a crap about who the leaders are, but that's just me.

[Black Waltz]

Stalin. Oh yes lets have a person who had millions of his own people executed as leader...

[sealman]

Originally posted by WillJ
I personally don't see why anyone gives a crap about who the leaders are, but that's just me.

And me.

Plus to be a real stickler - Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union, not Russia.

[Ian Beale]

Though Stalin purged his own people he was popular and succesful- could someone create a Hitler or Stalin leaderhead

[Highgeneral]

padma benderino the two that hate me the most Stalin would be perfect leader for russia he made it a major world power and a very rich nation.

P.S. padma don't go to my thred and add any of your comments i speak for the other fans to.

[MarineCorps]

How amny other fans? Muder do not belong in the game and before some one asks no I do not belive that Mo should be in the game.

[Ian Beale]

Who cares if he was a murderer, he was almost venerated by his own people and a person i would like to see leading Russia on the game. The average person in the USSR had huge respect for Stalin, and his achievements were remarkable despite the appalling way he treated his own people.

[The Last Conformist]

I might argue that Lenin or Ivan the Terrible made greater differences to Russia's history, and that they unlike Stalin were Russians.

But the real reasons of why particular leaders are picked probably have little to do with historical achievements. More important have been recognizability, and a wish to have a reasonable proportion of female leaderheads. Probably also some idea of "representativeness"; the Czaristic period of Russia's history is much longer than the Soviet one, and the city list is clearly Russian, not Soviet.

[Ian Beale]

fair point but Stalin is a lot more interesting than Lenin or any of the Tsars. We must have Stalin for the WW2 scenario though, better still give us a choice of leaders- i can't stand the Russian, French or English leaders- lets have Winston Churchill as the leader of England you can't accuse him of mass murder and he is consistently voted the greatest Britain- or are they trying to involve different stages of history in the game.

[MarineCorps]

Originally posted by Ian Beale
Who cares if he was a murderer, he was almost venerated by his own people and a person i would like to see leading Russia on the game. The average person in the USSR had huge respect for Stalin, and his achievements were remarkable despite the appalling way he treated his own people.

I notice you say HAD (past tense). The same thing could be said of the people of Iraq about saddam when he was in power. As a bright idea you don't say you don't respect a leader when he'll kill you for saying that.

[sealman]

nice point marine... i was thinking along the same lines.

[Ian Beale]

lol! i said had because he is dead and now those citizens are probably dead, I've read three books on Stalin and each one agrees that the average citizen in the USSR greatly respected Stalin and admired his achievements. They also believed the purges had nothing to do with him. When Stalin died most people didn't celebrate like the Iraqis did with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Though he wasn't liked by all- (no leader can be) it is wrong to compare Hussein and Stalin.

[sealman]

ian beale: also good points.

One of the big distinctions between Stalin and Hussein was that Stalin had better people in the propoganda department

[Mad Hab]

Originally posted by Benderino
I don't think Mao is either. Him, Stalin, and Hitler all would have been innapropriate, IMHO.

Agreed. But I don't think Firaxis worry about what the Chinese think - they don't buy original games anyway. Their concern are the Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Koreans...

Cheers!

Mad Hab

[Ian Beale]

yes and the fact that he was succesful. There is nothing that a counties citizens love more than military success. Hussein was unsuccesful in this respect as he was driven out of Kuwait and failed to defeat Iran. Hussein was a failure whereas Stalin was hugely succesful in creating a world superpower from a backward country with little heavy industry etcc.... it wasn't just because of the propoganda. I hope MarineCorps will apologise unreservedly for his remarks. I agree that you wouldn't criticize a dictator however, i hope he will accept that Stalin was actually admired and respected for his achivements.