10 Things I Bet You Didn't Know About Stalin

First, one thing I bet you didn't know about me.  I am obsessed with the Cold War.  I will read any novel or essay and watch any documentary on the subject.  It is unfathomable to me that something so significant and world changing occurred, but no one speaks about it.  Atomic bombs, still exist, we could still be attacked by one, yet it seems no one in politics is worried about it.  Yes, the American infrastructure is a more pressing concern, but we act as if this terror and the spying never happened.  It's become mythical to a certain extent.  Anyway, I love it and here are some unusual facts about Stalin I've picked up.

1.  He wasn't even Russian! Much like Hitler who was born in Austria, Joseph Stalin was born in Georgia a country south of Russia and above Armenia.

2. He studied to be a priest.  Yes, Stalin the killer of two million Russians, was supposed to be a priest.  It is thought that his time at the seminary he attended helped turn the boy to communism and rebellion.  Weirdly, his seminary was attended my many of the Russian revolutionaries of that time.

3. He had webbed feet and was embarrassed by them.

4. He was sent to Siberia 8 times and escaped 7 times.

5. He wrote poetry and it was good!

6. For most of his childhood, until he became enthralled in Marxism, he was top of his class.

7. His voice was so good, he was often hired to sing at weddings.

8. He was only 5 foot 5 inches tall.

9. It is entirely probable that Stalin was a bastard. 

10. He was always involved with some woman.  Woman found his intelligence and his Georgian accent and manners very attractive. This resulted in quite a few unmentioned offspring.

It's hard to remember that historical figures were simply people like you and I, yet when you look deeper, they have weird stories and abnormalities that make them human.  I think it's important to remember that they aren't gods, we have just as much potential as Plato and Queen Nefertiti and Shakespeare.  As Harry says "Working hard is important, but there's something even more important: believing in yourself.  Look at it this way: every great witch and wizard started out as nothing more than what we are now - students.  If they can do it, why not us?"