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The original was posted on /r/askhistorians by /u/PointlesslyPosting on 2023-10-31 06:58:23+00:00.

Stalin was of course a Bolshevik, but for Bolshevik standards, is it true that Stalin was seen as a moderate candidate? As someone who was less radical than Trotsky and other prominent Bolsheviks?

Ive always heard this claim, but I have no idea what the validity of it is. (it’s ironic if true, since Stalin arguably ended up being one of the most radical leaders in human history)