Stalin and Hitler

[Scorpiоn]

Amongst many of the things me and my mom debate over, is whether or not Stalin was worse than Hitler.  It has always been my understanding, than when you boil it down to the basics, Hitler was trying to help people (albeit a very select group) and Stalin was just purging everybody. Although it's not to say one was a bowl of cherries either.

Although I haven't researched it, I think more people died under Stalin's time in power than under Hitler's.

[Craig.]

i think of it this way. Hitler was an evil genious, and stalin was geniously evil(if thats such a term:))
While Hitler had good intentions to start with, his evil side took over being fueled by his intelligence, and his arrogence. Stalin was not so much of an all round genious more that when it came to the horrible acts, he was just very good. If that makes any sense

[Woodlouse2002]

Stalin's time was a lot longer than Hitler's. Hitler had 12 years, Stalin had about 30 (I think thats right). There both as bad as each other but I think Hitler's worse. As his was an organised killing machine. He was the one who had death camps and who killed, with german efficiancy, anyone he didn't like.

[Scorpiоn]

I wouldn't say Hitler had good intentions.  In Mein Kampf he already had outlined his plans for all inferior peoples.  Didn't Stalin kill his closest advisors and family?

[flyboy 28]

i think of it this way. Hitler was an evil genious

Nah... I think more of a madman...

[RichieB16]

I personally think that Hitler was worse than Stalin.  It's true that Stalin killed more people than Hitler did, but Stalin killed to control his people (like any evil dictator)-Hitler killed just for the sake of killing.  He hated a particular group of so called "inferior" people and wanted them wiped out even though they really didn't oppose him.  Therefore, Hitler was worse.

[Polynomial]

Stalin made Hitler look like a school teacher in my case.  But in the end, they really are as bad as one another, they'll both burn in hell eternally.

[Falcon_Six_Two]

I hate them both.

[BMan1113VR]

both evil, both megalomaniacs, both psychotic, both dead.

[RichieB16]

both evil, both megalomaniacs, both psychotic, both dead.

I couldn't have said it better myself.  

[Saitek]

[quote]I personally think that Hitler was worse than Stalin.

[Professor Brensec]

As for who killed most - If you attribute the 50 million deaths of WWII directly to Hitler (after all, popular opinion dictates that there would have been no "world war" had it not been for his and Germany's agression, at least not on the scale that resulted), then Hitler is probably ahead by 20 million or so.

But then we really don't know how many Stalin is responsible for, do we. Estimates put it at 30 million, but who really knows.

As for Hitler being 'Intelligent' - I doubt he actually was of more than average intelligence. He certainly had a gift for oratory, and he also had a knack for getting to the heart of the people's 'pet peeves'. It's these skills that he used to 'fool' and 'rile' the German people (who didn't need alot of persuading anyway), that allowed for his rise. The Allies total blindness and apathy regarding the state of the German economy and other socio-economic consequences of Verseilles would have to be counted among one of the main reasons for WWII coming about.
Many (before me) have said that WWII was a direct result of the stupdity of WWI. Just a different type of stupidity. Period.

The tactics that won the campaigns in Polland, The Lowlands and France were due to mainly the 'Blitzkreig' philosophy, which was not Hitlers at all. The great Tank commanders, such as Rommel and Guderian were responsible for speed of those victories, and Hitler knew it. Along with the rest of Europe's 'lack of stomach' for war.

No, not a genius by any stretch. Talented, yes. His biggest problem was that he actually thought he was right!!

As someone pointed out earlier, the mans evil leanings and his 'unreasonable' and 'unfounded' ideas about race and superiority were well documented when he was a nobody. So he was always going to be 'trouble'  ;D

[RichieB16]

If it's the total number killed that makes the person the worst, then I'd add Mao Zedong to the list.

[tiger63]

They're really equal. I mean Hitler killed off 6 million people of his own race (he was half jewish) & Stalin killed off all of his officers. Hitler wanted to rule Europe & Stalin already ruled half of Asia. Hitler never went higher in the army than coporal. (Churchill would call him Coporal Hitler before the war) Stalin had little military experience. Only thing that saved Russia (and Stalin) from  annihilation was the winter. Hitler was too busy sleeping to stop D-Day. Truthfully they both sucked when it came to commanding an army. Personally i think that they were equally bad commanders (though its obvious that Stalin was either a little better or a little luckier than hitler)
To Round it off they were both mean #$!!#@$!& & its good thing they're both dead. (If we were talking anybody else that would see cruel, huh)

[Felix/FFDS]

They're really equal. I mean Hitler killed off 6 million people of his own race (he was half jewish)

Interesting statement - but I haven't been able to find  anything to corroborate it from my readings and a quick search ...

http://www.thirdreichpages.org/familybackground.htm