Comparison of Joseph Stalin and Fidel CastroThere have been many dictators throughout history that have shaped the way we look at them today. Sometimes it's how dictators came to power that people judge them. Sometimes what matters is how long they stayed in power, but it's not just how long they stayed in power. This is what they did to stay in power. These two men are among the most infamous dictators for these reasons alone. These men are Joseph Stalin and Fidel Castro, and they played an important role in how we view dictators today. Joseph Stalin and Fidel Castro had very similar traits early in their rise to power. But unlike Castro, Stalin was not the leader of the revolutionary party. After graduating from the University of Havana, Castro practiced law for two years before deciding to run in the Cuban parliamentary elections. However, in the election to determine whether Castro would be elected to a position in Parliament, another party led by Felgencio Batista overthrew the corrupt government led by Carlos Prio Sacarras. Shortly after Castro attempted to file a lawsuit against Batista accusing him of uprising against the Constitution, the petition failed. Frustrated by the lack of prosecution, Castro decided to take matters into his own hands and turned to violence. Castro led an attack on the Mancada barracks and lost. He was later captured by Batista's men and put on trial. While Castro was on trial, he gave his now famous “History will absolve me” speech. Castro was sentenced to 15 years in prison but went into voluntary exile after serving only two years. He spent time in parts of the United States and Mexico before returning to Cuba in 1956. Middle of paper It's not the enemy that stops them, not even those they called their allies. Is this why the world looks at dictators and can only see senseless, cruel fools who will stop at nothing and will kill anyone who gets in their way, or were they just men in quest for excellence who did what was necessary to survive and stay in the country? there were positions of power, even if it meant killing. Regardless, these actions have shaped how we view dictators today. Works Cited “Fidel Castro(a)”. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Student Resources in Context. Internet. April 7, 2014. “Fidel Castro(b). » DiscoverTheNetworks.com, 2005. Internet. February 2, 2014. The History Guide. Steven Kreis, April 13, 2012. Web. April 6, 2014. “Joseph Stalin.” UXL Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Internet. March 27. 2014.