. ▁St alin ▁cons olid ated ▁his ▁power ▁within ▁the ▁party ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁fost ered ▁an ▁extensive ▁cult ▁of ▁person ality . ▁Soviet ▁secret - pol ice ▁and ▁the ▁mass - m obil ization ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁served ▁as ▁St alin ' s ▁major ▁tools ▁in ▁m old ing ▁Soviet ▁society . ▁St alin ' s ▁methods ▁in ▁ach ieving ▁his ▁goals , ▁which ▁included ▁party ▁p urg es , ▁political ▁repr ession ▁of ▁the ▁general ▁population , ▁and ▁forced ▁collect iv ization , ▁led ▁to ▁millions ▁of ▁death s : ▁in ▁Gul ag ▁labor ▁cam ps ▁and ▁during ▁fam ine . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁Great ▁Patri otic ▁War " ▁by ▁Soviet ▁histor ians , ▁dev ast ated ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁USS R , ▁with ▁about ▁one ▁out ▁of ▁every ▁three ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁death s ▁representing ▁a ▁citiz en ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁After ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ' s ▁arm ies ▁occupied ▁Eastern ▁Europe , ▁where ▁they ▁established ▁or ▁supported ▁Commun ist ▁pu ppet ▁govern ments . ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁had ▁started ▁between ▁the ▁Western ▁B loc ▁and ▁the ▁Eastern ▁( S ov iet ) ▁B loc , ▁with ▁the ▁Wars aw ▁P act ▁( created ▁ 1 9 5 5 ) ▁pitch ed ▁against ▁NAT O ▁( created ▁ 1 9 4 9 ) ▁in ▁Europe . ▁After ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁St alin ▁did ▁not ▁directly ▁eng age