Joseph Stalin (born as Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili ) (December 18, 1878 – March 5, 1953) (Russian: Иосиф Сталин; Georgian: იოსებ სტალინი) was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his eath in 1953. During that time he established the regime now known as Stalinism. As one of several Central Committee Secretariats, Stalin's formal position was originally limited in scope, but he gradually consolidated power and became the de facto party leader and dictator of the Soviet Union.