Jim: The Soviet people idolised Stalin because basically they never reaslised what he was until long after his death.

This is bollocks. I'm sitting here in Russia now, where I've worked for a good part of the last 4 years. I've had a lot of discussions with Russians and other formerly Soviet nationalities about Stalin due to the recent "semi-rehabilitation" that Putin is encouraging. Most of them, especially those with ties to Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Baltic republics, have family stories from parents, grandparents or great grandparents about the climate of fear that pervaded every town, city and village during his time. People disappearing at night. Being afraid to upset a neighbour in case he denounced you, etc.

He wasn't *idolised* by most people, but he was feared. Tremendously.