Conservative History Journal

Not a round date but Tory Historian likes to celebrate this one. March 5, 1953 was the day when the death of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, one of the greatest mass murderers of all times (probably Mao Tse-Tung was worse but who is counting) was announced. There is some mystery, according to various accounts, not least by his daughter Svetlana, as to whether he did die on that day or the day before. Had he simply had a stroke and his entourage was too scared to do anything about it, hoping that he would simply die and that would be that? Possible.

The picture of the funeral procession does not show the exact truth. As Moscow was filled with crowds who were ordered to process, the side streets were closed off by the police and the secret police. People who tried to get out because of the ever growing numbers found their way blocked and there was a huge crush with unknown numbers killed in it. As Stalin lived, so he died - in a sea of blood.