The greatest European superpower, with the largest landholdings during the age of imperialism was "Great Britain," since they had control of some of the most advantageous locations in Africa, along with places like India that greatly enriched them through trade.
Joseph Stalin was a strong, ambitious, brutal, and practical state-man, a man of action and politics. Stalin, born under the name of Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, of Georgian and poor origin, was raised as a street boy by a drunken and violent father. He forged a strong character and a corpulent body, without a very persuasive speech, although a very clever mind. He was patient and reflexive, very smart for politics. Stalin wanted very well trained and disciplined revolutionary professionals, a body of bureaucrats for the Soviet Union.
Lev Trotsky was totally the opposite. Born under the name of Lev Davidovich Bronstein, son of wealthy landowner Jewish parents, he developed a distinguished and very well educated character, he was elegant, but also fanatic enough to lead the masses. Unlike Stalin, he was not only a politician but also a Marxist intellectual and was less methodic and patient than Stalin. Trotsky wanted a not very well organized party of masses and the triumph of the permanent revolution. He wanted to export the revolution worldwide and not keep it limited to one country only.
Vladimir Lenin, born under the name of Vladimir Ilich Ulianov, was in the middle between both characters. He was the basis of the Russian Revolution. He had brilliant political intelligence and ambition, and he was a Marxist intellectual as well. After his death in 1924, the movement was divided between Trotsky and Stalin, and finally, the Soviet Union was lead by Stalin who sent Trotsky to exile. Trotsky died in 1949, killed by spies sent by Stalin to Mexico, where Trotsky was exiled.
South Carolina was the state that felt they could nullify the Tariff of 1832 and other acts of Congress. This is because them together with most of the Southern states felt like the Tariff passed by Congress in 1828 was to high and would only benefit the more industrialized Northern states.
<u>The Spanish-American war:</u>
The United States was not prepared for the war. Even though Americans had those enthusiastic spirit, they desperately lacked military strength. The United States Army was not prepared and aware.
They were understaffed, under equipped and under trained. The United States emerged as a world power after the result of victory over Spain in Spanish American War.
The United States gained possession over Guam, Puerto Rico and Philippines after the war. They also gained temporary control of Cuba. The United States also annexed the independent state of Hawaii during the conflict.
