When Did Stalin Become The Leader?

When Did Stalin Become The Leader? Grigory Zinoviev successfully had Stalin appointed to the post of General Secretary in March 1922, with Stalin officially starting in the post on 3 April 1922. When was Stalin leader of USSR? Name (lifetime) Period Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) 21 January 1924 ↓ 5 March 1953† Georgy Malenkov (1902–1988) 5