Autocracy and Imperialism in Soviet Union dates back in the 15th Century where rulers regarded territories as their properties and where their rule was unquestioned . Although most political leaders in any society are egotistical in nature, many Soviet leaders were certainly egotistical and power hungry. Rather than taking into account the institutional interests which can be effectively applied to govern a strategy, Soviet leaders were "primarily interested in gaining, maintaining and expanding their power using the instruments of the given historical context”Soviet leaders lacked strategies or mechanisms to regulate their political and economic systems in the country. Although they behaved like pragmatic rational political leaders, their behavior could only be judged by their personal interests.
According to Vladimir Shlapentokh, though not always, Soviet leaders used rational and utopian ideologies that effectively facilitated their personal interests . Political and military rulers cared little for anything but were driven by their personal interests .Their absolute monopoly on political power made them lack organizational processes that would help them make optimal rational decisions. For instance, the use of Red Army to unleash mass terror on people during the Stalin’s rule led to failures such as collectivization . It can therefore be stated without any reasonable doubt that, the repression which was experienced during the Stalin’s rule was meant to build up his personal power and not to safeguard the larger interests of the Soviet Union or even create a sustainable system that would remain focused.
According to Dallin and Lapidus, one of the causes of the causes of the failure of the Soviet Union was the spread of rampant corruption which was a way of life. In their book, Dallin and Lapidus give examples of political leaders who could build luxurious villas at the expense of the tax payer’s money . In the 60s and 70s, Soviet Union was ruled by corrupt leaders who fostered bureaucratic systems and who instilled fear on the people . This is a clear indication that Soviet rulers were driven by subliminal personal motives instead of being driven by motives which are for the well being of the people.
