Final answer:
The most successful Stalinist country was the USSR from 1922 to 1991, which achieved significant industrialization under Joseph Stalin. Other countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania also adopted Stalinist governments post-WWII with varying degrees of success.
Step-by-step explanation:
Examples of Successful Stalinist Countries
Looking at historical examples of Stalinist governance, the most prominent would be the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) itself, which lasted from 1922 to 1991. While Stalin was at the helm after the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924, the Soviet Union experienced significant industrial growth with initiatives like Stalin's Five-Year Plans, from 1928-1932, which aimed at rapidly developing the Soviet economy. Despite significant human cost, these plans contributed to the transformation of the USSR into a major industrial superpower.
Stalin's influence extended beyond the USSR through the formation of communist governments in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania after World War II. These nations adopted Stalinist models in the hopes of reconstruction and economic growth, aligning with the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. However, whether these were successful is debatable as they faced many challenges due to the Soviet Union's own limited resources post-war and heavy-handed control.
Within the Soviet Union, Moscow's strict control and the overarching goal to match the Western industrial capacity led to both short-term economic successes and full employment during the early 1930s. These successes came at a time when many Western democracies faced the Great Depression. Yet, these achievements were accompanied by severe political repression, mass starvations, and environmental degradation.