Editing Joseph Stalin (section)

=== Early life ===
[[File:Stalin 1893-1.1.2 detail.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.8|Stalin ("I. Dzhugashvili") in an 1893 class photo]]
Stalin was born on {{OldStyleDate|18 December|1878|6 December}}{{efn|According to church records, Stalin was born on {{OldStyleDate|18 December|1878|6 December}}. This birth date is maintained in all surviving pre-Revolution documents, and as late as 1921, Stalin himself listed his birthday as 18 December 1878. After coming to power, Stalin gave his birth date as {{OldStyleDate|21 December|1879|9 December}}. This became the day his birthday was celebrated in the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=23}}}} in [[Gori, Georgia|Gori]], [[Georgia within the Russian Empire|Georgia]],{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=2|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2p=11}} then part of the [[Tiflis Governorate]] of the [[Russian Empire]].{{sfn|Service|2004|p=15}}{{sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1p=14|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2p=23}} An ethnic [[Georgians|Georgian]], his birth name was Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili ([[Russified]] as Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili).{{efn|name="birth_name"}} His parents were [[Besarion Jughashvili]] and [[Keke Geladze|Ekaterine Geladze]];{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1pp=1–2|2a1=Volkogonov|2y=1991|2p=5|3a1=Service|3y=2004|3p=14|4a1=Montefiore|4y=2007|4p=19|5a1=Khlevniuk|5y=2015|5p=11|6a1=Deutscher|6y=1966|6p=26}} Stalin was their third child and the only one to survive past infancy.{{sfnm|1a1=Volkogonov|1y=1991|1p=5|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=16|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3p=22|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4p=17|5a1=Khlevniuk|5y=2015|5p=11}} After Besarion's shoemaking workshop went into decline, the family fell into poverty, and he became an alcoholic who beat his wife and son.{{sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1p=17|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2p=25|3a1=Kotkin|3y=2014|3p=20|4a1=Khlevniuk|4y=2015|4p=12}}{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=10|2a1=Volkogonov|2y=1991|2p=5|3a1=Service|3y=2004|3p=17|4a1=Montefiore|4y=2007|4p=29|5a1=Kotkin|5y=2014|5p=24|6a1=Khlevniuk|6y=2015|6p=12}} Ekaterine and her son left the home by 1883, moving through nine different rented rooms.{{sfnm|1a1=Montefiore|1y=2007|1pp=30–31|2a1=Kotkin|2y=2014|2p=20}} In 1888, Stalin enrolled at the Gori Church School{{sfn|Dović|Helgason|2019|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nimVDwAAQBAJ&dq=gori+church+school+orthodox&pg=RA1-PA56 256]}}{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=11|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=20|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3pp=32–34|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4p=21}} where he excelled.{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=12|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=30|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3p=44|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4p=26}} He faced health problems: an 1884 [[smallpox]] infection left him with facial scars,{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=12|2a1=Volkogonov|2y=1991|2p=5|3a1=Service|3y=2004|3p=19|4a1=Montefiore|4y=2007|4p=31|5a1=Kotkin|5y=2014|5p=20}} and at age 12 he was seriously injured when he was struck by a [[Phaeton (carriage)|phaeton]], causing a lifelong disability in his left arm.{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=12|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=25|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3pp=35, 46|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4pp=20–21}}

In 1894, Stalin enrolled as a trainee [[Russian Orthodox]] priest at the [[Tbilisi Theological Seminary|Tiflis Theological Seminary]], enabled by a scholarship.{{sfnm|1a1=Deutscher|1y=1966|1p=28|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2pp=51–53|3a1=Khlevniuk|3y=2015|3p=15}} He initially achieved high grades,{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=19|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=36|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3p=56|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4p=32|5a1=Khlevniuk|5y=2015|5p=16}} but lost interest in his studies.{{sfnm|1a1=Montefiore|1y=2007|1p=69|2a1=Kotkin|2y=2014|2p=32|3a1=Khlevniuk|3y=2015|3p=18}}{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=19|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2p=69|3a1=Kotkin|3y=2014|3pp=36–37|4a1=Khlevniuk|4y=2015|4p=19}} Stalin became influenced by [[Nikolay Chernyshevsky]]'s pro-revolutionary novel ''[[What Is To Be Done? (novel)|What Is To Be Done?]]'',{{sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=63}} and [[Alexander Kazbegi]]'s ''[[The Patricide]]'', with Stalin adopting the nickname "Koba" from its bandit protagonist.{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=14|2a1=Volkogonov|2y=1991|2p=5|3a1=Service|3y=2004|3pp=27–28|4a1=Montefiore|4y=2007|4p=63|5a1=Kotkin|5y=2014|5pp=23–24|6a1=Khlevniuk|6y=2015|6p=17}} After reading ''[[Das Kapital]]'', Stalin focused on [[Karl Marx]]'s philosophy of [[Marxism]],{{sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=69}} which was on the rise as a variety of [[socialism]] opposed to the [[Tsarist autocracy|Tsarist authorities]].{{sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1p=40|2a1=Kotkin|2y=2014|2p=43}} He began attending secret workers' meetings,{{sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=66}} and left the seminary in April 1899.{{sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1p=41|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2p=71}}