Why did people support Stalin?

The same can be said for any cruel guy in charge.
People generally play nice till they have enough power or their adversaries/victims/call-em-what-you-want tend not to notice till it is too late.

Fear factor.

Everyone's spying on everyone constantly so no one can make a move.

wow that image must have been made by a super buttmad polish man

because stalin industrialized Russia and turned it into a nuclear superpower

Most didn't want to risk their lives in what would likely be a completely futile attempt to overthrow him.

Some people were brainwashed and unironically believed in Stalin and the communist ideal.

Some people had personal loyalty to the person above them in the hierarchy.

Some believed that tyranny was normal and inevitable and there was no point, that the right thing to do was just to industrialize Russia and improve things a little in their area and hope one day Russia would develop and become democratic.

Many were caught up in the humdrum of their everyday lives, more interested in raising a hog so their kids can know bacon and such things.

>>1985600
Because he transformed a largely agricultural and stagnating civilization into a heavily industrialized nuclear superstate?