Chapter 2 - Rise of Stalin (FACTORS ONLY) Flashcards
What were the reasons for the rise of Stalin?
1) Non-disclosure of Lenin’s Testament
2) Trotsky’s unpopularity in the Politburo
3) Stalin’s manipulations:
- Pretended to have been close to Lenin
- Control over Party organisation
- Exploitation of ideological divisions
Explain how the non-disclosure of Lenin’s Testament helped Stalin rise to power.
1) When Lenin suffered a stroke and went into semi-retirement in 1922, Stalin visited him often and acted as his connection to the rest of the world.
2) However, they often quarrelled, and Lenin became suspicious of Stalin’s character and ambitions.
3) He made his views known in his Testament, where he voiced criticisms on his leading successors, but was especially clear in advising that Stalin be removed from his position as Secretary-General of the Communist Party.
4) When Lenin died in 1924, his Testament was read out at a meeting of the Central Executive Committee, where all of Lenin’s potential successors were present.
5) However, the Party agreed that the Testament was not to be made public as Lenin had criticised all of them.
6) Some Party members felt that Trotsky was a greater threat due to his powerful personality and close connection to the army, and thus decided to ignore Lenin’s warning.
Explain why Trotsky was unpopular in the Politburo.
1) He was seen as the biggest threat by others in the Politburo, as he was regarded as Lenin’s right-hand man, was head of the Red Army and thus had their support. This made him very unpopular amongst the other members of the Politburo, and led to the troika alliance being formed.
2) Trotsky had always been outspoken and had argued with Lenin and the Party on several topics. As a result, there was plenty of material that his enemies could use to attack him. For e.g., he criticised Lenin’s NEP and the increasing control of the Party by the Politburo and Central Executive Committee. These criticisms openly challenged the organisation and policies of the Party and were thus seen as acts of disloyalty to Lenin and to the Party’s decisions.
3) Trotsky’s ‘permanent revolution’ V(promote and incite revolutions all over the world) VS Stalin’s ‘socialism in one country’ (strengthening of the USSR first before spreading revolution to other countries). Trotsky failed to convince his fellow members on his idea, and Stalin made sure he had the support of other Party members on this, and cleverly made it seem like Trotsky was moving away from the Party’s decisions and ideas, affecting his credibility.
4) Around Lenin’s death, Trotsky fell very ill and was often too weak to organise his own supporters. He also chose to remain silent on Lenin’s criticism of Stalin, and was thus unable to deal with party politics as the other Party members began to exclude him from decision making and undermined his position within the Party.`
How did Stalin pretending to be close to Lenin lead to his rise in power?
1) HIs fellow Party members, as well as the general public, had the impression that Lenin favoured and trusted Stalin
2) After Lenin died, Stalin organised Lenin’s funeral, making it a grand affair. He ordered Lenin’s body to be embalmed and displayed in a mausoleum in the Red Square in Moscow.
3) Stalin also gave the funeral speech and established himself as the chief mourner, showing himself deeply sorrowful over the loss of Lenin.
4) Stalin arranged for the city of Petrograd to be renamed Leningrad in his honour.
5) Stalin also kept Trotsky from attending Lenin’s funeral by giving him the wrong date.
How did Stalin having control over Party organisation lead to his rise in power?
1) As the Secretary-General, he had the authority to appoint and re-assign Party members. He was thus able to replace the allies of his opponents, especially Trotsky, with his own allies.
2) Trotsky’s support base shrank considerably. With his reputation destroyed, his ideas discredited and his lack of support within the Party, Trotsky was forced to resign as the head of the Red Army in 1925.
3) Stalin had Trotsky expelled from the Party in 1927.
4) After his expulsion, Trotsky continued to oppose Stalin through writings that criticised Stalin’s control over the Party, his policies and his supporters.
5) Stalin thus had Trotsky assassinated in 1940.
How did the exploitation of ideological divisions lead to Stalin’s rise in power?
1) Members of the Communist Party were divided between the moderates and the radicals. The moderates followed Lenin’s leadership and ideology closely, while the radicals formed new ideas and challenged the system.
2) To eliminate his competitors, Stalin took advantage of these ideological divisions within the Party, allying himself with both sides at different times.
Step 1: Expelled Trotsky (sided with moderates)
Step 2: Isolated Kamenev and Zinoviev (convinced moderates that they were plotting with Trotsky to overthrow the government)
Step 3: Attacked Bukharin and Rykov (sided with radicals)
