"Competing visions within the Bolshevik Party was the main contributing factor for Stalin's rise to power in the Soviet Union to 1929." Flashcards
Intro
Thesis: Stalin’s rise to power in the late 1920s was significantly tied to the competing visions of his adversaries, however his adept management of the party administrator, allowing him to leverage his political ideals to solidifying his position as the successor of Lenin.
Mass instability due to mass migration, civil war, 2 revolutions and death of Lenin in 1924.
BP2 - Positions within the party to create a power base
Stalin’s influence within the Communist party was pivotal in his manipulation of the party, ultimately leading to his emergence as the leader of the USSR.
Receiving position as Secretary-General March 1922 -> creation of system of patronage with nomenclature. Exertion of control of lower levels of the party
Mislead Trotsky about Funeral date -> highlighted his use of position as secretary to craft a positive narrative for himself
Stalin positions on Orgburo, Secretariat, and Politburo, (oversaw all facets of life in the USSR) -> position as organizer after Lenin death. 240,000 new members joined, seeing Stalin as a leader in a period of chaos -> creation of the cult of Stalin from the cult of Lenin.
BP1 - Political maneuvers and failure of his opposition to recognise his growing power.
The competing visions within the Politburo members and the consequent infighting provided an opportunity for Stalin to exploit fear and individual weaknesses.
Trotksy lacked foresight of the power of administration -> 1924 13th congress Stalin denounced Trotsky ideals of Permanent revolution -> loss of support from party apparatus.
Tricked Politburo members i.e Buhkarin, Kamenev & Zinoviev into believing Troktsy was establishing a dictatorship, enabling him delay the formation of a joint opposition against Stalin -> Historian McCauley “They were singularly ill-equipped to recognize a party climber when they saw one.”
Luck in delaying of Lenin testament, which urged the removal of Stalin. His alliance with Kamenev & Zinoviev who also feared retribution by Lenin, led to his reveal in 13th Congress futile in stopping Stalin.
BP3 - Politcal manevouability
Moreover, the unrecognized societal shifts exposed Politburo members political inflexibility, rendering them vulnerable to Stalin’s maneuverability.
Utilized ideological flexibility and Lenin no factions policy -> maneuvering between groups to always be on the winning side. Culminated image of a victor & obvious successor.
Historians L. Kochan and A. Abraham noted that “Stalin had too little respect for ideas; his opponents just had too much.” Opposition lacks ideological flexibility, Trotsky commitment to Permanent revolution even after failed communist uprisings in Germany.
Contrast, Stalin adopted Bukharin socialism in one country -> a pragmatic and widely supported movement. Gain of significant influence in party apparatus -> levered against party to gain power.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the emergence of Stalin as the leader of the USSR, was due to a combination of numerous factors, however, the most significant was the competing visions of his opponents, which created the optimal opportunity for Stalin to climb the party and seize power.
