Contenders in the Power Struggle

Question 1

What was Stalin’s position in the Party when Lenin died?

Answer 1

It was strong. He’d been General Secretary since 1922 and was part of the dominating force within the Party after Lenin’s death: the Triumvirate.

Question 2

What was Stalin’s greatest skill in the Party?

Answer 2

He was an expert in dealing with the details bureaucratic organisations. He had vast knowledge on the Party machinery; he knew how all the bodies within the Party worked.

Question 3

How did Stalin’s colleagues regard him?

Answer 3

He was regarded as a hard-worker. Some saw him as intellectually inferior because he was the son of a cobbler. Bukharin described him as ‘reliable and reasonable’.

Question 4

Give 4 of Stalin’s strengths.

Answer 4

• Stalin held a very important position, he was General
  Secretary.
• Stalin had deliberately placed himself close to Lenin
  before his death.
• Stalin was excellent at concealing his true intentions and
  could easily gain the loyalty of his subordinates.
• Stalin had worked hard to master the theories of
  Marxism/Leninism.
• Stalin was part of the influential Triumvirate.

SPLATT = Secretive Intentions, Position (General Secretary), Lenin’s Ally, Loyal to Party Beliefs, Triumvirate, Theorist,

Question 5

Give 3 of Stalin’s weaknesses.

Answer 5

• Stalin was seen as crude and violent.
• Stalin had played only a minor role in the 1917 revolution.
• Most of Stalin’s colleagues knew that Lenin had been
  against him by the end.

LACM = Lenin Against, Crude, Minor Role in Revolution

Question 6

Who was widely regarded as the most important/influential member of the Party after Lenin’s death?

Answer 6

Trotsky. The boyo.

Question 7

Why did people immediately go against Trotsky after Lenin’s death?

Answer 7

They were jealous of power, favour and influence.

Question 8

When did Trotsky’s position weaken? What caused it to weaken?

Answer 8

1924-1925. Stalin’s growing power caused it to weaken.

Question 9

Give 4 of Trotsky’s strengths?

Answer 9

• Brilliant speechmaker
• Important role in the Revolutions and the Civil War
• Exceptional organiser
• Gifted theorist

SORT = Speaker, Organiser, Role in Revolution, Theorist,

Question 10

Why did some Bolsheviks fear Trotsky?

Answer 10

He had control over the Red Army so he could use that against the Bolsheviks to assume power.

Question 11

Why did some Bolsheviks doubt Trotsky’s dedication to the Party?

Answer 11

He had previously been a Menshevik.

Question 12

Give 4 of Trotksy’s weaknesses.

Answer 12

• Underrated Stalin
• Intellectual snob
• Indecisive
• Poor Judgement

PUSI = Poor Judgement, Underrated Stalin, Snob, Indecisive

Question 13

Who were the two buddies of the Bolshevik Party? History of opposing Lenin.

Answer 13

Kamenev and Zinoviev.

Question 14

3 of Kamenev’s Strengths?

Answer 14

• Close to Lenin; Lenin had entrusted him with personal papers after his stroke.
• Power Base in Moscow.
• Old Bolshevik

COP = Close to Lenin, Old Bolshevik, PowerBase Moscow

Question 15

3 of Kamenev’s Weaknesses?

Answer 15

• Switched sides (Stalin vs Trotsky)
• Less popular than Zinoviev
• Underestimated Stalin. Too soft.

SLU = Switched Sides, Less Popular than Zinoviev, Underestimated Stalin/Soft

Question 16

3 of Zinoviev’s Strengths?

Answer 16

• Lenin’s ‘closest and must trusted assistant.’
• Old Bolshevik
• Party boss in Leningrad

LOP = Lenin’s trusted, Old Bolshevik, Party Boss

Question 17

3 of Zinoviev’s Weaknesses?

Answer 17

• Opposed Lenin’s decision for October Revolution.
• Switched Sides (Inconsistent)
• Underestimated Stalin

SOU = Switched Sides, Opposed Lenin, Underestimated Stalin

Question 18

3 of Bukharin’s Strentghs?

Answer 18

• Old Bolshevik, very well liked
• Best Theoretician in the Party
• Expert on Economics and Agriculture

OBE = Old Bol, Best Theoretician, Expert Agri + Eco

Question 19

3 of Bukharin’s Weaknesses?

Answer 19

• No power base
• Underestimated Stalin
• Made alliances too late

NUL = No power, underestimated Stalin, late with alliances

Question 20

3 of Rykov’s Strengths?

Answer 20

• Old Bolshevik
• Helpful in War Communism and NEP development
• Support from Sovnarkom

OSH = Old Bol, Sovnarkom Support, Helpful in policy development

Question 21

3 of Rykov’s Weaknesses?

Answer 21

• No Power Base
• Against Lenin at times
• Underestimated Stalin

UNA = Underestimated Stalin, No Power Base, Against Lenin

Question 22

3 of Tomsky’s Strengths?

Answer 22

• Old Bolshevik: working class family
• Spokesman for Trade Unions
• Moderate support from Bukharin and Rkyov

SMO = Spokesman, Moderate Ally, Old Bolshevik

Question 23

3 of Tomsky’s Weaknesses?

Answer 23

• Blinded by hatred of Trotsky.
• Underestimated Stalin
• NEP supporter used against him 1927 grain crisis

BUN = Blinded hatred of Trotsky, Underestimated Stalin, NEP Supporter bad