Death of Lenin and The Power Struggle Flashcards

1
Q

Lenin’s Death

A
  • Lenin suffers a series of strokes from 1921 until his death in 1924
  • Loses the power of speech by March 1923
  • Still remains the undisputed leader despite not being able to take part in the party’s day-to-day running
  • Dec 1922 - Writes his testament to the party
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2
Q

Lenin’s Funeral

A
  • Widespread public grief - 2.3 million people attend the service
  • Brain cut up and kept
  • Portraits of Lenin are displayed in public and theatres and shops are closed for a week
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3
Q

The Cult of Lenin

A

A nationwide propaganda campaign is launched (posters, statues etc.) to display him as a god-like figure

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4
Q

The Points of Lenin’s Testaments

A
  • Does not name a clear successor
  • Accuses Trotsky of arrogance
  • Accuses Stalin of impatience and rudeness and also warned of the power General Secretary gave him
  • Reminds the Central Committee that Kamenev and Zinovivev had been disloyal to the party by disagreeing with him over the October Revolution
  • Argues that Bukharin does not fully understand Lenin’s ideology
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5
Q

Strengths of Stalin

A
  • Fundraiser (robbed banks in the party’s early days)
  • Reputation for being tough ‘man of steel’
  • Working-class background
  • Originally the editor of “Pravda”
  • The crucial position as General Secretary helped him gain the loyalty and trust of many comrades
  • Could use his reputation as a “grey blur” to his advantage
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6
Q

Weaknesses of Stalin

A
  • Antagonises many leading Bolsheviks, such as Trotsky and Sverdlov
  • Played little part in the October Revolution
  • Had been heavily condemned by Lenin’s Testament
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7
Q

Strengths of Trotsky

A
  • Brilliant speech-maker, intellectual and theorist
  • Had proven his political and strategical abilities in the October Revolution and Civil War
  • Had transformed and brought new discipline to the Red Army
  • Had strong military support due to his position as Commissar for War
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8
Q

Weaknesses of Trotsky

A
  • Was originally a Menshevik and did not join the Bolsheviks until 1917
  • His colleagues disliked his arrogance and disdain for those he thought less clever than him
  • He made no serious attempt to build a powerbase before Lenin’s death
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9
Q

Strengths of Kamenev

A
  • One of Lenin’s closest aides alongside Zinoviev
  • Major contributor to party doctrine
  • Party Secretary in Moscow
  • Commissar for Foreign Trade
  • Moderate political alignment
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10
Q

Weaknesses of Kamenev

A
  • Opposed the 1917 April Theses
  • Opposed Lenin’s plan to speed up the process of Marxism
  • Wanted a socialist coalition government
  • Believed by Lenin to lack vision
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11
Q

Strengths of Zinoviev

A
  • Longstanding Bolshevik since 1903
  • Close to Lenin - had arrived with him at Petrograd in April 1917
  • Party Secretary
  • Chairman of the Comintern
  • Good orator
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12
Q

Weaknesses of Zinoviev

A
  • Very similar to those of Kamenev
  • Opposed Lenin’s plan to speed up the process of Marxism
  • Wanted a socialist coalition government
  • Lacked popular support - seen as weak, vain and ambitious
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13
Q

Strengths of Bukharin

A
  • Appealed to youths
  • Had been a major figure of the party before 1917
  • Close to Lenin - had been referred to as the “golden boy of the Bolshevik Party”
  • Contributor to “Pravda”
  • Complimented more so than others in Lenin’s Testament
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14
Q

Weaknesses of Bukharin

A
  • Led opposition to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
  • Criticised Lenin and Trotsky over the trade union debate in 1920 (the role of trade unions)
  • Lacked political skills
  • Key supporter of the NEP - he could be easily targeted by more left-wing Bolsheviks
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15
Q

Strengths of Rykov

A
  • Working class background
  • Chairman of the Veshenka (economic organisation)
  • Chairman of the Sovnarkom
  • Strong orator
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16
Q

Weaknesses of Rykov

A
  • Seen as an alcoholic
  • Too outspoken
  • Lacked political acumen (awareness)
  • Key supporter of the NEP - he could easily be targeted by more left-wing Bolsheviks
17
Q

Strengths of Tomsky

A
  • Figure of the trade union movement
  • Chairman of the Central Council of Trade Unions
  • Working class background
18
Q

Weaknesses of Tomsky

A
  • Lacked a senior position within the party

- Opposed Lenin over the trade union debate in 1920

19
Q

Power Struggle - 1924

A
  • Lenin dies
  • Politburo decide on “collective leadership”
  • Lenin’s Testament is not read out to the rest of the party outside of the Politburo, nor published to the public
20
Q

Power Struggle - 1925

A
  • Trotsky steps down as Commissar for War, cutting him off from any potential military powerbase
  • Kamenev and Zinoviev head “United Opposition” against Stalin, wanting to abandon the NEP
  • Stalin makes his aim for Socialism in One Country known - this is very popular with the Communist Party members who wish to put the wishes of Russia before other countries
21
Q

Power Struggle - 1926

A

Trotsky produced the “declaration of the 83” which attacked the policies of the leadership. Stalin called him a traitor. Kamenev and Zinoviev are booed in congress

  • Trotsky joins United Opposition and Stalin is then legally able to have them banned as a faction
  • Stalin backs the right-wing Bolsheviks (eg. Bukharin) and the continuation of the NEP
22
Q

Power Struggle - 1927

A
  • Stalin persuades congress to expel Trotsky and Zinoviev from CSPU (the party)
  • The peasants fail to produce enough grain surplus and had refused to hand over grain. The NKVD requisition their grain. Those who resist are murdered
23
Q

Power Struggle - 1928

A
  • Trotsky is exiled from the USSR
  • Tomsky is replaced as the leader of trade unions and is not re-elected to the Politburo
  • Bukharin is forced to resign as editor of Pravda
  • Rykov and Bukharin are both expelled from the Central Committee
  • Pro-Stalinists such as Molotov and Viroshilov replaced the men
24
Q

Reasons for Stalin’s Success

A
  • Used the NEP to oppose both right and left-wing Bolshevik contenders
  • Emphasised his belief in “socialism in one country”, thus showing loyalty to Lenin’s ideas
  • Doctored photographs to make himself appear as Lenin’s right-hand man
  • Keeps Lenin’s Testament suppressed