Divisions and contenders for power: Bukharin and the Right (9) Flashcards
Who was Bukharin mostly associated with?
With the Right of the Bolshevik Party
Who was Bukharin supported by?
By Rykov and Tomsky
Who did Bukharin support and what did they develop?
Stalin and they developed a close working partnership, often known as the “Duumvirate”.
What did Bukharin’s popularity evoke?
Stalin’s jealousy and hostility
What did other Bolsheviks regard Bukharin as?
Impressive and likeable, he was a brilliant intellectual and theoretician.
What did Lenin call Bukharin?
“The darling of the Party”
Who else was he friendly with?
He was friends with people on the Left as well as the Right.
State 3 strengths Bukharin had?
1) Bukharin was popular within the Party, close to Lenin and for a long time friendly with Trotsky, in 1920’s he was close associate of Stalin and much respected by him
2) He was widely regarded as the best theoretician in the Party.
3) He was a particular expert on economics and agriculture, at a time when debates about the peasantry were of major concern to the Bolshevik Government.
State 3 weaknesses Bukharin had?
1) Because Bukharin tried to remain on good terms with everyone and to avoid factional in-fighting, he had no power base.
2) He seriously underestimated Stalin; he was also much more popular in the Party than Stalin, which made him a target for Stalin’s enmity.
3) He made tactical mistakes, such as leaving it much too late ti make an alliance with Zinoviev and Kamenev
What role did Rykov play in the Government?
He was Chairman of the Government
What role did Rykov want to play in the Government?
He wanted to play a unifying role
Was Rykov loyal to Lenin?
Although he always was loyal to Lenin, he had frequently disagreed with Lenin and the radicals.
What views did Rykov believe in?
In his moderate and conciliatory temperament and in questions of policy he was more aligned to the views of Bukharin and Tomsky.
State 3 strengths Rykov had?
1) He was widely respected in the Party for his experience as an “Old Bolshevik”, active since the early days of the revolution.
2) He had shown administrative ability in the implementation of war communism during the civil war; and in managing the switch of policy to NEP.
3) He had extensive support from the Sovnarkom, who chose him as Deputy Chairman in 1923 and then Chairman in 1924.
State 4 weaknesses Rykov had?
1) Rykov was a conciliator more than a plotter; and among the moderates, he was overshadowed by Bukharin’s ability and popularity.
2) He held a largely ceremonial position in the collective leadership and lacked a power base.
3) His policy of putting heavy taxes on vodka was socially correct but politically unwise and aroused intense opposition from sections of the Party.
4) Like the others he underrated Stalin until it was too late.
Who was Tomsky and what did who did he have good relations with?
He was the son of a factory worker and had a long association with the trade unions.
What background had Tomsky came from?
He was one of the few “Old Bolsheviks” from a genuine working-class background.
What did Tomsky have a reputation for?
Plain speaking (outspoken)
What were Tomsky’s political views?
Despite his class origins his political views were moderate.
State 3 strengths Tomsky had?
1) Tomsky was respected for his long record as an “Old Bolsheviks”, and his working-class origins made him popular in the Party.
2) His role as chief spokesman for the trade unions gave him a strong position within the Party; he was General Secretary of the Red international of the Trade Unions from 1920 and was elected to the Central Committee and the Politburo in 1922.
3) He was a natural ally of moderate leaders such as Rykov and Bukharin.
State 3 weaknesses Tomsky had?
1) Tomsky’s intense hostility to Trotsky blinded him to the danger of Stalin; his alliance with Stalin, Rykov and Bukharin in purging left-wingers from the Party in 1926 handed massive potential power to Stalin.
2) His power base in the trade unions made him an obvious target for Stalin’s jealousy.
3) His support for the NEP was going to be used against him when the grain crisis of 1927 hit the economy.
When was Tomsky expelled from the Politburo?
1930
What did Tomsky do as a result of Stalin’s Great Terror?
Committed suicide in 1936 to avoid being killed by Stalin’s Great Terror.
