How did Stalin rise to power + ideological debates

Question 1

What key positions did Stalin hold within the communist part?

Answer 1

1919 - made head of the Orgburo

1922 - assumed position as General Secretary (in charge of party organisation

Question 2

What did these positions allow Stalin to do?

Answer 2

Appoint lower and middle ranks of the party and gave him significant powers of patronage

Question 3

What did Stalin initiate in 1924?

Answer 3

Lenin Enrolment - from May 1924 this allowed 128,000 people to join the Communist party

Question 4

How did Stalin justify Lenin enrolment and why did they support Stalin

Answer 4

He said the party needed new working class members 
People were interested in getting well-paid party jobs so supported Stalin who could promote them within the party

Question 5

Why was the NEP criticised?

Answer 5

Ideologically it didn’t conform to communist principles with the emergence of a richer class of peasants and Nepmen prospering under the NEP
Lenin had insisted it was a temporary measure to help recover from civil war
By 1925 it was causing industrial and agricultural concerns with workers’ standards of living declining and peasants hoarding grain rather than selling it
Should it be discarded or used as a precursor to socialism by building economy?

Question 6

How did the NEP debate form a key part of the leadership struggle?

Answer 6

The left of the party (led by Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev) wanted to end the NEP and focus on rapid industrialisation
The right of the party, led by Bukharin argued that the NEP should continue because it was stabilising the economy and pacifying the peasants

Question 7

What was Stalin’s view on the NEP?

Answer 7

His view was fluctuating - left leaning up to 1925 then supported its continuation until 1928 and in 1928 Stalin, who had previously supported the NEP abandoned his alliance with Bukharin and came out in favour of replacing the NEP with rapid industrialisation and collectivisation

Question 8

What was the view of ‘permanent revolution’ and who supported it?

Answer 8

The left of the party
The view that Russian communism could not survive alone as it didn’t have the economic resources and the proletariat was too small and underdeveloped
Spreading the revolution would mean that communist regimes in more developed countries could support Russia in the building of socialism around the world
Maximum support should be given to the Comintern until a socialist society was achieved everywhere

Question 9

What was the view of ‘socialism in one country’ and who supported it?

Answer 9

The right of the party
The view that a world revolution was unlikely as revolution had already failed in Germany and Hungary
The preservation of the Soviet Union should be the main aim as a workers’ state could be created to rival the capitalist powers

Question 10

Which side of the debate did Stalin favour and who did this appeal to?

Answer 10

Having previously supported exporting revolution, Stalin put forward the idea of Socialism in one country in 1924 but suggested this could be alongside a workers paradise in the SU - it appealed to Russian patriots , portraying Trotsky’s ideas as out of touch and to many in the party who wanted stability and feared continuous revolutionary turmoil Trotsky was advocating

Question 11

Why was Stalin seen as the ‘grey blur’?

Answer 11

His leadership ambitions were consistently underestimated by other members of the politburo

Question 12

How did Stalin defeat the left opposition?

Answer 12

By forming an alliance with Zinoviev and Kamenev in undermining Trotsky (who was the post popular contender in the leadership struggle)

Question 13

Why did Stalin form an alliance with Bukharin and what did it lead to?

Answer 13

Initially advocating the continuation of the NEP - when he was attacked by Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky, he was supported by other Communist party members and managed to get all three expelled from the party, Trotsky was expelled from the USSR all together in 1929

Question 14

How did Stalin defeat the right opposition?

Answer 14

When he came out in favour of rapid industrialisation - when Bukharin attempted to defend the NEP in 1929, Stalin moved his supporters to vote against him and Bukharin was them removed from his positions in the Politburo and the Comintern

Question 15

From 1921 what was the party split over economic policy inseparable from?

Answer 15

Ideological debates about Marxism and Leninism - Lenin had introduced it as temporary as it in contradiction of revolutionary socialism but he saw it as a necessary compromise

Question 16

What had Lenin’s view on socialism in one country been? and what was the problem with this?

Answer 16

All theories of Marxism-Leninism had assumed it was impossible for revolution to survive in a single country - the capitalist countries would come together and strangle the revolution so it was essential for the Bolshevik revolution to trigger a chain of other revolutions.
Events contradicted this - Revs in Germany and Hungary were crushed and the defeat In the Russo-Polish war in 1920 blocked the revolutionary way to the west - in 1920 USSR was the only communist state in the world

Question 17

How did Stalin use Lenin’s funeral to his advantage?

Answer 17

He was in charge of arrangements of the funeral so used this to promote the cult of Leninism, making it a state occasion
He insisted Lenin’s body was embalmed and placed on public view - he was making Leninism into a religion with him as its high priest
Trotsky was absent in Sukhum on the black sea recovering from influenza

Question 18

What was the significance of Trotsky’s absence?

Answer 18

Gave political advantage to Stalin
It was suspected that Stalin manufactured Trotsky’s absence through misleading messages but many also believe he was ill and a long way away
His absence later becomes very significant

Question 19

What was Trotsky’s mistake during Stalin’s defeat of the left?

Answer 19

Trotsky failed to make a decisive move against Stalin - the 13th party congress in May 1924 was the perfect occasion but he hesitated (he was either nervous or didn’t want to be seen to cause splits in the party or was waiting for a better opportunity) - Trotsky never found a better opportunity to challenge Stalin

Question 20

What else was significant at the 13th party congress?

Answer 20

It was at a time when Stalin’s control of the bureaucracy was being perceived as a threat by his rivals
K and Z protected Stalin from criticisms arising from Lenin’s testament at the congress

Question 21

Why did Trotsky begin to lose power?

Answer 21

Having seemed to strong at the time of Lenin’s death, he was not a natural conspirator like Stalin and lacked instinct for bureaucratic infighting or patience to mobilise supporters and win over allies until it was too late - Stalin was focused on building up loyal supporters such as Molotov, Kirov, Voroshilov etc and placing them in key positions

Question 22

After the 13th party congress why did tensions grow in the triumvirate and what was significant about what Stalin did?

Answer 22

K and Z became frustrated by their failure to control Stalin and Bukharin soon became an ally of Stalin against the others
At a time when the socialism in one country and NEP debates were particularly intense (the party were moving towards Stalin’s aim for stability rather than Rev abroad) and many disagreed with B’s support for the peasants - Stalin invariably placed himself in the ‘Golden Middle’ avoiding extreme positions

Question 23

By the beginning of 1925 why was the balance within the party swinging further away from Trotsky?

Answer 23

At the Central Committee in January Trotsky was forced out of him post as People’s Commissar of War - Z proposed he should be expelled but Stalin (who wanted to keep his image as a moderate) rejected this Trotsky was isolated but not yet defeated

Question 24

Without fears of Trotsky how did the Triumvirate become even more fractious?

Answer 24

Kamenev and Zinoviev opposed Stalin in the central committee in 1925 and the battle lines of the power struggle were redrawn at the 14th Party Congress in Dec 1925 as Z and K launched a direct attack on Stalin

Question 25

Why was it hard for the Z and K attack on Stalin to be successful and what was the outcome?

Answer 25

They had been allied to him the previous year and frequently backed Stalin’s views of the dangers of factionalism so from 1925 they were painted as factionalists endangering security of Ussr at a precarious time
K and Z were gradually pushed back towards their former enemy Trotsky in the left opposition and Stalin and Bukharin formed a partnership (Duumvirate) that was virtually running the country 1926-1927

Question 26

Why was the power struggle far from over in 1926?

Answer 26

S and B still feared Trotsky especially now K and Z had joined him so the Left Opposition became the United opposition.
There was bitter infighting (theoretical and political) and a war of words took place between the main contenders in books and pamphlets - known as the Literary Discussion

Question 27

What was the significance of the Literary Discussion?

Answer 27

Trotsky did not win as he had expected despite his writings being the most impressive as Stalin’s line appealed to the majority of party members (even if Trotsky had won he was still weaker in bureaucratic politics position)

Question 28

Despite Stalin generally having the upper hand what happened in 1926?

Answer 28

He still faced continuous criticism so in December 1926 his frustrations led to him offering to resign as General Secretary
Trotsky and the united opposition increased the pressure in the spring and summer of 1927 when Stalin was being blamed for crushing the Chinese communists in Canton and Shanghai

Question 29

How did the defeat of the left end?

Answer 29

Stalin and Bukharin were backed by inbuilt majorities in Party committees
In 1927 the CC voted to expel Trotsky, K and Z from the CC
In November Trotsky and Z were expelled from the party altogether
December 1927 at 15th party congress - the expulsions were confirmed with dozens of other ‘oppositionists’ also expelled and Stalin and Bukharin were seemingly triumphant.

Question 30

Despite looking strong outwardly, why did tensions begin to arise in the duumvirate?

Answer 30

Political tensions began to arise in 1928 - partly about power (Stalin’s long-term aims didn’t include sharing power) and partly about policy in relation to the NEP and the peasants

Question 31

What was happening at the beginning of 1928 surrounding the NEP and why did Bukharin face criticism

Answer 31

Russia was facing a serious food shortage as the regime had difficulty buying enough grain from the peasants - this intensified dissatisfaction with the NEP among Party members keen to see Russia industrialise more quickly
B criticised for being too soft n the peasants

Question 32

What were Stalin’s views on the peasants in favour of and what was the outcome?

Answer 32

Tough actions to compel peasantry to increase grain supplies - it is possible Stalin always favoured such policies but held back while fighting political battles with the left.
As Stalin moved to harsh measures in the countryside, divisions between him and B widened

Question 33

What made tensions worse between Stalin and Bukharin?

Answer 33

Stalin supervised stern measures against peasants in Siberia in Jan and Feb in 1928 - didn’t discuss with B first
Stalin was planning for rapid industrialisation ( later became first five year plan) and Bukharin wanted slower paced industrialisation
April 1928 Bukharin protested about ‘excesses’ to officials expecting other party leaders to support him, they didn’t
B and S clashed repeatedly in the Politburo and B’s numerous speeches in favour of sensible policies made little impact - he was now isolated and vulnerable

Question 34

What was the change in Stalin’s policies?

Answer 34

Formerly the moderate in the golden middle he was reverting to radical revolutionary policies in many areas e.g. rapid industrialisation, war in the countryside against the Kulaks and a new emphasis on foreign interventionist policies and aggressive support for the Comintern - these policies followed with increasing severity through 1928 into 1929

Bukharin ceased to be partner and became an enemy with other rightists such as Rykov and Tomsky

Question 35

In Feb 1929 what was Bukharin almost desperate enough to do?

Answer 35

Consider an alliance with Trotsky (didn’t go through with it but Stalin was aware of the contact between them)

Question 36

What happened to Bukharin from April 1929?

Answer 36

April 1929 - deprived of several of his government posts including editorship of Pravda
November 1929 he was expelled from the Politburo
December 1929 Stalin made a speech revealing the harsh nature of the policies he now intended to follow

Question 37

What was the outcome for other contenders?

Answer 37

Of those who contended for power in the 1920’s Stalin was the only one to live beyond 1940 - the rest dies through violence of Stalin’s orders

Question 38

What initially happened to the contenders?

Answer 38

Trotsky was exiled and criticised Stalin’s dictatorship from afar
Most tried to reconcile themselves to Stalin’s rule by making humiliating confessions about past errors and accepting subordinate positions in the party
Z and K gave into Stalin in 1928 but they lost their high posts and their place in the Politburo
Rykov was sacked and replaced with Molotov in 1930
Tomsky was removed from his role with the trade unions
Bukharin (most committed opponent of Stalin) even admitted his mistakes in November 1930 in a desperate attempt to preserve some limited influence in the party - he hated Stalin but retained faith in the Rev so couldn’t completely break with it

Question 39

What was the ultimate outcome for the contenders?

Answer 39

Stalin didn’t forget or forgive - Stalin tightened his grip and became ever more paranoid about real and imagined threats to his position - he set about purging any remaining opposition - in a series of arrests and show trials in the later 1930’s those who had once opposed Stalin ( and those who knew the truth about his early career) were targeted , denounced and executed

Question 40

In what way was Stalin not satitfied with just defeating his rivals?

Answer 40

They were forced into humiliating confessions of past ‘crimes’ or conspiring against the USSR and their families were often victimised

Question 41

How was the memory of the other contenders contribution to the revolution systematically expunged?

Answer 41

By the falsification of the documentary or photographic record of their place in history

Question 42

Why did Stalin win the power struggle?

Answer 42

He always promoted the idea he was following principles laid down by Lenin
His ability to pick the middle path in party debates while also exploiting developments such as the change from elections to appointments in the party hierarchy, the growth of central authority during the Civil war and the ban of factionalism all provided the framework

Question 43

What happened to Zinoviev, Kamenev and Tomsky?

Answer 43

Z + K= submitted to Stalin 1928, expelled from party 1932, executed after a show trial 1936
Tomsky = forced out as leader of trade unions 1929, removed from CC 1934, killed himself 1936 to avoid show trial and execution

Question 44

What happened to Rykov, Bukharin and Trotsky?

Answer 44

R = Expelled from Politburo 1930, removed from CC 1934, executed after a show trial 1938
B = Expelled from Politburo 1929, rehabilitated 1934, executed after show trial 1938
T = expelled from party 1927, exiled 1929, murdered by one of Stalin's agents 1940

Question 45

By December 1929 what was Stalin’s dictatorship?

Answer 45

Fully established - politically Stalin had outmanoeuvred all his rivals, ideologically he had made himself dominant and socialism in one country centralised control as well as his role as Lenin’s true successor