Ideology and nature of leadership

Question 1

What did the Central committee create and when?

What gained decisive power? what did this mean? What did this create?

Answer 1

1919- Central committee created the Politburo and orgburo to work alongside Party Secretariat.

It was also during this time that the Executive Committees of local and provincial Soviets gained decisive power. This meant they were less dependent of full meetings of the Soviets. This created a powerful body of officials or ‘Part Cadre’ made of the lower middle classes- around 15000 of them.

Question 2

What was the Orgburo?

Answer 2

The body responsible for party administration and membership.
It was also in charge of the Party Secretariat.

Question 3

Why and when was Lenin less able to direct policy?

Answer 3

1921- first of 3 strokes- less able to direct policy.

Question 4

What was the triumvirate and what was its purpose?
What happened in 1922?
Why did this fail?

Answer 4

• Group of 3- Stalin, Kamanev and Zinoviev
• formed to guide the party and resist the influence of Trotsky
• Lenin wary of Stalin’s influence and reached out to Trotsky to assist him in a ‘bloc against bureaucracy’
• Lenin had a second stroke and returned to Gorki under the supervision of Stalin who restricted who he saw.

Question 5

What issues did Lenin’s testament talk about?
how did these reflect on Stalin
What did Lenin suggest about Stalin?

Answer 5

talked about the new constitution of the USSR
the need to democratise the party
the suitability of various members of the party
All reflected poorly on Stalin
Should be replaced as General secretary with someone of ‘greater tolerance, loyalty, courtesy and consideration to his comrades

Question 6

Lenin v Stalin:

What did they disagree on?

Answer 6

Lenin wanted to give newly recovered republics to become part of the existing Federation
Stalin wanted to subordinate them to the Russian government and allow the a degree of autonmoy
Stalin won with the Union Treaty 1924

Question 7

What did Lenin suggest adding to the party?
what could they do?
Why did he suggest this?

Answer 7

50-100 new members lower down
they could question the actions of the Politburo
He may have believed a collective leadership would be best after his death, he was aware he performed a unique role.

Question 8

Trotsky:
Notable achievements?
Who was he popular amongst and why?
What did Lenin refer to him as in his testament?

Answer 8

• Masterminded the seizure of Power 1917
• Ended Russia’s involvement in WW1 as Commissar for Foreign Affairs
• spearheaded victory in Russian civil war

-Young party enthusiasts- Energetic speech making, intellectual ability and the Army due to his association

-‘Perhaps the most capable man in the present central committee’
‘one of the two outstanding leaders.

Question 9

Trotsky:

main flaws:

Answer 9

• arrogance, both real and perceived- displayed ‘excessive self assurance’
• failed to regard Stalin as a threat, focused on Zinoviev and Kamanev
• failed to build alliances with fellow leading Bolsheviks
• joined the Bolsheviks late

Question 10

Stalin:
Personality:
Strengths:
what was his reputation built on?
when did he join Bolsheviks?
How was Stalin perceived?

Answer 10

• lacked charisma and personality
• Reputation built on administrative efficiency and party loyalty
• joined in 1912, and was present for the February revolution
• perceived to be a unifier and a moderate during the power struggle was an essential part of his slow accumulation of power.

Question 11

Stalin:
Positions:
When was he appointed as General Secretary?
what did this give him control over?

In ____ the ______ and ___________ appointed how many what?
Over the years what was Stalin able to do?
What and when was the Lenin Levy party recruitment drive?

Answer 11

Appointed as General Secretary 1922
gave him the control over party membership and chairmanship of the secretariat
In 1922 the Orgburo and Secretariat appointed 10,000 provincial officials.
Over the Stalin was able to promote supporters and sideline or expel detractors
1924-1925- added 440,000 proletarian workers to the party- Stalins more moderate, less intellectual stance appealed to them.

Question 12

Zinoviev:
where did he have influential positions?
what did he become in the city?
What was he chairman of? what did this show?
member of?

Answer 12

• He had influential positions within the workers movement in Petrograd
• he became Party secretary in Leningrad
• Chairman of the Comintern- shows international standing

Question 13

Kamanev:
Chairman of what?(2)
Commissar for what?

Answer 13

chairman of Moscow
Commissar for foreign trade
Chairman of the comintern

Question 14

Weaknesses:

Answer 14

opposition to seizure of power 1917+ October episode
underestimated Stalin
Zinoviev- not popular or capable
Kamanev- Intellectually capable but unwilling to lead

Question 15

What did Bukharin write? what did this influence?

How did Lenin describe him?

Answer 15

Bukharin wrote Imperialism and World Economy which is likely to have influence Lenins better work

Described him as ‘rightly considered the favourite of the whole party’

Question 16

Bukharin negatives

Answer 16

Lenin considered him ideologically questionable, ‘could be classified as fully Marxist only with great reserve’

Question 17

Rykov:
what family did he come from?
commissar for what?
Became deputy what and why?
Failure?

Answer 17

Peasant family
commissar for Internal affairs
became Deputy chairman of the Sovnarkom during Lenin’s illness

On the right of the party and supported Bukharin inn NEP.

Question 18

Tomsky:
Background in the what?
what did he attempt to do? how did this go?

Answer 18

Background in the trade Union pre 1919
Attempted to increase autonomy of the trade Unions but was threatened with dismissal from the Central Committee and fell in line