Stalin's Emergence As Leader

Question 1

How did Stalin have a strong powerbase?

Answer 1

He was General Secretary, Commissar for Nationalities and Commissar of the Workers and Peasants Inspectorate (Rabkrin).

Question 2

Why did the General Secretary position benefit Stalin’s powerbase?

Answer 2

He could appoint, promote or demote the top 5,500 officials in the Soviet Union so he filled them positions with his supporters.
He also controlled Lenin Enrolment.

Question 3

How did Stalin being Commissar of Nationalities increase his powerbase?

Answer 3

He oversaw the affairs of non-Russian in USSR because of this position and this meant he gained great loyalty from senior officials in the USSR.

Question 4

Who were originally against Trotsky alongside Stalin?

Answer 4

Zinoviev and Kamenev.

Question 5

Trotsky published ‘Lessons of October in 1924 but what was it about?

Answer 5

It was an attack on Kamenev and Zinoviev, they were furious. This was the beginning of the end of Trotsky as he stepped down as War Commissar.

Question 6

What happened in May 1924 Thirteenth Party Congress?

Answer 6

Zinoviev attacked Trotsky as Zinoviev was apart of the Triumvirate.

Question 7

What did Stalin do while Trotsky was causing ructions with everyone?

Answer 7

He took a backseat and watched the other contenders tear each other apart.

Question 8

What issues divided the party?

Answer 8

Bureaucracy or Rule of the Proletariat.
Permanent revolution or socialism in one country.
The role of the peasants and the dive towards rapid industrialisation.

Question 9

Why did Stalin favour bureaucracy?

Answer 9

Because it gave him the greatest influence as he was General Secretary.

Question 10

Why did Trotsky hate bureaucracy?

Answer 10

Bureaucracy was centralised by officials at the top and he wanted to go back to the ideas of the revolution where the party followed the wishes of the proletariat.

Question 11

What did Trotsky want to happen with socialism?

Answer 11

He wanted other countries to follow Russia after the October Revolution and become socialist.

Question 12

What did Stalin want to happen with socialism?

Answer 12

He wanted socialism to be firmly established in the Soviet Union first and then other countries would follow their example.

Question 13

What was Stalin’s view on industrialisation?

Answer 13

He wanted rapid industrialisation and this was so Russia would be self sufficient. This was popular within Congress.

Question 14

In July 1926 Trotsky formed the United Opposition but who was in in it?

Answer 14

Kamenev and Zinoviev but they realised too late that Stalin was the real enemy.

Question 15

How did the United Opposition get their message across?

Answer 15

After they were withdrawn from the Politburo they could only communicate through public meetings.

Question 16

What happened at October 1926 Party Congress?

Answer 16

Trotsky made his final speak and Kamenev and Zinoviev were booed. Trotsky produced the ‘declaration of the 83’ which attacked the policies of the leadership and because of this Stalin labelled him as a traitor.

Question 17

What happened in 1927 Party Congress?

Answer 17

Stalin convinced Congress to expel Trotsky and Zinoviev and Kamenev lost his seat on the Central Committee.

Question 18

When was Trotsky fully expelled from the Soviet Union?

Answer 18

1929

Question 19

What was the candidates biggest mistake?

Answer 19

Not reading out Lenin’s Testament as this would have ruined Stalin.

Question 20

What were Stalin’s strengths?

4

Answer 20

Position as General Secretary helped build him a large power base.
Mastered theories of Marxism-Leninism.
Was excellent at hiding his intentions.
Deliberately placed himself close to Lenin during his illness 1922-1923.

Question 21

What were Stalin’s weaknesses?

3

Answer 21

Called Lenin’s wife a whore.
Seen as rude by many.
Played a minor role in the 1917 revolution.

Question 22

What were Trotsky’s strengths?

3

Answer 22

Brilliant speech maker, intellectual and theorist.
Large role in October Revolution and Civil War.
Formidable political skills and ruthless.

Question 23

What were Trotsky’s weaknesses?

5

Answer 23

Feared by many as they thought he would use the Red Army to seize power.
He used to be a Menshevik.
Colleagues disliked his arrogance.
Didn’t attempt to build a power base.
Inconsistent as he originally opposed Kamenev and Zinoviev but then sided with them later on.

Question 24

What were the strengths of Kamenev?

3

Answer 24

One of the ‘Old Bolsheviks’ who helped form Party policy.
Close to Lenin and was trusted by him.
Ran the local Party in Moscow so had a strong power base in Moscow.

Question 25

What were the weaknesses of Kamenev?

5

Answer 25

Inconsistent by switching alliances between Stalin and Trotsky.
Zinoviev was more popular than him.
Regarded as too soft.
Lacked dive to be sole leader.
Underestimated Stalin.

Question 26

What were Zinoviev’s strengths?

3

Answer 26

Role as Leningrad boss so had a strong power base there.
Was an ‘Old Bolshevik’.
Lenin called him his ‘closet and most trusted assistant’.

Question 27

What were Zinoviev’s weaknesses?

3

Answer 27

His opposition to October Revolution was held against him.
Underestimated his rivals especially Stalin.
Left it too late to support Trotsky.

Question 28

What were the strengths of Bukharin?

5

Answer 28

Rational voice in the Party. 
Popular in the Party.
Close to Lenin.
Regarded as best theoretician in the Party.
Expert on economics and agriculture.

Question 29

What were the weaknesses of Bukharin?

4

Answer 29

Had no power base.
Avoided confrontation.
Underestimated Stalin.
Left it too late to make an alliance with Kamenev and Zinoviev.

Question 30

What were the strengths of Rykov?

3

Answer 30

Widely respected.
Showed administrative ability in the implementation of War Communism.
Experience as Chairman of Sovnarkom.

Question 31

What were the weaknesses of Rykov?

3

Answer 31

Overshadowed by Bukharin.
Taxed vodka which made him unpopular.
Underestimated Stalin.

Question 32

What were the strengths of Tomsky?

3

Answer 32

Was an ‘Old Bolshevik’.
Chief spokesman for trade unions so had a voice in the Party.
General Secretary of Red International Trade Unions.

Question 33

What were the weaknesses of Tomsky?

3

Answer 33

Blinded by hatred for Trotsky so sided with Stalin.
His alliance with Stalin almost handed Stalin power.
Support for NEP was used against him after grain procurement crisis of 1927.

Question 34

What was the Lenin Enrolment?

4

Answer 34

New policy to increase the number on true proletarians.
The new members were predominantly young and lacking education.
These new members were loyal to Stalin as he gave them their position.
In 1924-25 Lenin Enrolment recruited between 500,000 and 1 million members.

Question 35

How did being Commissar of the Workers and Peasants Inspectorate increase Stalin’s power base?

Answer 35

Known as Rabkrin.
Stalin was given the power to expel those from the government who he believed were corrupt so people were loyal to him to keep their jobs.

Question 36

What was the Triumvirate?

Answer 36

1923-1925

Between Kamenev, Zinoviev and Stalin against Trotsky.

Question 37

What was the Duumvirate?

Answer 37

1925-1927

Bukharin and Stalin.