Stalin's Power Flashcards
When and where was Stalin born
1879 in Georgia
What popular idea did Stalin propose in 1925
Socialism in One Country
What was the Politburo
The policy making body of the Communist party
How did Stalin’s position in the party aid his bid for leader
He was the General Secretary of the party
Gave him control of appointments to positions of power in the party
He could influence the selection of delegates who were sent to the annual congress
He could remove the more radical members who were likely to support Trotsky
When was Lenin’s funeral and what happened
January 1924
Stalin tricked Trotsky into not turning up
He made himself look like Lenin’s main disciple
What was Lenin’s secret statement and why was it significant
It was given to the central committee in May 1924
It was unflattering to Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin
Luckily for Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev urged it not to become general knowledge
If released, this would have spelt the end of Stalin’s political career
Which congress showed initial support for Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev
The Thirteenth Congress in 1924
In 1924 the Left and Right opposed one another with what arguments and where was Stalin in this
Trotsky criticised thier unwillingness to back Lenin in the 1917 revolution
Zinoviev and Kamenev questioned his loyalty and opposition to Lenin pre-1917
Stalin stayed in the background happy to see the left tear itself apart
In 1925 who did Stalin align with
He aligned with Bukharin backing the NEP (which fit in with the right-wing ideas) with the ‘Socialism in One Country’ policy
In 1925 what did Zinoviev and Kamenev do
They called for a vote of no confidence against Stalin however it gave him little trouble
In 1926 who did Zinoviev and Kamenev align with and what did they do
They aligned with Trotsky and made an appeal to the party about Stalin
In 1927 what significant political event aided Stalin significantly
Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev were expelled from the party after accusations of “factionalism” after attack on Stalin
In 1928 what did Stalin shockingly do
He turned on Bukharin and the NEP advocating for industrialisation
In 1929 political struggle what happened (two events)
Bukharin was outvoted in congress by Stalin and was removed from the party
Trotsky was expelled from the USSR
Why could it be argued that it was Trotsky’s mistakes and bad luck that lost him the power struggle
Trotsky was arrogant and refused to get into dirty business
From 1920-23 Trotsky suffered a bad fever allowing Stalin to make political ground
Trotsky was a polarizing figure and many feared him becoming a dictator
Give one example of Stalins altering political stances to gain support
Supported the NEP when popular from 1925
Was against the NEP when unpopular and for the popular industrialisation in 1928 onwards
Give two of Stalin’s nicknames
The man of steel
The grey blur
What key point caused a small split in the party in 1934
Whether to continue with the current pace of Industrialisation or slack
Who was proposed as a potential replacement for Stalin in 1934 and how popular was he
Sergei Kirov
He was very popular during the seventeenth party congress
When was Kirov murdered and by who
On the 1st December 1934 he was shot by an assassin. Who was behind the murder is a mystery.
What happened after Kirov’s murder
Within a few weeks there was an extensive purge of the Leningrad party
Which key political figures were arrested and put on trial in January 1935
Zinoviev and Kamenev
What key piece of information did Stalin discover and when that led to trial of key political figures and who where they
Discovered communications between Trotsky and oppositionist groups in the party in June 1936
Zinoviev, Kamenev (pulled out of prison) and 14 others from oppositionist groups put on trial in public in August 1936
They were executed the next day
What did Stalin say every Bolshevik should be able to do in June 1936 in a Central committee circular
“The ability to recognise an enemy of the people no matter how well he may be masked”