Stalin’s rise to power Flashcards
Stalin and policy -Lenin enrolment
Stalin supervised “Lenin Enrolment” of 1924 and 1925 almost doubling party membership to one million. Stalin practical polticies based on nationalism appealed to poorly educated peasants or young urban workers
Stalin summary
Got support of left then went against them.
Got support of right then went against them.
“From 1923 to 1925, Zineviev and Kamenev allied with Stalin against Trotsky, resulting in Trotsky’s temporary defeat and withdrawal from the political areana, after which Stalin realigned himself with Bukharin against Zinoviev and Kamenev in 1925-26.”
- The Central Committee, dominated by the anti-Trotsky “triumvirate” Stalin, Kamenev & Zinoviev, decided not to make Lenin’s Testament public. (May 1924)
- The end of the “triumvirate”: Zinoviev & Kamenev attacked Stalin, by Zinoviev for being too pro-peasant, & by Kamenev for being too powerful. Stalin realigned himself alongside Bukharin & the “Rightists”. (Dec 1925)
- Expels United Opposition of Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev from Communist Party in 1927
- *Stalin decided to end the “Rightist” policy of NEP in favour of massive industrialisation & collectivisation. (Dec 1927)
- *Bukharin denounced the end of NEP in his “Notes of an Economist”. (Jul 1928)
* Bukharin was removed from the Politburo. (Nov 1929)
Stalin Orgburo and Secretarist CHECK INTEXTBOOK
• Postions in Orgburo and the Secretarist- Gave Stalin control of appointments to postions of reponsibility in party structure putting supporters in key roles e.g Party secretaries in Ukraine very powerful and at lower levels could virtually decide how members voted
Stalin control of party organisation
Trotsky power base
• Stalin became in Control of party organisation - allowed Stalin to influence selection of delegates who were sent to annual party conference where major issues of policy decided as well as who was to be part of Central Committee. He packed Congress with his supporters giving Trotsky a hostile reception at Conferences 1924 onwards which helped him join up with Zinoview and Kamenev
Trotsky only has control of the Red Army.
Stalin Party Secretary Maybe needed
S
Stalin underestimated
It was this superficial drabness and mediocrity which helped to conceal the significance of the enormously strong postion which he had created for himself by the time of Lenin’s first stroke in 1922, and also the deadly persistence of his ambitions and the ingenuity and subtlety he employed in order to achieve them.”
Stalin got results done due to hard works and persistence
Stalin - Funeral CAN I LEARN THIS QUOTE ABOUT THE SMILE OR THE FACT HE SMILED?
“The death of Lenin in 1924 was brilliantly exploited by Stalin. He himself was jubilant at Lenin’s death. And a remarkable photograph exists in which Stalin stands beside Lenin’s corpse, his expression that of barely concealed satisfaction. Stalin was quick to establish himself as Lenin’s heir.
Counter Trosky could have checked with other party officials to check date of Funeral so he wouldn’t be fooled by Stalin giving him the wrong data.
Stalin - Leninism
More a source or unlikely essay title point
“He invented the term ‘Leninism’, and was careful to link his own ideas with those of Lenin’s, particularly the NEP. He even managed to link his own idea of ‘socialism in one country’ with those of Lenin through skilful ideological hair-splitting, in that Lenin, despite reservations about ‘permanent revolution’ was really an internationalist.”
Stalin quote
“However it is hard to avoid the conclusion that even if Trotsky had made all the right political moves. Stalin could not possibly have been defeated.”
Trotsky summary
“He only acted with determination in 1926, when it was too late. His oppositionity had come in 1923-24 and he had refused to take it
Stalin using Lenin’s attack on factionalism
“He was also able to use Lenin’s attacks on factionalism to delegitimise opposition attempts to criticise party policy, which Stalin was now so clearly identified.”
Stalin exploiting Trotsky not being there in 1925
Not needed?
Trotsky being out of sight in 1925 “This allowed Stalin to turn against his erstwhile allies, Zinoviev and Kamenev. He was assisted by complete control of the Bolshevik press which published attacks on them, and distorted their views, and acccused them of ‘Trotskyism’, which was increasingly associated with treason.”
How Stalin beats the left
Zinoviev and Kamenev attacked Stalin Socialism in One Country but because he control of delegates they were just voted against. They tried to create’United opposition’ and organise demonstrations but broke rule of factions so got expelled
Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev lose
Before in 1924 Zinoviev and Kamenev criticised Trotsky while Trotsky criticised them in lessons of October and criticised how they didn’t back Lenin. - Trotsky should have focussed on Stalin
Formed United Opposition (they tried to organise protests) in 1926 but accused of factionalism and expelled from party
Stalin beats right
Mistakes of right
Bukharin denounced the end of NEP in his “Notes of an Economist”. (Jul 1928)
Bukharin was removed from the Politburo. (Nov 1929)
Trotsky
Pernament Revolution - “It also called upon the Russian people, after all the travails and miseries of war to make further sacrifices”
“In 1925 Trotsky temporarily dropped out of sight and devoted himself to the role of literacy critic and the writer of homilies on family life.”
Trotsky had malaria during Russian Malaria Epidemic
Factor structure plans
IGNOREDon’t use Stalin or Trotsky as a factor if less common or very unlikely essays (basically non Trotsky or Stalin titles) come up
Historians
Martin McCauley: Stalin had luck on his side.
Chris Ward: states that Stalin’s policy of ‘socialism in one country’ made sense to many.
Roderick Gordon
“ even if Trotsky had made all the right political moves. Stalin could not possibly have been defeated.”
LofA
Stalin’s strenghs as Stalin made the most of Trotsky’s weaknesses and made the most of the circumstances of the time (going to funeral and making sure Trotsky didn’t)
Arguements
Stalin made the most of Trotsky’s weaknesses and made the most of the circumstances of the time (going to funeral and making sure Trotsky didn’t)
Trotsky weakness allowed Stalin to exploit them
NEP, divisions in party, Lenin dies slowly, Trotsky malaria and malaria epidemic
View of Stalin roles
Trotsky arrogant.
Party members saw Party organisation like a dull roles of party but Stalin made most of them
Stalin reputation went up
Key policies
Permanent Revolution - Trotsky believed Russian working class too small and economy underdeveloped for Communist revolution to survive in Russia and needed support of working class in the more industrialised countries of Europe so Russia should put energy and money into helping working classes in other countries stage a revolution. He wants to keep moving in socialism direction.
Pernament Revolution - “It also called upon the Russian people, after all the travails and miseries of war to make further sacrifices”
Socialism in One Country
Stalin believed world revolution wasn’t likely to happen soon and we should build a socialist state without the help of others. He did this by appealing to nationalism. Stalin argued this was optermistic as can show the world what socialist meant and Pernament Revolution was defeatist showing Trotsky didn’t believe in Russia. Socialism in One country allows very flexible as communist leaders could decide what was best at any given time to achieve Socialism.
1924
Stalin created Socialism in One Country in direct contrast to Trotsky’s Permanent Revolution policy
Circumstances of the Time
By 1920s a shift in how the Communist Party wanted to rule the country so rather being violent revolutionaries. They wanted a period of calm which is partly why NEP (more moderate policy than previous War Comunism was brought in in 1921 which Trotsky opposed NEP). This period of calm suited Stalin more as Trotsky’s permanent revolution policy was a violent one (continually fighting to make the whole world communist.
Stalin understood importance of a power base which is why he used Lenin enrolment so well.
Power base arguement
They all had power bases but did not build up support like Stalin and all made the mistake of underestimating him.
Letter on leaders
Lenin’s testament criticises both Trotsky and Stalin. Less Trotsky critisdm.
Didn’t publish and would just hurt party as a whole.
Other Stalin Roles
Party Secretary - Allowed him to control to some extent the business of the politburo.
Positions in Orgburo and the Secretariat- Gave him power to appoint people to postions of responsibility in the party. Allowed Stalin to put his supporters in key postions with Party Secretaries in particular from regional to local party level increasingly Stalin’s men.
