Stalin's rise to power Flashcards
Stalins strengths + weaknesses
roles as general secretary meant he could appoint supporters to key roles in party
His opponents underestimated him bc he was very gd at concealing his real thoughts + ambitions
Placed himself close to Lenin in 1922-23 + claimed to know Lenin’s wishes
Bc he did not seem to be a threat ti other contenders, Zinoview + Kamenev allied w him to isolate Trotsky
not very prominent in Oct/Nov rev of CW
Colleagues saw him as ill-educated, rude. Lenin had criticised methods
Seen as boring ‘a grey blur’
Although Lenin’s testament was blocked, senior B’s knew Stalin had fallen from Lenin’s favour
Trotsky’s strengths + weaknesses
recognised hero of Oct/Nov rev for his leadership of MRC + his organisation of the seizure of power
Recognised as hero of CW for role in creating + leading the red army
An inspirational speaker + intellectual
Known for formidable political skills + organisational ability
arrogant + dismissive of people who were not as intellectual as him
Indecisive + inconsistent eg allied with Kamenev + Zinoviev after opposing them
Many bolsheviks feared Trotsky, worrying that he would use his red army influence to seize power
He did not seriously try to build a base of followers in the party, + attacked the party bureaucracy in 1924 when he need its help
Strengths + weaknesses of Zinoviev
old bolshevik, who Lenin had once called his ‘closest + most trusted friend’
Strong power base in Leningrad where he ran the local party
One of party’s best speechmarkers
opposed Lenin in oct 1917 -> arguing against timing of uprising + briefly leaving the party
Vain + prone to unpredictable mood swings
Underestimated Stalin: he and Kamenev were too late in switching their support from Stalin to Trotsky
Strengths + weaknesses of Kamenev
old bolshevik, helped form party policy = close to Lenin
Strong power base in M where ran local party
Effective team player, good at reaching compromises between different people
opposed Lenin in oct 1917 -> arguing against timing of uprising + briefly leaving the party
Viewed as zinoviev’s side kick -> lack ambition of sole leader
Underestimated his opponents eg Stalin
Strengths + weaknesses of Bukharin
popular in party, close to Lenin + Trotsky, close associate of Stalin
Widely regarded as best theoretician in the party
An expert on economics + agriculture
bc he was so cooperative + wanted to avoid party in-fighting, had no power base
Popularity in party made him a target for Stalin’s enemy
Underestimated Stalin, left too late to make alliance with Kamenev + ZInoviev
Lenin’s testament
Dec 1922, proposed changes to membership of central committee, to double from 50-100.
he criticised almost everyone, especially Stalin. Partly as he was rude to Lenin’s wife + partly bc he had used brute force to suppress Georgian independence going directly against Lenin’s orders
Lenin did not endorse anyone as his successor which suggested he wanted collective leadership
This document was entrusted to Lenin’s wife, to be read out at twelfth party congress in April 1923.
Kamenev, zinoviev + stalin = formed triumvirate to keep Trotsky out of power, since Lenin criticised all three did not want to make public - would of damaged leadership chances.
What happened to the future contenders of power?
- Trotsky initially seemed most likely to succeed Lenin -> played key roles in bolshevik seizure of power + the reds’ victory
But - In 1922-23 a ‘triumvirate of Stalin, Kamenev + Zinoviev formed to block Trotsky’s rise to power.
Then - 1924-25 Stalin becoming more dominant, so Kamenev + Zinoviev joined trotsky in the left opposition.
However - Bukharin was on the right of the B party, he joined Stalin against the left opposition but Stalin resented popularity of Bukharin
How did views differ on how industrialisation should happen and at what pace?
Left
led by Trotsky, Zinoviev + Kamenev wanted to abandon NEP in favour of state controlled, rapid industrialisation funded by ‘squeezing’ the peasants
Stalin
inconsistent.
During struggle against trotsky he opposed the left + supported NEP. Once he was no longer a threat , in 1928-29 he shifted to a policy of replacing NEP with rapid industrialisation and collectivisation of agriculture
Right
led by Bukharin, Rykov + Tomsky
Believed NEP should continue, w peasants becoming richer + the state using taxes on peasants to fund gradual industrialisation
What did Marxism-Leninism say about revolution and other countries?
Impossible rev to survive in a single country as capitalist countries would gang together + strangle the rev at birth. Not desirable but essential for B rev in R to trigger chai reaction of other rev’s. Marxist theory was contradicted by real world events. Revs in G and Hungary were crushed + defeat in Russo-Polish war in 1920 blocked the rev from extending to the west. In 1920s the ussr existed as the only communist state in the world.
Lenin’s ideology + nature of leadership
marxist ideology = power shared in collective leadership but
While ideology pointed in one direction, Lenin’s issues of practically + individual ambitions pointed in another
Lenin had dominated governance
In 1921 Lenin introduced B on F instead of democracy
Centralised control by party had replaced any notion of ‘power to the soviets’
Leninist gov had created huge state bureaucracy carrying out orders from superiors
how did the power struggle come about?
Lenins death created power struggle for leadership of the party + of USSR. Struggle about rivalries competing for power + ideology for policies that should be implanted for newly formed SU.
What was permanent revolution?
Trotsky + left
Believed USSR could not survive on its own without from other socialist countries, so rev must be constantly encouraged in Europe to make sure this support was fostered.
Lenin made this argument many times + Stalin wrote about it too.
What was socialism in one country?
Stalin developed counter theory in 1924 -> USSR could build socialism on its own without needing support of other socialist states
Should show the rest of the world the benefits of socialism + workers would then rush to support that country + rise up in rev in their own countries
Stalin use this to criticise Trotsky for contracting Lenin and dismissing the USSr’s potential
What was the outcome of the contenders?
after expulsion for factionalism, K + Z criticised their past actions + were allowed to re-join party in 1928. However, lost high positions + places in Politburo
Trotsky refused to do this + was exiled. He was murdered in Mexico in 1940
Bukharin, Rykov + tomsky were initially allowed to stay in party after admitting mistakes
All executed after show trials held against them in 1930s but Tomsky committed suicide before he could go through same thing
How and why did Stalin become party leader?
refer to timeline
happened over a long period of time + Stalin occupied a central position in the power struggle until his position was secure
