Stalin's Rise to Power Flashcards
What was Lenin’s 1921 ban on factions?
In 1920 Lenin became concerned about diverging views within the Communist Party.
Lenin regarded these as distractions within the party when unity was needed in order to neutralise the major crises of 1921, such as the famines, and Kronstadt Rebellion
How was Stalin able to secure his power?
Several powerful positions within the party (Party Secretary)
Underested by his rivals
Skillful political operator
Able to outmaneuver Trotsky
Decision not to publish Lenin’s Testament
Proof that Stalin was able to operate successfully politically?
Formed alliances with Kamenev and Zinoviev from 1922-1925 vs Trotsky
1926: United Opposition - Kamenev, Zinoviev & Trotsky vs. Stalin
Why was the communist party split over the NEP?
Left of the party (Zinoviev and Trotsky) believed that the NEP should be replaced by rapid Industrialisation
Right (Bukharin) thought the NEP was operating well and should be maintained
Why was the party split on global communism?
Weary following the domestic upheavals from 1917-1921
Left of the party favoured ‘Permanent Revolution’ (global) seeing international revolution as essential for the survival of Socialism
Right of the party favoured ‘socialism in one country’, used Germany as an example of failures of global revolutions, focused on securing socialism in Russia
Who were the ‘left communists’?
Zinoviev, Kamenev, Trotsky
Who were the ‘right communists’?
Tomsky, Rykov, Bukharin
What happened in 1922?
- Stalin appointed General Secretary of the party
- Lenin suffered 2 strokes
- Zino, Kam and Stalin form trio
- Lenin wrote his testament
What happened in 1923?
- In his testament, Lenin wrote that Stalin should be removed from his post as ‘General Secretary’
- Left begin to question the NEP
What happened in 1924?
- Lenin dies
- Central Committee chose to hide Lenin’s testament
- Stalin tricks Trotsky about the date of Lenin’s funeral
What happened in 1925?
- Trotsky resigns as War Commissar
- Party congress opt for socialism in one country and for the NEP
- Zino and Kame begin to oppose Stalin
- Stalin and Bukharin ally over agreeance over Socialism in one country
What happened in 1926?
- Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky form united opposition against Stalin
- United Opposition are removed from the politburo after being accused of factionalism
- Stalin’s supporters join the politburo
What happened in 1927?
- Kamenev, Zinoviev and Trotsky are expelled from the party
What happened in 1928?
- Stalin turns against the right, calling for rapid industrialisation
- Bukharin defended the NEP but was outvoted
- Bread rationing
- First 5 year plan introduced, NEP abandoned
What happened in 1929/30?
- Party congress sets high targets for first 5 year plan
- Right Opposition (Bukharin, Tomsky, Rykov) removed from the politburo
- Trotsky expelled from the USSR
- Collectivisation introduced
How was the power vacuum created?
While decisions were meant to be made collectively, Lenin dominated
Ban on Factions 1920
By 1923 it was clear Lenin would not recover from his strokes, questions about successor
Lenin’s cult of personality
‘Petrograd’ renamed to Leningrad
Statues built in every city
What was included in Lenin’s testament?
Trotsky; too arrogant and eager to use violence
Stalin; impatient and rude
Z + K; disloyal before revolution
Bukharin; didm’t truly understand ideology
Contenders for power on the left
Trotsky;
Recognised as a hero from revolution, skilled orator, known for political skill and organisational skill.
Called arrogant and dismissive, failed to build a power base
Zinoviev;
Strong power base in Leningrad, commanding presence
Opposed organisation of the October rev, vain, underestimated Stalin
Kamenev;
Power base in Moscow, effective at reaching compromises
Opposed to April thesis, seen as lacking ambition, underestinated Stalin
Contenders for power on the right
Bukharin;
Popular in the party, regarded as best theoretician in the party, expert on economics and agriculture
Popularity made him a target, no strong power base and wanted to avoid conflict, underestimated Stalin
Tomsky and Rykov slay but kinda snore
Stalin
Loyal to Lenin from 1903 - 1921
Role as General Secretary meant he could appoint his supporters to key positions
Fallen out of favour with Lenin from 1921
Colleagues saw him as rude, crude and ill-educated
Outcomes of the Power Struggle
Stalin - By 1929, secured as leader of Soviet Union
Z+K - allowed to rejoin the party in 1928, Trotsky refused to rejoin and is expelled
The right - initially allowed to rejoin the party after admitting their mistakes
The great turn, what was it?
Rejected the NEP
Committed to rapid industrialisation
Begin in 1925 (announced start of the industrialisation) and lasted until 1927 (end to the NEP)
Why did Stalin introduce the great turn?
Knew the country was ‘backwards’ in terms of industry and military
Well developed industrial basis in order to fight a modern war
USSR much less dependent on western imports
The first 5 year plan 1928
Gosplan would set targets and a centralised approach would be taken to manage the economy
Overall industrial production expected to increase by 300% from 1928 - 1932, heavy industry was prioritised, light industry while less priority was still expected to increase by 100%
Plan caused for a huge increase in electrical power, rail expansion
Thousands of new industrial centres were planned e.g Magnitogorsk
Propaganda driving force behind the plan
Threat of punishment to ‘motivate’ workers
Foreign experts brought in in order to train workers
Why Collectivise?
Agriculture now small scale following peasant land seizures
Private farming was not socialist
Grain crisis 1927-28
Stalin convinced kulaks were hoarding wealth
Features of Collectivisation
2 main types of collective farms; Kolkhoz and Sovkhoz
Sovkhoz state owned and ran by state
Target under 1st 5 year plan was for 15% of farms to be collectivised
Although officially voluntary, industrial workers were sent into the countryside to force peasants to collectivise and remove the kulaks
Impact of the ‘great turn’
Many party members pleased to see radical social change
Urban workers hoped for improved conditions
Bukharin opposed to rapid industrialised, in response, Stalin expelled him from the party in 1929
Features of Stalins style of government
Gov centrally controlled, party leadership control the appointment of all key bureaucratic positions even at lower levels
Stalin encouraged rivalry within the party, if anyone got too powerful their rivals would get rid of them (no one powerful enough to challenge him)
Positioned himself as Lenin’s heir
Role of OGPU became more universal under Stalin, fear used heavily
Politburo filled with Stalins supporters
Propaganda and the beginning of the Stalin’s Cult
Stalin relied heavily on propaganda to boost enthusiasm for his plans
Image enveloped as ‘great helmsman’
Lenin’s protégée
Stalin’s foreign policy aims
Keep USSR safe while concentrating on building socialism in one country
Stalin and the Comintern
Before 1929 the Comintern was low priority with focus on socialism in one country - Comintern associated with Trotsky
After 1929, announced new plans for the Comintern, an all out attack on anti communism
Wanted to use the Comintern to; ensure all foreign communist parties purged themselves of weak elements, impose strict discipline on foreign parties, all communist parties follow USSR
China
1925, political rivalry between CCP and GMD
Trotsky supported the CCP who wanted to lead a proletariat revolution in China
Stalin backed GMD and urged them the join the CCP, alliance failed and GMD massacred the CCP
Germany
After 1922 Treaty of Rapallo, USSR continues to build good relations with Weimar Germany
1926 Treaty of Berlin was signed promising neutrality if either country was attacked
1929 death of Stresemann and rise of Hitler led to strained relations with Germany
