Stalin's rise to power Flashcards
In what year did Lenin die?
1924
Who had emerged to dominate the Party in 1922-3?
The Triumvirate of Kamenev, Zinoviev and Stalin
Whose ambitions did the Triumvirate try to block?
Trotsky’s
What was Stalin responsible for within the Party in his role as General Secretary?
Bureaucracy - membership cards and lists and appointing people to jobs within the party
What did Lenin write about other leading Party members in his Testament?
He was highly critical of them all, especially Stalin
What did Lenin’s Testament seem to suggest Lenin wanted to happen about the leadership of the Party after his death?
It seemed to suggest he wanted a collective leadership
Why did the Central Committee agree not to read Lenin’s Testament at the 13th Party Congress in 1924?
Because it was so critical of everyone on the committee
What two policies did the Left of the Party support after Lenin’s death?
Permanent Revolution and ending the NEP
Who was the leading figure on the Left of the Party after Lenin’s death?
Trotsky
Why were other Party members worried that Trotsky might try to take control of the Party for himself?
Because he was in charge of the Red Army and so they feared he might use it to seize control of the Party by force
What two policies did the Right of the Party support after Lenin’s death?
Continuing the NEP and ‘Socialism in One Country’
Who was the leading figure on the Right of the Party after Lenin’s death?
Bukharin
Which wing of the Party did Kamenev and Zinvoiev agree with the most?
Left
What policy did Stalin support with Kamenev and Zinoviev immediately after Lenin’s death?
Opposing the continuation of the NEP
In 1925, to what policy did Stalin switch his support?
Supporting the continuation of the NEP
In 1928, to what policy did Stalin switch his support?
Opposing the continuation of the NEP
When was Trotsky’s best chance to move against Stalin, which he failed to take?
13th Party Congress 1924
What did Stalin build up through the 1920s to extend his power over the Party?
A group of loyal supporters on the Central Committee and Politburo
Name Stalin’s four key loyal supporters on the Central Committee and the Politburo.
Molotov, Kaganovich, Voroshilov and Kirov
When was Trotsky forced out of his position as People’s Commissar for War?
In a Central Committee meeting of January 1925
When did Kamenev and Zinoviev try to move against Stalin, but failed due to a lack of support?
14th Party Congress of 1925
Who were the three members of the United Opposition?
Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev
Who did Stalin ally himself with in order to form the Duumvirate?
Bukharin
Why did Stalin win the ‘Literary Discussion’?
His policy of ‘Socialism in One Country’ proved popular with Party members
How did the Duumvirate remove the United Opposition in October 1927?
They won a vote on the Central Committee to remove Kamenev, Zinoviev and Trotsky from the Central Committee
Who was expelled from the Party in November 1927?
Trotsky and Zinoviev
How much did grain procurement fall in 1927-8?
25%
What did Stalin implement in order to solve the crisis in grain procurement in 1927-8?
The ‘Urals-Siberia’ Method - a return to grain requisitioning in these areas
When was the First Five Year Plan announced?
15th Party Congress in December 1927
What did Bukharin protest against in April 1928?
The ‘excesses’ of officials implementing Stalin’s policies
What happened to Bukharin in April 1929?
He lost several of his posts in the Party, including his editorship of Pravda
What happened to Bukharin in November 1929?
He was expelled from the Politburo
