Struggle for power

Question 1

1922 (december)

Answer 1

Lenin had a second stroke leaving him partially paralysed

Question 2

1923

Answer 2

Lenin had a third stroke which left him unable to speak and bedridden

Question 3

1922-24

Answer 3

Lenin was a distant figure

Question 4

Cult of Lenin

Answer 4

Stalin went against Lenin’s wishes (and Krupskaya’s) by starting a cult of Lenin.

Statues appeared everywhere of Lenin plus pictures.

Lenin’s Brian was sliced into 30,000 segments so that scientists could later discover the secret of his genius.

Question 5

Lenin’s ‘Testament’

Answer 5

Krupskaya handed over Lenin’s “Testament” to the Central Committee just before the 13th Party congress.

It was decided not to publish this (going against Lenin’s wishes).

Kamenev and Zinoviev did not like Lenin’s criticisms of their opposition in 1917 and Trotsky did not push for its publication.

Question 6

1924 Congress

Answer 6

Trotsky made a fatal mistake by giving a speech in which he attacked the bureaucracy of the Party plus the lack of democracy.

Stalin’s supporters packed the congress and Trotsky was defeated when a vote was taken.

Trotsky did not appeal against the vote due to a ban on factions.

Question 7

Throughout 1924

Answer 7

Kamenev and Zinoviev mounted a vicious attack on Trotsky for not becoming a Bolshevik until 1917.

Question 8

1925 ‘Lessons of October’

Answer 8

Trotsky published ‘Lessons of October’ in which he criticised Kamanev and Zinoveiv’s part’s in the October revolution.
Stalin was not mentioned in this publication which played to his advantage.

By December, Trotsky is forced from his position of Commissar of War.

Question 9

Ideology

Trotsky vs Stalin

Answer 9

Ideology played a part in the struggle for power.

Trotsky had always argued for permanent revolution.
Stalin by 1924 had adopted his policy of ‘Socialism in one country’.

Stalin criticised Trotsky’s policy as defeatist ad unpatriotic saying it implied Russia needed help from the outside in order to achieve a socialist state.

Stalin’s policy was the more popular on with the Party, evident at the congress of 1926, as it was essential likely to lead to war. (Russians had had enough of fighting)

Question 10

December 1927

Answer 10

At the 15th Party congress, Stalin announced the ending of the NEP and the start of the first 5 year Plan.

Question 11

1928

Answer 11

Bukharin in desperation contacted Trotsky and tried to come to an agreement with I’m despite the two men having little in common.

Stalin accused both man of factionalism.

Stalin had Trotsky deported and Bukharin removed as editor of Pravda.

Question 12

1929

Answer 12

Bukharin, Tomsky, Rykov were all removed from the Politburo.

Question 13

December 1929

Answer 13

Stalin was 50 and the undisputed leader of Russia.