The Candidates To Succeed Lenin

Question 0

Kamenev’s strengths:

Answer 0

• Led the Moscow soviet and developed a secure power base in the city
• Very intelligent

Question 1

There were 5 main candidates to succeed Lenin:

Answer 1

Kamenev 
Zinoviev
Bukharin
Trotsky
Stalin

Question 2

Kamenev’s weaknesses:

Answer 2

• Often disagreed with Lenin on many aspects of party policy; problem because perceived loyalty to Lenin became INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT
• 1 of only 2 members of the CC to vote against an armed uprising in Oct 1917

Question 3

Zinoviev’s strengths:

Answer 3

• 1918 appointed as head of Petrograd Soviet

- He was a close associate of Lenin

Question 4

Zinoviev’s weaknesses:

Answer 4

• Had voted against the armed uprising in oct 1917

- Very ambitious and made enemies

Question 5

Bukharin’s strengths:

Answer 5

• After oct revolution, he was appointed as editor of the Pravda
• Lenin once called him the ‘darling of the party’
• Was very popular and his easy-to-read introduction to communism had sold many copies

Question 6

Weaknesses of Bukharin:

Answer 6

• Had headed up the first communist opposition group, the Left Communists who criticised Lenin’s decision to make peace with Germany (1918)
• Wasn’t a very shrewd or skilful politician

Question 7

Trotsky’s strengths:

Answer 7

• Leadership crucial to Bolshevik victory in civil war
• After oct. rev. Made Commissar for Foreign Affairs
• Earned some popularity for Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• Raised morale to soldiers

Question 8

Trotsky was supported by:

Answer 8

The red army - main support

Young & radical members of the party - popular

Question 9

Trotsky wasn’t supported by:

Answer 9

• The peasants - he had ordered grain requisition squads during CW
• Communist party - only joined Bolsheviks 1917, Menshevik background believed he wasn’t devoted to party and its policies, party members feared popularity with RA = military dictator
• The Proletariat - favoured a humble background (Stalin)

Question 10

Stalin used his position as General Secretary of the communist party to increase his personal power and influence by 4 ways:

Answer 10

1) Had complete control over the inner workings of the communist party
2) To promote his supporters and remove or sideline his opponents
3) Had access to secret files on party members (from Cheka)
4) Used the Lenin Enrolment to create a large group of supporters in the party

Question 11

Lenin enrolment was a party to..

Answer 11

Honour Lenin by increasing party membership, especially among the proletariat

Question 12

Between 1922-25 the party membership:

Answer 12

Nearly doubled and changed from being dominated by intellectuals into a party mostly made up of peasants and the proletariat

Question 13

Most new members of Lenin enrolment weren’t interested in politics, they joined to improve their…

Answer 13

Personal prospects and gain promotions at work

Question 14

Why was the Lenin enrolment a support for Stalin?

Answer 14

New members were grateful to Stalin, who supervised the Lenin enrolment and they became his loyal supporters

Question 15

Strengths of Stalin:

Answer 15

• Had the common touch - more in common with the down-to-earth Stalin than cultured intellectuals: Trotsky and bukharin
• Promoted the Cult of Lenin - Lenin as a god-like figure and himself as Lenin’s natural successor