the power vacuum and power struggle

Question 1

Stalin’s strengths

Answer 1

• strong party position
• hardworking quality
• underrated by opponents
• patience
• tactical relationships
• knowledge of party

Question 2

Stalin’s weaknesses

Answer 2

• reputation of cruelty and violence
• minor role in revolution
• Lenin’s testament

Question 3

Trotsky’s strengths

Answer 3

• organised, action taking and authoritative

- power and prestige from involvement in civil war and revolutions

Question 4

Trotsky’s weaknesses

Answer 4

• arrogant, opportunistic, indecisive and inconsistent
• prone to illness/ freezing at time of crisis
• feared
• Menshevik to bolshevik
• underrated stalin
• no attempt for support base within party

Question 5

kamenev’s strengths

Answer 5

• capable and intelligent
• old bolshevik
• strong power base in Moscow

Question 6

kamenev’s weaknesses

Answer 6

• reputation for flip-flopping
• inconsistent and opportunistic
• closely linked to Z
• too soft
• under estimated stalin

Question 7

zinoviev’s strengths

Answer 7

• intelligent and educated
• speechmaker
• strong position in party
• old bolshevik
• high in Lenin’s favours
• political power base

Question 8

zinoviev’s weaknesses

Answer 8

• opposition to Lenin
• reputation of vain, inconsistent
• bucked under pressure
• underestimated rivals
• left too late to support Trotsky

Question 9

Bukharin’s strengths

Answer 9

• Dummvirate
• likeable and popular
• friendly to both right and left
• expert on economics

Question 10

Bukharin’s weaknesses

Answer 10

• naive and lacked capacity
• no powerbase
• underestimated
• tactical mistakes

Question 11

Rykov strengths

Answer 11

• old bolshevik
• administrative ability
• support from Sovnarkom

Question 12

Rykov weaknesses

Answer 12

• conciliator over plotter
• lacked power base
• make politically unwise choices
• conflict with lenin

Question 13

tomsky strengths

Answer 13

• old bolshevik
• chief spokesman for trade unions
• ally to Bukharin and rykov

Question 14

Tomsky weaknesses

Answer 14

• hostility to trotsky = underestimated stalin
• alliance 1926
• power base in trade unions
• support for NEP

Question 15

how and why Stalin became leader

Answer 15

• after Lenin’s death
• defeat of the left
• defeat of the right

Question 16

how and why Stalin became leader

Answer 16

• after Lenin’s death
• defeat of the left
• defeat of the right

Question 17

events after Lenin’s death = Stalin leader

Answer 17

• position in the party aiding stalin - in charge of funeral
• Trotsky absence from funeral, start of the weakening of Trotsky

Question 18

the defeat of the left 1924-27

Answer 18

1924 - Stalin became stronger from Trotsky’s hesitations which broke triumvirate and alliance between Bukharin and Stalin formed
1925 - Z and K opposed Stalin at 14th party congress and Trotsky losing popularity
1926 - Z, K and T became united opposition and Stalin resigned
1927 - S and B fought back against united opposition = expelled from party officially at 15th party congress

Question 19

what is key about the defeat of the left opposition between 1924-27

Answer 19

it was a joint force between stalin and Bukarin

Question 20

actions to defeat the right 1928-29

Answer 20

1928 - alliance fracturing from different approaches and long term methods between S and B
1929 - alliance broke, B wanted alliance with T and B was deprived of positions in government and Stalin made speech entailing plans for future policies

Question 21

outcomes for the right

Answer 21

Bukharin - expelled from Politburo 1929 and executed after show trials 1938

Tomsky - Removed from his role with the trade unions 1929, Removed from central committee 1934 and Killed himself in 1936 to avoid trail and execution

Rykov - Sacked and replaced Molotov from Politburo in 1930, Removed from central committee 1934 and Executed after show trial 1938

Question 22

outcomes for the left

Answer 22

Trotsky

• Expelled from the part 1927
• Went into exile and criticised Stalin from afar 1929
• Murdered by one of Stalin’s agents 1940

Zinoviev and Kamenev

• Gave into Stalin in 1928 but lost high place in Politburo
• Expelled from party 1932
• Executed after show trial 1936