The power vacuum and power struggle

Question 1

What Tributes were paid to Lenin after his death in 1924?

Answer 1

His coffin was displayed in the Red Square and crowds of people queued to pay their final respects
The Politburo decided to preserve his body and place it in a mausoleum on Red Square
A cult of personality developed - Petrograd was renamed Leningrad
Lenin’s statue was built in every Russian city and children were named after the Communist leader

Question 2

When did the power struggle begin and why?

Answer 2

Even before Lenin’s death - due to his declining health (May 1922 he had the first of a series of strokes that left him unable to work and by mid 1923 it was obvious he wouldn’t return to government

Question 3

What happened because there was no one obvious successor?

Answer 3

A collective leadership was established to govern Russia so from 1922-1929 a relentless struggle for supremacy was waged by Politburo leaders

Question 4

What was Lenin’s leadership based on?

Answer 4

His personality and his authority - he had respect of his colleagues so he was leader because he was Lenin not because of official positions

Question 5

Why was the Politburo significant in the power struggle?

Answer 5

It had emerged as the most powerful part of Government so it was key to power in the SU
Winning a majority on Politburo meant that winning votes at the Party Congress as this elected the Central Committee which then elected the Politburo

Question 6

Why difference did the fact the SU wasn’t a democracy make?

Answer 6

The battle for leadership was a battle for support within the party not a battle for support within the SU

Question 7

When was Lenin’s testament written?

Answer 7

A year before his death

Question 8

Who were the notes addressed to and what did they say?

Answer 8

Addressed to the Central Committee and were highly critical of the main contenders for power

Question 9

What did the testament say about Trotsky, Stalin, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin.

Answer 9

Accused Trotsky of arrogance and of being too willing to use violence
Accused Stain and impatience and rudeness and suggests he should not be allowed big positions of power
Remined the CC that Z and K had been disloyal to party before October revolution
Argued B didn’t fully understand Lenin’s ideology

Question 10

What happened to Lenin’s testament?

Answer 10

When he died his widow (Krupskaya) handed it to the politburo with the intention it would be made public in the Party Congress in May 1924 however key members of the CC declined to read it out as those criticised had persuaded their colleagues not to publish it

Question 11

Why did they not want to read out Lenin’s testament?

Answer 11

They would all be damaged by its contents so it was therefore surpressed

Question 12

What did Lenin’s death in January create?

Answer 12

A power vacuum - opened the way for the power struggle

Question 13

In Marxist ideology what is power meant to be?

Answer 13

Supposed to be shared by a collective leadership not held by any single dominating leader so there was no mechanism for such a leader to be chosen - Lenin had been forceful leader = hard to imagine different

Question 14

Why had the previous single leader position held my Lenin been justified and what did people want now ?

Answer 14

In order to safeguard the Bolshevik rule during the civil war but was no longer required after 1924 - wanted collective leadership of a committee of equals (mainly advocated by those fearing Trotsky)

Question 15

What had Lenin’s role as leader been shaped by?

Answer 15

His Marxist ideological beliefs (which had made him refuse any ‘power sharing’ with ‘bourgeois elements’) and also by the events and pressure of revolution. leading to changed In the implementation of Marxism-Leninism and therefor ideological debates after his death

Question 16

When did the power vacuum appear to take shape?

Answer 16

Didn’t begin suddenly after Lenin’s death - began to take shape in 1922 - when Lenin had become incapacitated following his first stroke

Question 17

What was the Triumvirate?

Answer 17

Consisted of Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin. formed in 1922-23 - formed to block the ambitions of Trotsky and prevent the ascendance of Trotsky

Question 18

What was Stalin’s role in the Triumvirate?

Answer 18

He was general secretary and was unpopular and underrated by his colleagues but was central in these alliances.

Question 19

Who was influential in countering the left?

Answer 19

Bukharin

Other personalities such as Rykov, Tomsky and Radek were involved in this unacknowledged power struggle

Question 20

When did Lenin become incapacitated?

Answer 20

Lenin suffered three strokes
May 1922
December 1922 left him unable to speak and partially paralysed
December 1922 - bed ridden and unable to speak
Was sidelined from politics until his death in January 1924 but was still a powerful presence - had minders to transmit his wishes to the Party leadership e.g. his wife, sister and Stalin who tried to remain in personal contact

Question 21

What was Lenin’s testament and why was it written?

Answer 21

It was a political will setting out his view of future dangers - attempted to guide transition of new leadership from beyond the grave
Written because the ambitions and rivalries of those around him alarmed Lenin

Question 22

What were two reasons why Lenin criticised Stalin in his testament?

Answer 22

During civil war Lenin appointed Stalin as Commissar of nationalities - Stalin told the party Georgia had been won back from the Mensheviks by a mass uprising for the Bolsheviks supported by the Georgian people - he was criticised when it was discovered he crushed Georgian independence by force
Stalin also insulted Lenin’s wife after finding out Trotsky was in contact with Lenin, Stalin wanted to see him but Krupskaya refused

Question 23

What did nothing in Lenin’s testament do?

Answer 23

Endorse anyone as his successor - if it had been made public at the 1924 party congress as he intended it would have had a dramatic impact on the power struggle

Question 24

What was the testament used as later in the power struggle?

Answer 24

As ammunition and a dangerous secret that could be used.

Question 25

What had Lenin’s dictatorial style done and who did this cause opposition between?

Answer 25

Strengthened his authority as leader and established that the party could never be wrong
1921 ban on factions cemented the idea of a leader who commanded loyalty and obedience in the ‘party line’ - this clashed with elements in the party who believed in ‘party democracy’
Trotsky + his supporters believed in party democracy whereas Stalin and his supporters stressed the importance of avoiding factionalism and party unity

Question 26

What was ‘party democracy’?

Answer 26

Not democracy in the normal sense - all leading Bolsheviks believed firmly in the dictatorship of the proletariat and the suppression of rival parties
Party democracy meant allowing dissent and debates within the inner circle of the party elite

Question 27

Despite Lenin’s actions having made him a seemingly irreplaceable leader by 1924 what major issues concerning the future direction of policy were unresolved?

Answer 27

Issues concerning the extent to which party democracy should replace centralised control and large, state bureaucracy that had developed under Lenin, the organisation of the economy and the future relations of soviet Russia with the outside world

Question 28

In 1924 what was Trotsky regarded as and how did that affect him?

Answer 28

The most important man in the party apart from Lenin himself - because he was so able and powerful rivals wanted to restrict his influence even before Lenin died 
Although many (like Victor Serge and Karl Radek) backed Trotsky on revolutionary ideology and party democracy - many feared and disagreed with him 
He was later weakened 1924-5 when Stalin's growing power became evident - T gained new allies (Z and K who broke with S and joined T in the left opposition)