The Struggle for Power, 1924 - 28

Question 1

Who were the 5 main runners in the power struggle?

Answer 1

Stalin, Trotsky, Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kamenev

Question 2

What happened to Lenin’s Testament?

Answer 2

It was buried in a filing cabinet under the Politburo building by Stalin

Question 3

Who did Lenin’s Testament compliment and diminish?

Answer 3

It provided flaws of all the candidates, but spoke most positively of Trotsky and outlined that Stalin should NOT come to power

Question 4

What were the positives of Bukharin as a candidate?

Answer 4

• popular within the party
• *Excellent writer and theorist: Editor of Pravda (party newspaper)

Question 5

What were the negatives of Bukharin as a candidate?

Answer 5

• supported the NEP –> many Bolsheviks viewed as capitalist
• He argued strongly against the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Question 6

What were the positives of Trotsky as a candidate?

Answer 6

• Brilliant speaker
• Brilliant tactician and leader of the Red Army —> Red victory in Civil War
• Lenin’s close comrade
• Major role in the civil war

Question 7

What were the negatives of Trotsky as a candidate?

Answer 7

• disliked in the party on a personal level
• arrogant and bossy
• Menshevik until 1917, unlike all other OG Bolshevik candidates
• Lack of supporters outside of military

Question 8

What were the positives of Stalin as a candidate?

Answer 8

• position of General Secretary - able to appoint supporters to key party jobs
• Appeared moderate: no extreme views; a safe bet, respectful to rivals

Question 9

What were the negatives of Stalin as a candidate?

Answer 9

• Lenin’s testament criticised him heavily and his lust for power
• He was seen as boring

Question 10

What were the positives of Zinoviev and Kamenev as candidates?

Answer 10

• Zinoviev = Local party boss in Petrograd, Kamenev = Moscow party bosses
• Worked closely with Stalin to run party and weaken Trotsky
• Worked very closely together –> strengthened them both

Question 11

What were the negatives of Zinoviev and Kamenev as candidates?

Answer 11

• only senior Bolsheviks to oppose Lenin’s plan to seize power October Revolution
• Their **power was limited to just Petrograd and Moscow

Question 12

What 4 key steps did Stalin carry out to secure power?

Answer 12

1. made sure to take lead role at Lenin’s funeral, potentially misleading Trotsky to mistake date of the funeral –> can be seen closest to Lenin
2. worked with Z and K (with B support) to undermine Trotsky, weaken
3. **defeating the ‘United opposition’ : Z and K had same ideology as Trotsky –> allied and criticised the way party was running the country.
   - Stalin + Bukharin ally –> accused them as ‘factionalists’ –> Z + K sacked, Trotsky expelled from party
4. Defeating Bukharin + ‘Right Communist’ : Economic difficulties put pressure on the NEP, which Bukharin supported –> Stalin targeted Bukharin as a “right Communist” and “right deviant”, making him seem to not be a proper Communist