The Struggle For Power Flashcards
What was the ban on factions?
-when was it announced?
A ban on separate parties within the communist party
1921
What was the declaration of the fourth six?
-when was it?
A document signed by by 46 leading left-wing communists expressing their concern about the lack of democracy in the party
-October 1923
What was the triumvirate?
- when was it formed?
- why was it formed?
The union between zioviev, kamenev and Stalin
- 1923
- wanted to keep Trotsky out of power
What group did Trotsky lead in opposition to the triumvirate?
The Left Opposition
Why was Lenin’s secret testament damaging to Stalins position in the party?
-why was it not made public?
It called for Stalin to be removed from the party
-zioviev and kamenev argued it undermined the authority of the government, the testament was also critical of them
What did the triumvirate use to criticise Trotsky?
Lenin’s funeral-Stalin tricked Trotsky into not attending
Z and K criticised T’s book “the lessons of October” for its apparent disrespect for Lenin
Z and K tried to show ‘Trotskyism’ was was incompatible with Leninism
When was Trotsky and the left opposition defeated?
In 1924 at he 13th party congress
When did the triumvirate split?
- why?
- how did they split?
1925
- Stalins policy of socialism in one country could not be accepted by Z and K
- S vs. Z and K
What did Z and K form after the triumvirate split?
- why did hey think it would work?
- why was this not so?
The New opposition
- Z and K believed they had enough power to form a new politburo majority
- their undignified debates with Trotsky had lost them he respect of many of the party
Who formed the new duumvirate?
Stalin and Bukharin
What happened at the 14th party congress between the duumvirate and the new opposition?
-what was the outcome?
Z and K demanded immediate industrialisation and criticised the doctrine of socialism in one country
-the duumvirate won 559 to 65 votes
Why was the new opposition defeated at the 14th party congress disastrous for Z and K?
It showed how unpopular they were
- K removed form sovnarkom
- 1926 Z and K weren’t reelected to the politburo
- B replaced Z as chairman of commuters
- B replaced K as head of Moscow party
What was Trotsky forced to do in 1925?
-why?
Forced to resign as head of the red army
-he feared he would be called a bonapartist military dictator otherwise
What was the impact of the kulak grain strike?
Food shortages and rising grain prices
What was the kulak grain strike?
Peasants had no incentive to sell their grain as there was nothing they could spend the profits on due to rising industrial prices
What did Z, K and T do in 1927?
-Why were they hopeful?
They formed the united opposition
- the NEP was failing
- believed they had enough support to go ahead
What happened to the united opposition in 1927?
At the 15th party congress, they were expelled from the party
Z and K later apologised and were allowed back in but lost their authority
T tried to apologise but was exiled to Siberia
What did Stalin do in 1928?
He rejected the NEP
Which two senior party members supported bukharin?
-what positions did they have in the party?
Tomsky and rykov
- T=general secretary of the red international of labour unions
- R=head of state
What nicknames were Stalin given?
Comrade card-index
The grey blur
In 1928, what policy did Stalin start to advocate?
Rapid industrialisation and agricultural collectivisation
In what ways did Stalin try to undermine bukharins position from February 1928 onwards?
Bringing up Bs frequent disagreements with Lenin
Failure of the NEP
Accused B of factionalism
Prevented B from attending an important meeting
How did Stalin sabotage the NEP?
He restarted the policy of grain requisitioning less than a month after it had been condemned by the central committee
What did bukharin do at the meeting of the central committee in April 1929?
Admit his ‘political errors’, under Stalins recommendation
What did Stalin do April-November 1929?
Conducted a vigorous campaign against bukharin which eventually led to his expulsion from the politburo
What role did bukharin have in the communist party?
Party theorist- ‘The abc of communism’
1917- he was editor of Pravda and communist
He was responsible for all city newspapers
What role did Trotsky have in the communist party?
Head of the red army
- earned respect of younger members
- senior communists jealous of attention he got
Was offered deputy of sovnarkom but refused to focus on writing
What roles did kamenev have in the communist party?
Chairman of the central committee-elected members of the politburo
Head of Moscow branch of local party groups
-but he was a poor local administrator, failed to earn respect of Moscow party
What role did zinoviev have in the communist party?
Head of the commuters from 1919-encouraged and coordinated Marxist uprisings in other countries
Head of Petrograd branch of local party group
1923-24 recognised as unofficial head of triumvirate
What roles did Stalin have in the communist party?
General secretary-head of secretariat
-responsible for recruitment and promotion
Head of central control commission-investigated and disciplined potentially corrupt members of party
Commissar for Nationalities-oversaw affairs of all non-Russians in USSR (50% of pop)
Rabkrin for commissar of the workers and peasants inspectorate-could investigate and expel those working for the government who were ‘corrupt’
