Topic 3- Stalin Rise To Power Flashcards
Apr 1922
Stalin apinted to party general secrtary
Largely bureacuratic
But could make appointments- so could secure his position by 1928
Leader orgburo- set agendas, inviting meetings, record minutes (could manipulate_
Why was stalin sucessful in his leadership bid
Political skills/ruthlessness/policies
Party control
Underestimation
Mistake of rivals
Character
Chance- opportunism
Why was stalin sucessful in his leadership bid- political skills/ruthlessness
Use of ban on factions- remove united opp
Correct allies at right time 1924-25- backing zionoviev and kamenev against trostky before turning against them too
Utalised lenin funeral to his adv
Able to identify own policy with thosse of lenin- making critticism of policies diff- eg nep, expansion of party
Remain in background when apporopriate to allow others to fight duels- literary wars z+k v trosky- 19925-26
Able to shift ideological standpoint- adap suit policu= ;eft and right too staunch in their ideas- eg great turn 1928- rapid industrialisation and grain requisition- turn from nep as no longer working- scissor crisis- but support as in urals- involved
Needed to enforce socialism in one country
Played left and right off each other
How utalise lenin death- stalin
Tricked trotsky into not coming to funeral- said woulnt make back in time when in georgia on sick rest
Stalin pallbearer- disciple
Lenin enrollment- guise- lenin dying wish
Stalin appointig 250,000 plus to party to make more ‘democratic’ but really loyal to stalin
Produce memorabelia- creating cult of lenin- embalm body, mugs, petrograd to leningrad- lenin did not want
Why stalin was sucessfuli n his leadership bid- underestimaion of stalin
Initially left opp implosion 1924-6
Overlook stalin as threat+ removing trostky main priority
Stalin seen as ‘grey man’ ‘comrade card index’ lacking creativty, thriving on bureaucracu, even seen as this by lenin, hence role as general secretary
Mistakes of rivals- why stalin was successfuli n his leadership bid
Q made over trotsky leadership style and capacbility- never commanded majoirty support, arrogant, good orato but disliked
Tortsky author of own downfall in never making clear bid for leadership- as were k and z in breaching. Party disciline- ban on factions
Trotsky leadership style
Declaration 13th- permentat rev 1924 opp stalin socialism in one country
Bad for factory workers- but contradicts previously his support for war comm with discipline in army and factory workers
Trotsky stay quiet when last testament- could utalise lenins last words as truth
Party control- why stalin was sucessful in his leadership bid
Lenin enrollment allowed 250,000 plus memers bought in- many owed thier positions to stalin
As general sec able to cotrol flow of info and debate in politburo
Control of orgburo and secretariat led to increase control of local an regional party organisation
Able and willing to act in a dictatorial fashio by 1926
Character- why stalin was sucessful in his leaderhsip bid
Less high minded, down to earth in politburo, genuine proletariat rather than intelligensia
More relatavle- in urals and siberia. To see grain problem
Cuatious in approach, not hesisant, able to react decisively whn required
Last testament- lenin concern poweri n one man- but 5years had. Elapsed
Mistakes of rivals and circumstances allowed for character used
Chance and opportunism- why stalin was successful in his leadership bid
Lenin last testament- never made public knowledge- read out once and only once in congress and lower down- no notes to be made
Death and pro stalin replacements:
Sverdlov- 1919- chairman of central comm- replace kadinin
Sverdlov thought as lenin sucessor
Lenin 1924
Dzerinsky 1926 as head of cheka replaced by menzhinsky
Aspects to which stalin has gained control of
Red army- trotsky
Secret police- dzerzinsky dead
Cominterm- tomsky )or rykov)
Propaganda- bukharin
United opp
Kamenev, zinoviev, troskyy
United opp- how stalin manipulate
Trosky- permnant rev- traitor by not focusing own counrty
Trosky incencire for concern industrial workers- strict party disciplien in factory
Accuse united opp of factionalism- expelled all from party- k+z later let back in but trosly exiled to kazakstan and later istanbul
Left opp
Zionoviev and kamenev opp bukharin and stalin
Policy is at expense of industrial workers
Kamenev spech- called for vote of no cnofidence in stalin
559-64(no)- due to stalin support
Right opp
Bukharin, rykov, tomsku
Oppose grain requisition
Critic 5y plan for industy 1928-32
Stalin actions right opp
Remove bukharin supporters from party
Nov 1929 stalin speech against bukharin
Accuse- right deviation- not marxist enough
Removed from party
3 recounted and let back in but no power or impact left
Historians arguingu underestimated stalin
-hosking- ‘comrade card index’- too obsessed bbureaucracy rather than a threat
Historian argue trostky weakness
Deutscher- underestimate stalin as too arrogant
Barmine- too arrogant ‘unwillingness to bbuild a large personal following among the rank and file of the party’- limited support basse
Carr- lack of talent for eladershio, couldnt cooperate with ‘men of less intellectual calibre than himself
Historian- political skill- stailin sucess
Conquest- skill at removing opponents- alliance witho ne group against another before turning on them
Bukharin at secret meeting with kamenev- stalin ruthless ‘genghis khan’ ‘chanegs his theors according to who he needs to get rid of next’
Historians - poliicies- stalin sucess
Ward-] economic poluicy under ‘left turn’ icnreased mass support, previous critics of nep
Deutscher- politburo- stalin moved with popular opinoion ‘always agreeable to the majority’
Importance of control of party orgaisation- historian- stalin sucess
Trostky 1924- stalin he can gain support as good at winnning people over ‘knows how to meet them n their own ground
Luck historian approach stalin sucess
Mccauley- ‘stalin had luck on his side’-lenin death allowed for his rise]
Ranking factors of stalin rise to power
Political skills and ruthlessness- breaking down others, know when o step out (literary debate 1925-26- allow left implode), and lenin death (legitimacy of leadership eg. Funeral)
Opp/chance/luck
Party control- enabled to remove opp more easily through voting out
Underestimatioin- no one calls him out for bbureaucratic power, cant be pushed out
Mistake rivals
Weakness oponents
Character
Policy- ilnk utalise to attack others- not actively coming up with own policies- eg bukharin- socilaism in one country and nep
