(U2) Stalin’s Rise To Power And Dictatorship 1924-41 Flashcards
How did Stalin meet Lenin
and
Eventually join the Central committee
- December 1905 met Lenin at the RSDLP he was impressed by Stalin’s organizational ability and dedication
- shaped his outlook while writing pamphlets between 1907-1912
- 1912 Lenin nominates Stalin to a position in communist party central committee
How did Stalin increase his standing during the July Days
- after most of the Bolshevik leaders left after being either arrested or forced into exile Stalin assumed role of party leader on the ground
- Became and editor for the newspapers Pravda
- stayed loyal to Lenin after he faced opposition
How was Stalin rewarded for his loyalty to Lenin
- Lenin made Stalin commissar of nationalities and member of the politburo
- many nationalities in the Russian empire wanted independence
- Stalin adopted policy of centralization and crushed all separatists by 1921
- many leaders of the Bolsheviks shocked by Stalin’s ruthlessness
- USSR established December 1922
How did Stalin secure his position in the USSR (2)
- made himself indispensable to the party by holding a seat in all 4 committees in the USSR Central Committee, Secretariat, Politburo, Orgburo
- April 1922 Lenin appointed Stalin general secretary which Stalin exploited using patronage
How did Stalin use the role as general secretary to strengthen his position? (3)
- gave him effective control over the Orgburo and decisions about personnel and organisational structures
- he appointed his supporters to key local and regional posts within the party, and he could rely on those supporters to be loyal to him
- Through this system of patronage, helped him exercise an increasing degree of influence over the party
How did Stalin benefit from the ban on factionalism? (2)
- Groups within the party found it almost impossible to dissent from questioning Lenin’s word.
- That situation was of great benefit to Stalin made it easy for him to silence most of his opponents.
How did Lenin’s enrolment help Stalin? (3)
- The number of party members almost doubled, from 340,000 in 1922, to 600,000 in 1925
- most of the new recruits drawn from the proletariat. Therefore more likely to identify with Stalin, whose hard work had allowed him to rise through the ranks
- While Trotsky’s middle class intellectual background as well as Unpredictable nature made him seem untrustworthy
Why was Trotsky unpopular in the party? (3)
- demonstrated considerable skill as an administrator and a military strategist during the civil war
- however he could also be very arrogant and slightly aloof. Members were also wary of his Jewish background
- had neglected to build up support within the party
How did Stalin take advantage of Lenin’s poor health? (4)
- Lenin had taken his first serious stroke in May 1922. He had recovered fairly well by October, but he had a second stroke on 15 December
- there was virtually no one to keep Stalin in check, he became general secretary
- he appointed more and more of his supporters to key positions throughout the party.
- Stalin used his position as general secretary to take charge of Lenin’s doctors and restrict his visitors – essentially controlling who could and couldn’t see him - restricting possibility of Lenin condemning his actions publically
Who was part of the ‘troika’ (triumvirate)?
And
Why was it formed?
1.
- Lev Kamenev
- Gregory Zinoviev
- Joseph Stalin
- For temporary governance of Russia after Lenin’s death
What was the term given to the hierarchical approach of the communist party?
Democratic centralism
How did Stalin politicise Lenin’s funeral? (3)
- organised it and appointed himself chief mourner
- Trotsky was abroad and couldn’t make it
- used this to imply that stalin was Lenin’s natural successor, not Trotsky
What were the 2 broad threats to Stalin’s control after Lenin’s death?
- Lenin’s testament which recommended removing him as general secretary
- political rivals such as Trotsky and Bukharin
Why did the communist party not publish Lenin’s Testament?
The leadership viewed it as being too critical
Why was the suppression of Lenin’s Testament important for Stalin?
Allowed him to strengthen his image as Lenin’s natural heir
Give 3 aspects of the ‘Lenin cult’ created by Stalin
- early 1924, Stalin gave lectures on ‘the foundations of Leninism’
- 5 days after Lenin’s death, Petrograd renamed Leningrad
- Lenin’s body preserved and put on display in the Red Square
- statues erected of Lenin
Why did Trotsky become more unpopular within the party from 1924 to 1925?
- members of the Triumvirate disliked Trotsky and feared his influence
- they began a whisper campaign dubbing him a ‘political bonaparte’ who was anti-Leninist and threatened party unity
- he was made to look like a critic of Lenin who was disloyal, particularly as opposed to Stalin
- 7th anniversary of Oct revolution - publishes ‘Lessons of October’ which undermined the roles of Kamenev and Zinoviev, 2/3 of the Triumvirate
What was Socialism in One Country?
- economic policy introduced by Stalin
- government focus on building industry and continuing the NEP
Who opposed Socialism in One Country and why? (2)
- The left of the party, including Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev (who formed the united opposition)
- they believed in ‘permanent revolution’ where the USSR would fund worldwide revolution
Why did Stalin act against Zinoviev and Kamenev? (2)
- both were members of the troika and threatened his control
- Zinoviev knew a lot of information on Stalin which could potentially threaten his position
What were the main aims of the United Opposition? (3)
- overturn of ‘Socialism in One Country’ and to oppose Stalin’s leadership
- promote global revolution
- gain greater party democracy
What happened to the leaders of the United Opposition in 1927? (3)
What happened in the years that followed?
1.
- October, Kamenev removed from the central committee, soon expelled from the party
- October, Trotsky removed from the central committee, expelled in November
- December, Zinoviev expelled from the party
- Kamenev and Zinoviev admitted being ‘wrong’ and severed links to Trotsky, were restored
- expelled again in 1932
Outline the aims / views of the leaders of the Right Opposition (3)
- sought continuation of the NEP instead of the new 5 year plans
- criticised the party’s bureaucracy and some aspects of Stalin’s central committee
- criticised Mikhail Tomsky, chairman of the Council of Trade Unions
Why was Bukharin opposed to the 5 year plans?
- the NEP allowed for private agrarian businesses to make profits which he supported
- 5 year plans involved moving from agrarian production to industrialisation and the profits were not collected
What had happened to most Right Opposition leaders by 1929? (3)
- leaders were publically named and removed from all positions of power
- Bukharin and Tomsky were removed from the Politburo
- the Moscow branch of the party had been purged of Right Opposition supporters
Why did Stalin act against Right Opposition leaders?
In order to consolidate his control of the party
What actions did the leaders of the Right make between 1928 and 1929? (2)
- largely went about issuing statements supporting continuation of the NEP and condemning the 5 year plans
- upon being removed from the politburo, Bukharin declared “Stalin will strangle us!”
Why was Stalin successful in the power struggle by 1929?
- he outmanoeuvred his opponents and exploited the limitations of his rivals
- last of the 1917 leaders in the party
How did Stalin deal with his political opponents between 1924 and 1929?
- tens of thousands of counter-revolutionaries were labelled ‘anti-bolsheviks’, ‘bourgeois nationalists’ or ‘deviationists’ and were imprisoned
- between 1927 and 1929, Stalin routinely targeted his opponents through the OGPU (secret police)
1930s had far harsher treatment
How did Stalin change his tactics in dealing with opponents from 1929-34?
1929 - 1934 tactics got far harsher:
- 1930-34, the Gulag system was expanded, increasing fear of denouncing the regime —> 1m prisoners by 1934
- 1933 and 34, 35% of party members were expelled
- kulaks were eliminated as a class
- 1934, Stalin’s govt began conducting show trials for ‘wreckers’
- also the OGPU became harsher
What were the main features of Stalinist propaganda? (3)
- glorify the USSR
- tell the Russian people how much his govt has achieved
- seen in most forms of media
Why was propaganda used as a means of control? (4)
(In the eyes of the state)
- inspiring people and gaining their approval and assistance for projects
- continually reinforcing the message that Stalin was always right
- making all forms of dissent against Stalin appear abnormal or harmful
- portray the USSR as a bastion of socialist virtue
In what ways was history rewritten by Stalin’s regime? (2)
- exaggerating the parts played by Lenin and Stalin in the Bolshevik struggle
- altered photos and paintings from 1917-24 to strengthen his image and remove traces of political rivals like Trotsky
Why did Stalin emphasise his links with Lenin?
In order to reinforce the idea that he was his natural successor
Why did Stalin develop a cult of personality?
How did mass media impact it?
- In order to try and gain the loyalty of the masses during a period of political and economic change
- newspapers, cinema etc were largely state owned and praised Stalin
How did the media portray Stalin? (3)
- deified him, a godlike figure
- also portrayed him as a father like figure
- also that he was brave and very smart - particularly during the civil war and October Revolution
How did the cult of personality intensify after 1934? (2)
Coincided with the peak of the great purges:
- criticism was outlawed in all forms - punished by the NKVD if caught
- propaganda posters portrayed him as ’a man of the people’ simultaneously
What were the political aims of the personality cult? (2)
- gain approval and trust of the Russian people
- Instil obedience
Why was Kirov a potential rival to Stalin in 1934? (2)
Who did Stalin blame for his murder?
What order did Stalin issue just after?
- Kirov was very popular in the party and was young
- also headed the Leningrad soviet, the largest
- Leonid Nikolaev (a minor member) and other opposition members
- A decree authorising a swift and harsh response to “terrorist attacks”
How did Stalin go about creating a ‘terror state’ between 1934 and 1936? (3 main methods)
- ordered purges (which were not as widespread as those after 1936)
- Stalin used show trials to remove enemies of the state
- over a million in gulags too
Why were Old Bolsheviks executed?
What were they accused of? (4)
- Ones such as Zinoviev and Kamenev were perceived as being potential threats
- Accused of:
- conspiracy with foreign powers
- conspiracy to overthrow or murder stalin
- conspiracy to restore capiltalism
- conspiracy to break up the USSR
What were the political effects of the post-Kirov purges by 1936? (2)
- climate of fear with opponents removed
- a lull in denouncements and executions in Nov & Dec 1936 (with the new constitution which claimed to guarantee freedoms like for speech)
Why were many party members accused of being ‘Trotskyites’ during the Great Purge?
In order to alienate many party members
also labelled ‘Zinovievites
