(U2) Stalin’s Rise To Power And Dictatorship 1924-41

Question 1

How did Stalin meet Lenin

and

Eventually join the Central committee

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

How did Stalin increase his standing during the July Days

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

How was Stalin rewarded for his loyalty to Lenin

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

How did Stalin secure his position in the USSR (2)

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

How did Stalin use the role as general secretary to strengthen his position? (3)

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

How did Stalin benefit from the ban on factionalism? (2)

Answer 6

• 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.

Question 7

How did Lenin’s enrolment help Stalin? (3)

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

Why was Trotsky unpopular in the party? (3)

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

How did Stalin take advantage of Lenin’s poor health? (4)

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

Who was part of the ‘troika’ (triumvirate)?

And

Why was it formed?

Answer 10

1.
- Lev Kamenev
- Gregory Zinoviev
- Joseph Stalin

2. For temporary governance of Russia after Lenin’s death

Question 11

What was the term given to the hierarchical approach of the communist party?

Answer 11

Democratic centralism

Question 12

How did Stalin politicise Lenin’s funeral? (3)

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

What were the 2 broad threats to Stalin’s control after Lenin’s death?

Answer 13

• Lenin’s testament which recommended removing him as general secretary
• political rivals such as Trotsky and Bukharin

Question 14

Why did the communist party not publish Lenin’s Testament?

Answer 14

The leadership viewed it as being too critical

Question 15

Why was the suppression of Lenin’s Testament important for Stalin?

Answer 15

Allowed him to strengthen his image as Lenin’s natural heir

Question 16

Give 3 aspects of the ‘Lenin cult’ created by Stalin

Answer 16

• 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

Question 17

Why did Trotsky become more unpopular within the party from 1924 to 1925?

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

What was Socialism in One Country?

Answer 18

• economic policy introduced by Stalin
• government focus on building industry and continuing the NEP

Question 19

Who opposed Socialism in One Country and why? (2)

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

Why did Stalin act against Zinoviev and Kamenev? (2)

Answer 20

• both were members of the troika and threatened his control
• Zinoviev knew a lot of information on Stalin which could potentially threaten his position

Question 21

What were the main aims of the United Opposition? (3)

Answer 21

• overturn of ‘Socialism in One Country’ and to oppose Stalin’s leadership
• promote global revolution
• gain greater party democracy

Question 22

What happened to the leaders of the United Opposition in 1927? (3)

What happened in the years that followed?

Answer 22

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

2. • Kamenev and Zinoviev admitted being ‘wrong’ and severed links to Trotsky, were restored
   • expelled again in 1932

Question 23

Outline the aims / views of the leaders of the Right Opposition (3)

Answer 23

• 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

Question 24

Why was Bukharin opposed to the 5 year plans?

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

What had happened to most Right Opposition leaders by 1929? (3)

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

Why did Stalin act against Right Opposition leaders?

Answer 26

In order to consolidate his control of the party

Question 27

What actions did the leaders of the Right make between 1928 and 1929? (2)

Answer 27

• 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!”