Unit 1: HOW DID STALIN EXERCISE POWER OVER THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND THE SOVIET STATE? Flashcards
When did Lenin die?
January 1924
How did Stalin start to gain power?
He became General Secretary of the Party in 1922 - the party structure grew in power and size and the general secretary was the head of the party which gave Stalin influence.
He gained access to over 26,000 personal files on Party members - a useful source of information that could be used against rivals.
He controlled the agenda of Party meetings therefore, could restrict the issues that could be debated. - he took advantage of the party structure Lenin created.
He launched Lenin Enrolment, 1923-25 - to increase the number of industrial workers in the party, this led to the party consisting of uneducated and politically naive worker who could be easily manipulated by Stalin.
Stalin could appoint people to the party so he appointed his supporters.
Exploited divisions in the party - left wanted a permanent revolution, right want to keep Lenin’s NEP
Who was Leon Trotsky?
- A Marxist revolutionary, who developed the Trotskyism ideology.
- During the revolution he headed the Red Army which played a vital role in the Bolsheviks victory in the Russian civil war.
- After Lenin’s death in January 1924, Trotsky gradually lost his government positions and in February 1929 he was officially expelled from the Soviet Union by the politburo.
What examples could be given to show that Stalin’s rise of power was because of Trotsky’s mistake?
He refused to make private alliances with other communists.
Trotsky missed meetings and refused Lenin’s offer of becoming a deputy. He wanted to go his own way, and not follow the party.
He missed Lenin’s funeral.
What examples could be given to show that Stalin’s rise in power was because of the poor party organisation / leadership?
The new poorly educated party members were easy for Stalin to control. Most of them were workers, not politicians.
Lenin had criticised both Stalin and Trotsky. therefore, there was no clear successor to lead the Communist Party.
Who were Stalin’s opponents in the Politburo?
Leon Trotsky - left
Gregory Zinoviev - left
Lev Kamenev - left
Nikolai Bukharin - right
Mikhail Tomsky - right
Alexei Rykov - right
How did Stalin remove political rivals from positions of power?
Left - 1926, their views were criticised at the 15thPC, accused of forming factions, expelled from Politburo and party
Right - WInter 1926-27, divisions over the issue of industrialisation, the right wanted to keep the NEP as its removal could cause a decline in food production, Stalin saw them as standing in the way of Socialism in one country and therefore weaken the economic base. – Bukharin accused of Trotskyism because he criticised the growth of the bureaucracy like Trotsky, Bukharin’s support undermined by Stalin highlighting the NEP failure to prevent food shortages, supporters of the right removed.
Socialism in one country - Stalin’s policy of modernisation
What were the instruments of terror?
The party secretariat, which collected information on party members that could be used to condemn them as enemies of the people.
The secret police, who carried out surveillance, arrests and executions. They also ran the gulag, where many victims of purges were imprisoned.
Purges of party members had happened periodically under Lenin to root out undesirable elements. Stalin also made use of it.
What was the Chistka 1932-1935?
The Chistka was designed to remove the officials, who refused to implement policies as it caused difficulties in launching the first five year plan and collectivisation in agriculture.
By 1935, 22% of the party had been removed from their posts - shows that opposition to Stalin’s principles was growing.
Was the opposition real or imagined?
In 1932, Ryutin, a former party secretary, issued a document to members of the central committee that accused Stalin of building a personal dictatorship.
The brutality that was used to enforce the policy of collectivisation in agriculture caused peasant resistance.
Party officials were critical of the unrealistic targets set under the five-year plans.
When was Kirov murdered?
By Nikolayev on 1st Dec 1934 as he felt the party did not appreciate his talents.
However, it may have been on Stalin’s orders.
therefore, seen as a catalyst for the purging of the communist party.
What were the show trials?
Where former leading figures in the party were accused of anti-Soviet activities.
In response to members of the left opposition that were still at large during 1935 and 1936.
They were staged to ensure that party members were intimidated by the power of the state.
What was the trial of the 16?
August 1936
Where leaders of the left including Zinoviev and Kamenev were accused of working as agents of Trotsky to undermine the state.
Under severe pressure from the NKVD they confessed to the crimes that they could not possibly have carried out.
What was the trial of the 17?
1937
In 1937, there was a purge of party officials such as Karl Radek and George Pyatakov.
They were accused of working for Trotsky and foreign governments to undermine the Soviet economy when in reality they may have just criticised the five year plan.
Why were there purges in the Red Army?
The armed forces had been critical of the impact of collectivisation on the peasantry.
For Stalin, these criticisms were a concern due to the growth in the army’s importance and defence resources.
Between 1937 and 1938 35,000 officers were either shot or imprisoned.
