USSR Topic 1: Leadership Struggle - Raees

Question 1

How Stalin became leader

Role as general secretary

Answer 1

• General secretary in 1922
• controlled the Politburo
• access to personal files of 26,000 party members
• appointed his own supporters to important positions - Dzerzhinsky became the Head of the Secret Police to give info
• Lenin enrolment of 1923 brought 500,000 new workers into the party
• Packed Congress with loyal supporters- able to utilise the votes of his supporters in Congress against Kamanev, Zinoviev and Trotsky.

Question 2

How Stalin became leader

Weakness of others

Answer 2

• Trotsky: He was unpopular because he was arrogant. He made huge errors of judgement such as failing to attend Lenin’s funeral. Wanted permanent revolution - unpopular. “too arrgonat”
• Zinoviev and Kamenev: Proved to be poor politicians. They miscalculated by entering into an alliance against Trotsky. Opposed NEP
• Bukharin: Lacked the political skill needed to fight Stalin. Was more right wing - liked NEP. “golden boy” but testament was private

Question 3

How Stalin became leader

Defeat of Trotsky

Answer 3

• Tricked him to not come to Lenin’s funeral Jan 1924
• 1925, Zinoviev and Kamenev join Stalin against Trotsky in Party Congress. Trotsky proposed Permanent Revolution but Stalin’s supporters rejected it
• Destroyed Trotskys reputation
• 1925 Trotsky lost his job as Commissar for War, no longer a threat
• Expelled from Soviet Union after refusing to back down after United Opposition (1929)

Question 4

How Stalin became leader

Popularity

Answer 4

• Lenin Enrolment brought in 500,000 people loyal to Stalin as he let them in
• Neutral stance
• Kept Lenin’s Testament hidden
• Socialism in One Country - create a strong communist society within Russia
• Wanted to keep NEP as long as it led to industrialisation at a controlable pace
• Allied with Bukharin with media popularity

Question 5

How Stalin became leader

Defeat of Kamenev and Zinoviev

Answer 5

• Allied with Bukharin who had media popularity to remove them
• Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev formed united opposition in 1927
• Accused of factionalism (banned 1921)
• They lost respect for this and were expelled from the party 1927

Question 6

How Stalin became leader

Defeat of Bukharin

Answer 6

• Attacked NEP and removed Bukharin and right wingers from their posts
• Gave orders for grain to be violently seized from the peasants meaning cooperation with them was now over.
• Rumours were spreading of an invasion from the west and so Stalin put forward the idea of industrialisation and ensuring enough grain could reach the cities.
• Stalin ensured that Bukharin lost all of his most important government posts.

Question 7

Lenin’s Testament

Answer 7

• Written 1922/23
• Hidden from public
• Stalin - “I propose the comrades find a way to remove him”, “too rude”
• Trotsky - “most capable”, “too arrogant”
• Kamenev and Zinoviev - “opposed me when I tried to set the date for the revolution in October 1917.”
• Bukharin - “golden boy”

Question 8

How Stalin became leader

Popularity of Policies

Answer 8

• Socialism in one country - opposed Permanent Revolution
• Rapid industrialisation 1928 widely supported. NEP unpopular so extreme solutions were looked for