Stalin's rise to power

Stalin's position before 1924
1. People's commissar for nationalities: in charge of many regions across USSR
2. Liaison officer between Politburo and Orgburo: able to monitor party's policy and Part's personnel
3. Head of Workers and Peasants Inspectorate: able to oversee work of all govt's organisations
4. General secretary: recorded and conveyed party policy, able to build up personal files on all the members of the party
Lenin's death
1. management of the Lenin enrolment was mainly under Stalin's control, increases patronage of young idealistic marxists
2. Stalin becomes heir to Lenin Legacy
3. Stalin=chief mourner at Lenin's funeral, gives speech thus making him more likely to be successor of Lenin. Trotsky not present
4. Lenin's testament suppressed, critical of Stalin, Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinonviev
Defeat of Trotsky and the left
1. Trotsky's weakness in character: Jewish (persecution within party), intellectual (bourgeois)
2. 1. Stalin, Kamenev and Zinoviev form unofficial triumvite in order to isolate Trotsky by exploiting his popularity within the party. Made sure that it was a pro-Stalin Anti-Trotsky congress that formed
3. 2. Trotsky unable to persuade either Politburo or Central committee to vote for his proposals. Vote against him in 1925 Party congress, relieved of his position as War Commissar
4. 3. Criticisms begin on Kamenev and Zinoviev, United opposition forms, undistinguishable from old Trotskyism therefore 'Trotskyite-Kamenvite-Zinovievite' is formed
5. 4. Stalin and right outvote United Opposition, accuse Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky of factionalism, dismissed of positions, replaced with Molotov and Kirov, strong Stalin supporters
6. 5. 1927, anniversary of revolution, Trotsky fights back against Stalin, outvoted again, Stalin convinces congress to expel Trotsky from party, two years later he is exiled from USSR
Defeat of the right
1. 1. After defeat of the left, Stalin adopts policies of collectivisation and industrialisation
2. 2. Opposed by Bukharin who proposed that persuading the peasants would be more useful, accused Stalin of adopting Trotsky's programme
3. Weaknesses in ideas: accused of underestimating the crisis of the USSR, soft-line approach did not accord with Party needs, did not accord with Marxism or Leninism
4. Weaknesses in organisation: Rights fearful of being accused of factionalism, undermined by Stalin as a weak and irresponsible clique, wanted to remain in Party so reluctant to oppose fiercely
5. Weakness in support: only support lay in trade unions, Stalin sent Kaganovich to undertake purge of suspect trade unionists, instructed Molotov to achieve similar purge
6. 3. Tomsky, Bukharin, Rykov (main trio of the rights) allowed to stay in the party only if they admit the error of their ways

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Stalin's rise to power

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	Created by Caitlin Lunn almost 11 years ago