Stalin and the struggle for power (1924–1929)

Describe the political landscape after Lenin’s death

Power vacuum after Lenin’s death (Jan 1924):

• Lenin left no clear successor.

• His Testament criticised all Bolshevik leaders, especially Stalin, recommending his removal as General Secretary.

• The party suppressed it to avoid destabilisation, leaving the field open.

Describe Stalin’s position before 1924

Stalin’s position:

• General Secretary (since 1922)

• controlled the nomenklatura (party appointments)

• allowed him to build a loyal support base in local committees.

• structural power gave him a decisive organisational advantage.

Describe Trotsky’s weakness during the time of Lenin’s death

Trotsky’s weaknesses:

• Brilliant but seen as arrogant and aloof.

• Stalin manipulated his absence from Lenin’s funeral, damaging his image.

• His association with “permanent revolution” alienated party members who preferred stability.

Describe factional battles

Factional battles:

• Stalin displayed tactical skill by shifting alliances.

• With Zinoviev and Kamenev (“Triumvirate”), he isolated Trotsky (1924–25).

• Later, with Bukharin (“Duumvirate”), he defeated Zinoviev/Kamenev by promoting “socialism in one country”.

Describe the Defeat of Trotsky

Defeat of Trotsky:

• By 1927, Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party

• by 1929, he was exiled abroad.

• Stalin had eliminated his most prominent rival.

Describe Stalin’s tactical flexibility

Tactical flexibility:

• Stalin’s ability to switch alliances and present himself as pragmatic proved crucial.

• His doctrine of “socialism in one country” (1924) resonated with party members wary of risky international revolution.

Evaluate Stalin’s rise to power

Stalin’s rise owed less to personal popularity than to structural control, tactical alliances, and exploitation of rivals’ weaknesses.

By 1929, he emerged as the USSR’s undisputed leader.

Yet his authority was still rooted in coalitions and patronage networks, not yet the fully personal dictatorship that would develop in the 1930s.