IB HoA 1 Stalin IDs

Bolshevik Party

The Bolshevik Party was the Marxist revolutionary faction led by Vladimir Lenin that seized power during the October Revolution in November 1917 in Petrograd. It became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and established a one-party state. Its centralized structure and elimination of political opposition created the system Stalin later used to rise through internal party control rather than elections.

Lenin

Vladimir Lenin led the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and ruled the USSR until his death in January 1924 in Moscow. He introduced War Communism, the New Economic Policy, and one-party rule. His illness after 1922 and death created a power vacuum that allowed Stalin to maneuver into leadership.

Politburo

The Politburo was created in 1919 as the highest decision-making body of the Communist Party in Moscow. Members included Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Bukharin. Stalin used factional alliances within the Politburo to isolate and defeat his rivals.

Democratic Centralism

Democratic Centralism was the party principle that allowed debate until a decision was made, after which all members had to obey. Enforced after 1917 and strengthened in 1921 with a ban on factions, it allowed Stalin to legally suppress opposition while claiming party unity.

Cheka

The Cheka was the Bolshevik secret police founded in December 1917 by Felix Dzerzhinsky. It enforced Bolshevik rule during the Civil War through terror, executions, and arrests. It established the repressive model later expanded by Stalin through the NKVD.

Purges under Lenin and Show Trials (Clergy and SRs)

During the Red Terror from 1918–1921 and show trials in 1922 against the Orthodox clergy and Socialist Revolutionaries in Moscow, Lenin used state violence to crush opposition. These actions normalized political repression and set a precedent for Stalin’s later show trials and mass purges.

General Secretary of the Communist Party

The position of General Secretary was created in April 1922 and given to Joseph Stalin. Based in Moscow, the role controlled party appointments and membership. Stalin used this power to place loyal supporters throughout the party, building a strong personal power base.

Lenin Enrollment

The Lenin Enrollment from 1923–1925 massively expanded party membership with over 500,000 new working-class members. These new members were politically inexperienced but loyal to Stalin, weakening the influence of older revolutionary leaders and strengthening Stalin’s support.

Lenin’s Funeral

Lenin’s funeral took place in Moscow on January 27, 1924. Stalin organized the ceremony while Trotsky was absent. Stalin used the event to present himself as Lenin’s true successor, strengthening his public legitimacy.

Lenin’s Testament

Lenin’s Testament was written in late 1922 and early 1923 and warned the party to remove Stalin as General Secretary due to his excessive power. After Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin, Zinoviev, and Kamenev suppressed the document, allowing Stalin to remain in office and continue consolidating power.

Trotsky

Leon Trotsky led the Red Army during the Civil War and was Stalin’s main rival after Lenin’s death. He supported Permanent Revolution and lacked strong party alliances. Stalin outmaneuvered him politically, leading to his expulsion in 1927 and exile in 1929.

War Communism

War Communism was the emergency economic policy used from 1918–1921 during the Civil War. It included grain requisitioning, nationalization, and banning private trade. It caused famine and unrest, later allowing Stalin to justify harsh state economic control.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

The NEP was introduced by Lenin in 1921 to reintroduce limited private farming and trade. It stabilized the economy after War Communism. Stalin used initial support for NEP to build alliances before abandoning it to eliminate rivals and launch collectivization.

Permanent Revolution

Permanent Revolution was Trotsky’s theory that socialism could only survive through continuous worldwide revolution. Stalin opposed it with Socialism in One Country and used it to portray Trotsky as dangerous and disloyal to the USSR.

Socialism in One Country

Socialism in One Country was introduced by Stalin in 1924 and argued that the USSR could build socialism without global revolution. It gained broad party support and helped Stalin defeat Trotsky politically and consolidate authority.

New Opposition

The New Opposition was led by Zinoviev and Kamenev from 1925–1926, mainly based in Leningrad. They opposed Stalin’s policies and Socialism in One Country. Stalin defeated them using party discipline and expelled them from power.

Bureaucratization

Bureaucratization refers to the expansion of party administrators during the 1920s. As General Secretary, Stalin controlled appointments and filled positions with loyal supporters, allowing him to dominate the party from within.

Trotsky’s Expulsion

Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party in 1927, exiled internally in 1928, and deported from the USSR in 1929. This removed Stalin’s biggest political rival and secured his dominance over the party.

Collectivization

Collectivization began in 1928 and forced peasants into collective farms across the USSR. It aimed to fund industrialization and eliminate independent farmers. It increased state control over agriculture and strengthened Stalin’s totalitarian power.

Dekulakization

Dekulakization from 1929–1932 was the violent campaign to eliminate kulaks as a class. Millions were deported or killed. It destroyed rural resistance and removed a major social threat to Stalin’s authority.

First Five-Year Plan

The First Five-Year Plan ran from 1928–1932 and focused on rapid heavy industrialization and collectivization. It transformed the Soviet economy but caused famine and mass repression. It strengthened Stalin’s centralized command economy.

Light Engineering

Light engineering refers to consumer industries such as textiles and household goods. Stalin deliberately prioritized heavy industry and neglected light industry, showing his focus on military and industrial strength over living standards.

Ryutin Affair

The Ryutin Affair in 1932 involved Martemyan Ryutin distributing a document calling for Stalin’s removal. Although he was not executed, the incident convinced Stalin that internal opposition still existed and accelerated the push toward mass purges.

Kirov Purge

After Sergei Kirov was assassinated in Leningrad in December 1934, Stalin used the event as justification for mass repression. It directly triggered the Great Purge.

Stalin Enrollment

The Stalin Enrollment in the mid-1930s expanded party membership with young, loyal workers. These members had no links to Lenin’s generation and strengthened Stalin’s control during the purges.

Purge of the Party

The Party Purges of 1936–1938 removed and executed most of the original Bolshevik leadership through the Moscow Show Trials. Victims included Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Bukharin. This destroyed organized opposition and secured Stalin’s total dictatorship.