History A-level Edexcel - Russia, 1917-1991: from Lenin to Yeltsin - Theme 1: 1b

The power vaccum (1923-28)

- Leadership struggles caused by Lenin's ill-health

- Main contenders in 1923: Zinoviev, Bukharin, Trotsky and Stalin.

Stalins transformation of the party (1928)

- established ideological orthodoxy

- destroyed authority of other main contenders

- changed nature of party membership

- created patronage system

Stalins power as General Secretary

- coordinated work across party departments and has access to information

- had access to members' personal files

- decided agenda of party meetings

- launched Lenin enrolment

- Stalin could appoint people to party positions

Zinoviev

- true Leninist as Lenin's closest friend

- had supported Lenin since beginning of Bolshevik movement in 1903

- 1923-1925 - led Triumvirate

- created political strategy against Trotsky

Triumvirate (1923-25)

- alliance between Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin, which formed a majority in the Politburo

- kept Trotsky out of power

- Zinoviev and Kamenev persuaded Central Committee to ignore Lenin's Testament to sack Stalin

Bukharin

- 1925-1928 formed Duumvirate

- true Leninist because joined Bolshevik faction in 1906 and supported Lenin consistently, close with Lenin, did important jobs for Lenin e.g. editor of Pravada

- however had disagreed with Lenin and was young

Duumvirate (1925-28)

- alliance between Bukharin and Stalin

- gave them majority in Politburo due to Bukharin's allies

Trotsky

- Lenin's right hand man from 1917 and closest political collaborator

- 1903-1917 had opposed Lenin, joined Bolsheviks in 1917

Stalin

- True Leninst because had joined Bolshheviks in 1903 and loyal to Lenin throughout until 1921

- Lenin referred to Stalin as 'that wonderful Georgian' and gave him important tasks

- General Secretary from 1922

Stalins ideological orthodoxy

- Stalin had to prove that he was a true Leninist

- party committed to two ideas: socialism in one country, collectivisation and industrialisation

- Stalin, unlike Lenin, expelled those with differing beliefs

Stalins authority over the party

- Under Lenin, many people had authority over significant parts within Party

- Stalin undermined authority of opponents by: establishing ideological orthodoxy, branding opponents as enemies of Leninism, demanding Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev apologise to Party for errors, accusing Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kamenev of plotting against the Party and forming faction

Stalins party membership increment

- initiated Lenin enrolment in 1924 to increase party membership

Stalins patronage system

- 1923 - Stalin began to issue approved list for delegates who attended party congress

- gave well-paid and powerful jobs to lower-ranking party members (he was general secretary)

- as head of Central Control Commission could investigate and sack officials

Stalins removal of political opponents

- criticised Left's views at 15th Party Congress (1927) and accused them of forming factions

- Stalin issued official directive to party members which presented case for removing NEP

- Stalin accused Bukharin of forming factions

- supporters of right in Moscow party branch and trade unions remove

The instruments of terror

- party secretariat collected information on party members

- secret police

The Chistka (1932-35)

- cleansed party of those that opposed implementation of FYP

- non-violent

Causes of GT

- Stalin wanting to safeguard position

- opposition from politburo

- Show Trials

- economic problems

- congress of victors

- Kirov's murder

Opposition from Politburo (Pre-GT)

- by 1932 a group of moderates in politburo associated with Kirov - head of cp in Leningrad

( - 1932 - Kirov defended Martemyan Ryutin (critical of Stalin)

- 1933 - Kirov and moderates argued for realisitc targets for 2nd FYP and more consumer goods production )

Economic problems (Cause of GT)

- senior figures aware of problems with Stalin's policies

- Stalin blamed 'wreckers' and 'saboteurs' for problems - sent them to Gulags

Congress of Victors (February 1934)

- Stalin came second to Kirov in vote for Central Commitee (1225 to 927)

- vote kept secret but demonstrated that Stalin had a rival

Kirov Affair (1 Dec 1934)

- Kirov assassinated by Leonid Nikolayev

- speculated that Stalin ordered attack

- allowed Stalin to claim that there was conspiracy to overthrow government - reason to arrest rivals and launch campaign to hunt enemies

Show trials (GT)

- most public aspect

- removed Stalin's rivals

- defendants confessed to crimes (some they didn't even commit)

- Trial of the 16 (1936)- leaders of Left - Zinoviev, Kamenev and supporters executed

- Trial of the 17 (1937) - purge of party -Trotsky's former supporters

- Trial of the 21 (1938) - purge of right - Bukharin and supporters executed

Secret trials (GT)

- trials of Red Army's leaders

- 1937 - 8 general tried for plotting to overthrow government - all executed

Purge of the Red Army (GT)

- navy lost every admiral

- armed forces critical of impacts of collectivisation (most soldiers were peasants) and Stalin worried they would gain too much power

The Great terror (1934-38) The purge of the secret police

- 1936, Yagoda recplaced by Yezhov as head of NKVD

- Yezhov dismissed in 1938

Consequences of GT

- eliminated Stalin's rivals

- party elite eliminated

- death/imprisonment of communists who worked with Lenin (removed Party members who could claim authority independent from Stalin)

- emergence of a new leaders who owed positions to Stalin

- established the principle that Stalin had right to use terror against anyone who was disloyal.

- NKVD became a powerful organisation within the regime

Stalins control over the communist party

- in 1924, Politburo had 7 members, by end of 1930, Stalin only member from original group and others replaced by his cronies

- Stalin made all decisions

- institutions met less frequently

- power focused in subgroups outside politburo

- stalin used intimidating tactics at meetings

The Soviet Constitution (1936)

- face value highly democratic but not in reality

- Stalin - "the constitution of the USSR is the only thoroughly democratic constitution in the world "

- every USSR citizen given vote (previously 'bourgeois couldn't)

- civil right, freedom of press/religion/organisation given

- guaranteed employment

- only communist party members could stand in elections

-government announced political parties were consequence of class conflict which was generated by capitalism therefore didn't need more than one political party because such conflicts no longer applied to USSR

- constitution aimed to convince Britain and France to make Russia ally against Nazis

Stalins limits

- personal limits

- limits imposed from within leadership

- limits imposed from below

Stalins personal limits

- could not physically survey everything needed to keep on top of all events in large country

- had to prioritise most important issues

Stalins limits imposed from within leadership

- even though politburo were Stalin's cronies, still opposition (Ryutin execution, 2nd FYP targets, Kirov, use of brutality)

Stalins limits imposed from below him

- party members pushed for policies to strengthen socialism in USSR

- 'Dizzy with success' - local officials got carried away with collectivisation implementation

- scale of purges sometimes beyond Stalin's control

The Patriotic War (1941-45)

- Germans invaded on 22 June 1941

- use of terror reduced and some generals e.g. Zhukov, and ex-Party official released from labour camps so that expertise could be used

- propaganda to help mobilise masses - symbol of unity

- Stalin suffered breakdown initially however emerged a hero to soviets

High Stalinism

- concerned with reconstruction after WW2

- party leadership moved to reassert authority using terror

- 1949 - Stalin 70th birthday, wave of admiration

- Mingrelian Affair (1951) - purge of party in Georgia to remove some of Beria's allies

- politburo renamed presidium and enlarged to 36 members

Stalins main aims of governance for Russia

- consolidate personal power

- rapid industrialisation, forced collectivisation

- build militarised state

- socialism in one country

- cult of personality

Leningrad Affair (1949)

- purge against Leningrad party as Stalin concerned developing independence

- part of power struggle to replace Stalin (Zhdanov, chief of Leningrad party, was main contender)