THE POWER VACCUM

Why was socialism in one country popular?

it gave Russia a special historic role

Why was Trotsky joining late in August 1917 a weakness for him?

not seen as a loyal member of the party, many thought he would become a dictator

What were Stalins positions in the NEP and industrialisation like?

NEP in 1920s and rapid industrialisation in the 1930s was supported by the majority of party members

What was Stalin like politically?

very skilfull and cunning

How did Stalin’s control of appointments and memberships make him valuable?

as he delivered votes in congress

What did Trotsky call the involvement in politics, what was he subsequently bad at?

the ‘drudgery of politics’, bad at political intriuge, alliances and trade offs

What was wrong with Trotsky’s personality?

high minded, arragont, dismissive, respected but did not engender loyalty or personal affection, seen as the person most likely to cause splits in the party

What did Stalin stay in the background doing?

pretending to be a moderate peacemaker, no one relaised he was a serious player who outmanoevered his opponents and played them off against one another

WHat did Trotsky fail to build?

a power base, allowed Stalin to erode the one he already had

How was Stalin’s personality good for leadership?

less high minded, more down to earth, ideally suited to managing beaurcacy

What was Stalin responsive to?

the mood of the time and adopted policies that were broadly approved of

Which two people died at a convienent time for Stalin, who is the second man?

Lenin and Sverdlov (secreteriat before Stalin)

How did Stalin utilise Lenin’s funeral?

tricked Trotsky into not attending, took on the mantle of Leninism to transfer Lenin’s prestige to himself

How was Stalin percieved, what happened?

a ‘grey blur’, nobody saw that he was a threat until too late

What three positions did Stalin hold that made him powerful?

in the Politburo, Orgburo and as general secretary

How did Stalin utilise supporters?

sent his own to positions of party, expel members likely to support Trotsky and brought in new supportive members

How was Lenin’s testament beneficial to Stalin?

it was never read out

How were Stalin’s roots beneficial?

one of the few proleteriat members, unliekly to cause splits in the party

Who held left wing views in the party?

zinoviev, kamenev and Trotsky

Who held right wing views within the party?

Bukharin

Stalins views on rapid industrialisation and the NEP?

socialism must be achieved at a snials pace, ‘smyncha’ was vital to the survival of the USSR, NEP should grow and continue over 20 yeras, but prepared to abandon when needed

What was the Smyncha?

alliance of workers and peasants

Stalin’s view on socialism in one country vs world revolution?

need socialism in one country, the smyncha could achieve world revolution without help from the outside

What was Stalin’s view on the future of the revolution?

real threat was Trotsky - he was a potential dictator like Bonaporte, he haad been head of the armt and it would end cmmunism if he were able to etablish a military dictatorship

WHen was Trotsky banished to central Asia?

1928

When was Trotsky ill from?

1922

Who did Stalin ally with from 1923-1925, what did this result in?

Zinoviev and Kamenev, Trotsky’s temporary defeat

Who was Stalin allied with in 1925-1926?

Bukharin

Who was in the left opposition?

Trotsky, Stalin and Kamenev from 1926

When were Trotsky and Zinoviev expelled from the Bolshevik party?

1927

How was politicial warfare waged?

through congresses, conferences, meetings of the Politburo , soviet press and political pamphlets

What happened to Lenin in 1922?

he had his first stroke

When did Stalin enter the central committee of the Bolshevik party?

1912

Stalin was head of the Rabrikin between 1917 and 1922, what was it?

supervised the implementation of government instructions in agriculture and industry

What happened to STalin on the 4th April 1922?

he was made party secreatary

How did Stalin make links between himself and Lenin?

was a pall bearer at his funeral, invented the term ‘lenininism’

How did Stalin benefit from the ‘Lenin enrolment’?

ill educated, working class soviet citizens were encouraged to join the party and then gravitated towards Stalin

What did Trotsky’s attacks on zinoviev and kamenev do?

led to the creation of the negative term ‘trotskyim’

Stalin quote on foreign policy?

one soviet tractor is woh 8 or 10 foreign communists

What did Stalin do in 1925?

temporarily dropped out of politics and devoted himself to the role of literary critic snd the writer of homilies on family life

events of the 14th party congress in 1925?

stalin won a huge majority and claimed 559 seats, his opponents gained 65

Who were the six members of the Stalin cliqe from 1926?

rudzutak, ordzhonikdze, ndreyev, kirov, mikoyan and kaganovich

What are the three main disaprities between candidates?

leadership, economy and permenant revolution or socialism in one country

Stalin strengths

generally tended to agree with Lenin, ‘wonderful georgian’ - Lenin, escaped exile, part of party since 1903, called himself a ‘true leninst’, loyal and moderate, alliances with the left and the right

stalin weaknesses

fell out with Lenin (testemant), criticu=ised and insulted Lenin’s wife, poor public speaker, not ideological or charismatic

Trotsky strengths

highly intelligent, leader of the red army, escaped exile, influence in civil war, chairman of the petrograd soviet, trotsky’s train, brilliant orater, military hero

trotsky weaknesses

was a menshevik originally, self centered, self confident, arragont, aloof, missed lenin’s funeral, lacked allies

zinoviev strengths

party since 1903, chairman of the Petrograd Soviet during the civil war, defence of petrograd twice, good speaker

zinoviev weaknesses

zinoviev letter, disloyal (october rev), inconsistent alliances

kamenev strengths

editor of pravda, joined party in 1903, helped negotiate after feb rev

kamenev weaknesses

oppose october rev, sittle support, undermined lenin’s reputation in october rev, flip flopped between alliances

bukharin strengths

popular and baby in the party, strong speaker, advoacte of the nep

weaknesses of Bukharin

opposed by the left, misjudged Stalin’s ambition

events of 1922

triumvate troyka set up (kamenev, stalin and zinoviev) fell out due to differeing opinions and distrust

events of 1924

january - lenin dies, trestament is supressed, stalin gives key speech from lenin’s funeral where trotsky is absent

events of 1925

stalin supports ‘socialism in one country’

events of 1926

trotsky kamenev and zinoviev form the united opposition but are accused of factionalism

events of 1928

stalin turns on bukharin, attacks NEP and promotes industrialisation

events of 9128

bukharin emoved from power, trotsky officially exiled from USSR, stalin has full control of the party

After the death of Lenin, who did many want in power?

wanted nobody, to reverse the centralised power

What was industry like in 1925-26

had reached its pre 1913 levels

What happened to employment and wages?

unemployment rates increased, wages didn’t keep up with the rising rates of consumer goods

What was food like?

shortaed reappeared, many peasants kept their grain rather than selling it