IB History Hl Paper 3 Exam

Stalin’s Rise to Power (1924–1929)

• 1922: Stalin appointed General Secretary (Gensek). He uses this "Grey Blur" role to appoint supporters (the "Circular Flow of Power").

• Jan 1924: Lenin dies.

  • Stalin organizes the funeral and delivers the oration, appearing as the "true disciple."

  • Trotsky misses it (Stalin gave him the wrong date).

• 1924–1925: The Triumvirate (Stalin, Zinoviev, Kamenev) isolates Trotsky.

  • Stalin introduces "Socialism in One Country," which sounds safer than Trotsky’s "Permanent Revolution."

• 1926: Stalin turns on Zinoviev and Kamenev (the "Left Opposition").

• 1928–1929: Stalin turns on Bukharin (the "Right Opposition") over the NEP. By 1929, Stalin is the undisputed leader

• Weaknesses of Opponents:

  • Trotsky’s "arrogance," his failure to attend Lenin’s funeral, and his decision (along with Zinoviev/Kamenev) to keep Lenin’s Testament secret. If they had published it, Stalin would have been finished.

Stalin’s Economic Policies (1928–1941)

• 1928: Stalin abandons the NEP for central planning.

• 1929: Forced Collectivization begins.

  •  Aim: state control of grain to fund industry.

• 1932–1933: Famine (Holodomor). Massive grain exports continue while peasants starve.

• 1928–1932: 1st Five-Year Plan. Emphasis on heavy industry (coal, iron, steel). 

  • Success: Magnitogorsk (steel city).

• 1933–1937: 2nd Five-Year Plan. Focus on transport and communication. 

  • More realistic targets.

• Political

  • Party control strengthened through organisation of industrial workers

  • Government control expanded through planned economy policies 

  • Capitalist classes largely removed 

  • Position of Stalin increased as plan opponents removed

• Economic changes:

  • Emphasis on heavy industry 

  • 6x increase in coal production

  • 4x increase in steel production

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