post-lenin leadership struggle

how did lenin die (4)

from mid-1921, Lenin’s health declined

• He survived an assassination attempt in 1918

  • Fanya Kaplan, a member of the SRs, shot Lenin twice outside a factory in Moscow

  • One of the lead bullets was lodged in Lenin's head. It was slowly poisoning his brain

He suffered a massive stroke in May 1922

• From then until his death in January 1924, Lenin became increasingly paralysed

Another stroke in March 1923 left Lenin unable to speak

• From this point, he was unable to lead the Bolshevik Party actively

Lenin died on 21st January 1924

• The Bolsheviks embalmed Lenin's body and created a mausoleum

what was left in russia after lenin’s death

a significant power vacuum

• Lenin refused to share power and used repression to eliminate his enemies.

  • As a result, Lenin developed an autocratic and centralised government

• Lenin had not left instructions as to who should be the new leader of the Communist Party, nor who would lead the USSR.

• Therefore, there was a power struggle between 5 different candidates:

  1. stalin

  2. trotsky

  3. kamenev

  4. zinoviev

  5. bukharin

what was lenin’s testament

his dictated last will between late 1922 and early 1923

• It stated Lenin's aims for the Bolshevik Party after his death

• It would become a controversial document

what did lenin say in his testament about the 5 candidates

• Trotsky: the most capable, but far too arrogant.

• Stalin: too powerful, too rude, and he should be dismissed as party secretary.

• Kamenev: had not supported Lenin's October Revolution, and so should not be trusted.

• Zinoviev had not supported Lenin's October Revolution, and so should not be trusted.

• Bukharin was the favourite of the party members, but Lenin felt he did not fully understand Marxism.

what things influenced what lenin said about trotsky in his testament

• Lenin had given a lot of power to Trotsky

  • Trotsky had proved in the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War that he was a capable member of the Bolshevik Party

• Trotsky was a gifted orator and writer

  • As a result, many party members believed that Trotsky was arrogant

  • Trotsky believed he was more intelligent and more devoted to communism than many Bolsheviks

• Trotsky was Jewish

  • Although Trotsky did not practice Judaism, it turned many of the party against him

what things influenced what lenin said about stalin in his testament: stalin’s power

• Stalin had risen quickly through the Bolshevik Party

  • Stalin had little to no role in the October Revolution

  • Lenin gave Stalin the position of Commissar for Nationalities in November 1917

  • Stalin made his reputation during the Russian Civil War. Lenin appointed Stalin as a Political Commissar to several generals

  • In 1921, Stalin became General Secretary of the Bolshevik Party

what things influenced what lenin said about stalin in his testament: personal opinion on stalin

• Lenin became suspicious of Stalin

  • Stalin built a support base in the party that was loyal to him

  • Lenin viewed Stalin as cruel and uneducated

    • Stalin came from Georgia, which Lenin viewed as an inferior nationality

• Stalin's anger became a serious issue

  • In March 1923, Lenin discovered that Stalin had shouted at Lenin's wife on the telephone

    • Lenin saw this as an unforgivable act

  • Another stroke left Lenin unable to remove Stalin as General Secretary

left-wing beliefs on the future of communism after lenin’s death + who would have supported this

Believed in War Communism

Favoured the 'permanent revolution'.

• This stated that the USSR needed to spread communism across the world.

• This was unpopular with the party

in order (leftist-centrist)

1. zinoviev/trotsky

2. kamenev

3. stalin

right-wing beliefs on the future of communism after lenin’s death + who would have supported this

believed in the new economic policy

Favoured 'Socialism in One Country'.

• This wanted to strengthen communism in the USSR before pursuing global communism.

• This was popular with the party

in order (centrist-right wing)

1. stalin

2. bukharin

7 steps: how did stalin become leader after stalin’s death

1. lenin’s funeral

   • stalin told trotsky the wrong date for the funeral, although trotsky was ill with malaria

   • stalin made a big speech in support of lenin at his funeral and became the chief mourner

2. lenin’s testament

   • in the testament he criticised stalin amongst other leaders

   • the leaders decided collectively to keep it secret

3. first party congress

   • in 1924, stalin sided with zinoviev and kamenev against trotsky

   • stalin used his position as general secretary to ensure he had supporters

   • trotsky was sacked over the fear he would use his red army to start a dictatorship

4. siding with bukharin

   • in 1926, stalin sided with bukharin to remove zinoviev and kamenev

   • he packed his congress with supporters to announce his policy of ‘socialism in one country’

5. expulsion from the party

   • in 1927, trotsky, zinoviev and kamenev were expelled from the politburo

6. turning against bukharin

   • stalin then turned against the nep and its supporters including bukharin.

     • they were removed from their posts

describe stalin’s political shifts while trying to take control of russia

• To the left of the party to win support and isolate Trotsky

• To the right of the party to remove the left

• Back to the centre to remove the right-wing threats of the party

‘Trotsky’s personality, rather than Stalin’s abilities, decided the leadership contest after Lenin’s death.’: it was stalin’s ability to win support

• Stalin’s ability to win support allowed him to win the power struggle after Lenin’s death

  • Stalin had built a support base before Lenin's death. Between 1924 and 1929, Stalin manipulated the left and right of the party to remove his political rivals

  • This ability allowed Stalin to win the leadership contest.

  • This is because he managed to isolate Trotsky, limiting his influence on other party members.

  • Stalin's tactics meant that, by 1927, Trotsky was no longer a threat

what split did stalin exploit to gain control of russia

The right wing wanted to continue the New Economic Policy

• to slowly industrialise and favoured the idea of socialism in one country, ie building communism in the USSR.

The left wing wanted to abandon the NEP

• and have rapid industrialisation and worldwide revolution.

what mistakes did zinoviev and kamenev make hich enabled stalin to gain power

• Zinoviev and Kamenev had trusted Stalin and worked with him to keep Trotsky out of power.

• Zinoviev and Kamenev agreed to not publish Lenin's 'Testament', which had severely criticised Stalin.

why stalin won the power struggle: his decisions

He took a pragmatic approach to policy.

• He supported Lenin's New Economic Policy between 1924 and 1928 when it appeared to be working

  • so he could attack the Left Opposition,

• he switched to supporting rapid industrialisation in 1928 when NEP was becoming unpopular.

Stalin was a very clever politician.

• He used his position as general secretary to undermine his rivals and he switched alliances to benefit his own position.

why stalin won the power struggle: luck

He was lucky.

• For example, in 1923 when Lenin was dying, Trotsky also fell ill and was unable to compete with Stalin.

why stalin won the power struggle: general secretary

• Being the general secretary meant Stalin could put his supporters into positions that mattered, such as the Party Congress, to vote against his rivals.

• He used his position as general secretary to pack the Thirteenth Party Congress in 1924 and the Fifteenth Party Congress in 1927 with his supporters.

how did trotsky’s failures help stalin win the power struggles: character

• Other party members did not agree with Trotsky's idea of permanent revolution

  • because it could potentially drag the USSR into future conflict.

• there were concerns that his radical policies might split the party.

• Trotsky did not attend Lenin's funeral or insist that Lenin's 'Testament' was published

how did trotsky’s failures help stalin win the power struggles: personal failings

• He failed to take the opposition seriously.

• He underestimated Stalin as a politician and was more concerned with the other contenders.

• Many members of the party were offended by Trotsky's arrogant attitude.

  • Some were also concerned because he had such an influential role in the Red Army.

stalin’s title after he took control of the ussr after the leadership struggle

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union