SP

Stalin’s Rise to Power

  • Invited to Central Committee of the Bolsh Party
    • Due to shortage of Working Class
    • 1912
    • Structuralist
  • Became editor of Pravda (’Truth’)
    • During 1917 February Revolution
    • Directed Bolsh Campaigners in election
    • Lenin took note of Stalin
    • Approved of his activities, speeches and articles
    • Given seat in Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet
    • Commissar of Nationalities
    • Structuralist
  • Became in charge of Orgburo
    • May 1919
    • Put by Lenin
    • Controlled aspects of Party Organization
  • Elected into the new Politburo
    • 1919
  • Ban of Factions
    • 1921
  • Became General Secretary
    • 1922
    • In charge of General organization
    • Had access to all personal files and information
  • Lenin Suffers from a stroke in December 1922
  • Takes control of the Nomenklatura list.
    • 1923
  • Krupskaya
    • Feed select information to Lenin as he is suffering from strokes
    • Paints Stalin in a bad Light
    • Suports Trotsky
    • Made Lenin have a bad attitude aginst Stalin
    • Releases Lenin’s ‘Testement’ to congress after his death (March 18, 1924)
  • Lenin Dies
    • Jan 21, 1924
    • Paints Trotsky as a Bonaparte Figure
    • Lies to Trot about Lenin Dying
    • Delivers a Eulogy and declairs himself Lenin’s disciple
    • Reserved for people close to the deceased
    • Starts a Lenin Cult
  • “Socialism in One Country” policy
    • 1925
  • Turn against the NEP
    • 19928
  • Undispluted Leader in the USSR
    • December 1929
  • Stalin was close to Lenin
  • Underestemated
  • Very Lucky/Good Timing
  • General Secretary
  • Failiure of Trotsky
  • Party Secretary
    • Info on all members
    • Controlled agendas and papers during meetings
    • Controlled information flow
  • Positions in Orgburo and the Secretariat
    • Control of positions and responsibilities
    • Could put his supporters in key positions
    • High power over party secretaries as he would appoint his supporters
  • Control of Party organizations
    • Could influence the selection of delegates sent to annual party congresses
    • Major issues of policies decided and central Committee chosen
    • Could rig by packing it with his followers
    • Exemplified in 1924 onwards
  • Control of party membership
    • Rid of radical elements that would support Trotsky
    • Students & Soldiers
    • ‘Lenin Enrollment’
    • Appealed to people not interested in ideological debate and would follow what local party organizers told them to do
    • Young Urban Workers
    • Ex-peasants w/ poor education