Joseph Stalin Flashcards
(11 cards)
When did Lenin die?
1924
What happened after Lenin died?
there was a power struggle in the Communist Party
• Main rivals: Stalin vs Trotsky
Who was Stalin in the communist party?
• Stalin was General Secretary of the Communist Party – this gave him control over jobs and promotions
• He built alliances and turned others against Trotsky (e.g., with Zinoviev and Kamenev, then later against them)
What happened in 1928?
• By 1928, Stalin had defeated all his rivals and became the leader of the Soviet Union
In what ways did Stalin establish a dictatorship?
- Control of the Party
- Propaganda
- Terror and Purges
- Control of the Economy
- Eliminating Opposition
What did Stalin do to control the party?
• Used his position to remove rivals and promote supporters
• Created a cult of personality – presented himself as Lenin’s true successor
• Stalin used his role as General Secretary to appoint loyal supporters to key positions.
• He outmanoeuvred rivals like Trotsky by making secret alliances (e.g., with Zinoviev and Kamenev), then turning against them.
• By the late 1920s, Stalin had total control of the party and could silence anyone who disagreed with him.
What propaganda did Stalin employ?
• Stalin created a cult of personality, where he was portrayed as a wise, strong, and heroic leader.
• Paintings, posters, newspapers, films, and schoolbooks all praised him and rewrote history to make him look like Lenin’s closest friend and chosen successor.
• He controlled all media, so only positive things were said about him and his ideas.
What were Stalin’s purges?
• Used the secret police (NKVD) to spy, arrest, and kill opponents
• Great Purge (1936–1938): thousands of Communist Party members, army officers, and ordinary people were executed or sent to gulags (labour camps)
How did Stalin control the economy?
• Introduced Five-Year Plans to rapidly industrialise the USSR
• He forced collectivisation of farms – small farms were joined into large, state-run farms.
• This led to resistance from peasants, and in places like Ukraine, it caused famine (millions died).
• While it caused suffering, the economy grew and made the USSR a major industrial power.
How did Stalin eliminate opposition?
• Stalin made sure all rivals were removed, often through false trials and executions.
• His main rival Leon Trotsky was expelled from the USSR in 1929 and murdered in 1940 in Mexico by one of Stalin’s agents.
• Stalin also purged the military, killing thousands of officers, so no one in the army could threaten his power.
• By the end of the 1930s, Stalin had complete control over the Communist Party, the government, and the Soviet people.
When did the Great Purge take place?
1936-1938
