Rise to Power Flashcards
Stats To Do With Rise to Power (23 cards)
What date did Lenin die?
January 21, 1924.
What leadership crisis occurred after Lenin’s death?
There was no clear successor due to Lenin’s distrust of Stalin and others.
What did Lenin warn against in his ‘Testament’?
Stalin’s growing power and recommended his removal as General Secretary.
Who suppressed Lenin’s ‘Testament’?
Stalin, Zinoviev, and Kamenev.
When was Stalin appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party?
April 1922.
How did Stalin transform the role of General Secretary?
He turned it into a position of immense influence.
What authority did Stalin have as General Secretary?
He could appoint regional party secretaries, members of key committees, and positions within the party apparatus.
How many key appointments did Stalin make between 1922 and 1925?
More than 10,000.
What was the Lenin Enrollment?
A drive to recruit workers into the Communist Party from 1923 to 1925.
How many new members joined the Communist Party during the Lenin Enrollment?
Over 500,000.
What was the party size by 1925 due to the Lenin Enrollment?
About 1 million.
What characterized the new members joining the Communist Party?
They were often less ideologically rigid and more loyal to Stalin.
What was the first phase in Stalin’s elimination of rivals?
Defeating Trotsky (1923–1925).
Who were Stalin’s allies in undermining Trotsky?
Zinoviev and Kamenev (the ‘Triumvirate’).
What bureaucratic means did Stalin use against Trotsky?
Controlling meeting agendas, party membership, and local support.
What happened to Trotsky in 1925?
He was removed as Commissar of War.
What was the second phase in Stalin’s elimination of rivals?
Breaking with the Left Opposition (1926–1927).
Who did Stalin ally with during the second phase?
Bukharin and the Right Opposition.
What happened to Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Trotsky in 1927?
They were expelled from the Politburo.
What occurred in November 1927 regarding Trotsky and Zinoviev?
They were expelled from the Communist Party entirely.
What was the third phase in Stalin’s elimination of rivals?
Breaking with the Right Opposition (1928–1929).
Who did Stalin turn on in 1929?
Bukharin, who opposed forced collectivization and rapid industrialization.
What marked Stalin’s full consolidation of power in 1929?
Bukharin lost his Politburo seat.
