Stalin Power struggle

Question 1

Overview of Stalin and struggle for power (1924-1929);defeat of trotsky:

Answer 1

Lenin dies with a cultish speech from stalin
The egos and the objective of the men in politics are different causing a power struggle
‘3 rounds of confrontation’ over NEP (too much food, over success and hoarding begins), socialism in one country (contract signed, with a leave clause which just doesn’t happen), nature of leadership (needs to have a concestice)

Question 2

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Answer 2

key as for the left the NEP needs to end now, have to move to programs that will industrialise the whole of the soviet union, with the peasant problem can collectivise them, trotsky is about ending NEP and moving back to communist but doesn’t seem convinced to take on lenin’s mantle, bucrean wants to keep NEP, stalin stays ambiguous about the NEP

Question 3

Round 1 of confrontation

Answer 3

attack on trotsky - first because his support base is the red army and could seize power any time, however the biggest threat at this time is Stalin, however he’s seen as a ‘gray blur’, trotsky has a heroic legacy and seems to be lenin’s clear successor however finds it hard to talk to his peers and finds other party leaders and bolsheviks annoying, the left joins with stalin and the right to attack trotsky, trotsky is removed from the party

Question 4

Round 2 of confrontation

Answer 4

attack of left opposition, stalin moves to support the right and attacks K and Z,

Question 5

Round 3 of confrontation

Answer 5

attack on the right, when K and Z has been expelled only rival to stalin is bucrean and stalin moves against the right, he promoted the economic policies trotsky had

Question 6

Theme for essay

Answer 6

Stalin strengths v limitations of trotsky/opposition

Question 7

1922 - beginning of the bolshevik government

Answer 7

bolsheviks have been given jobs in the government, lenin is kingpin, stalin is given a irrelevant role (general secretary, over seeing members), boring irrelevant job however because he’s general secretary he can make a power base a quiet one, he can demote promote and shift roles people in high power commissions in the central committee

Question 8

Stalin in every round of confrontation

Answer 8

In every round of confrontation - votes are taken for new positions, stalin wins every vote, quietly in the background stalin has his people in the central committee

Question 9

Reasons why stalin won the power struggle

Answer 9

Role of general secretary,
Suppression of lenin’s last testament which was stalin was brutal and dangerous and should be removed, it was buried and suppressed due to everybody else wanting to bury it
Trotsky failure to attend to lenin funeral, trotsky had illness and stalin gave him the wrong date,
Fear of trotsky & red army/military dictatorship, stalin plays the political acumen, stalins a beast
NEP versus rapid industrialization
Socialism in one country versus export revolution
Stalin’s role in all 3 rounds

Question 10

Stalin and Lenin’s funeral

Answer 10

Stalin takes charge of lenin’s funeral, one of the pallbearers of his coffin, took advantage of the death of lenin, stalin is forcing the triumvirate with K and Z, stalin is trying to stop trotsky from being the successor, stalin ‘lost’ trotsky’s invitation to the funeral which didn’t look good on stalin. Stalin gave a speech trying to unify the party and calling for it to unify under himself.