The Power Struggle to Succeed Lenin

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The Strengths and Weaknesses of Stalin and his Rivals

Lenin was ill from 1922 and he died in January 1924. This led to a power struggle over who would succeed him. It was not certain that Stalin would be the next leader. Other potential leaders included Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev, and Bukharin.

Lenin’s final testament

Because Lenin had so much power within the government and had no single role, it was hard to find someone to replace him.
In Lenin’s final testament, he heavily criticised Stalin and other communist leaders, including Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin.
He feared Stalin’s power, and believed that Stalin didn't have the ability to lead the country.

Joseph Stalin

Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party when Lenin died.
This role seemed to be administrative (involving party membership) but it actually gave Stalin a lot of power.
Stalin was the calmest and most patriotic of the potential successors. His belief in ‘Socialism in One Country’ was particularly important.
Stalin did not think the spread of revolution internationally was necessary for the USSR’s success.

Leon Trotsky

Trotsky was an engaging speaker and was more charismatic than Stalin.
He had worked very closely with Lenin as commander of the Red Army.
But his previous membership of the Mensheviks was mentioned in Lenin’s final testament.
Trotsky was distracted by his desire for ‘Permanent Revolution’ - the need for revolution in more than one country.
Trotsky was distant and arrogant. He continued to order people around as he had done in the war. This was very unpopular.

Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin

Zinoviev and Kamenev were insightful communists, and they worked together as party bosses in Petrograd and Moscow respectively.
Lenin criticised them both for not supporting the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917.
Bukharin was well-liked by Communists and well-respected as a thinker and writer. However, he liked the policies of the NEP which led to NEPmen and NEPwomen. These policies perpetuated inequality and were viewed by lots of people as 'anti-communist'.

The Emergence of Stalin as Leader of the USSR - Part One

By 1929, Stalin had emerged as the leader of the Party and of the country. He was an expert at appearing moderate and rising above the arguments and personality battles of his rivals. The first step was to remove Trotsky.

Lenin's funeral

After Lenin’s death, Stalin organised his funeral.
He also suppressed (buried) Lenin’s final testament.
This meant that fewer people knew about Lenin's final criticisms of him.
At the funeral, Stalin appeared close to Lenin and carried his coffin (pall-bearer). He positioned himself as Lenin’s loyal servant. Petrograd was named Leningrad that year.
Trotsky was tricked by Stalin and supposedly told the wrong date of the funeral. Officially, he did not attend because he was 'ill'.

The first step

Stalin took a series of steps to secure his position in power.
First, Stalin arranged with Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin to leave Trotsky isolated, particularly after he made the unpopular move of criticising the lack of democracy within the party.

Trotsky out of the picture

In 1925, Trotsky lost his job as Commissar for War at the party congress because the other members of the Politburo had control over the ballots.
In August 1940, an agent (Ramon Mercader) sent by Stalin murdered Trotsky in Mexico (where he was in exile).

The Emergence of Stalin as Leader of the USSR - Part Two

The second step for Stalin to secure his position was to remove Zinoviev and Kamenev and the third was to remove Bukharin.

New Economic Policy

The NEP became a huge area for disagreement in the Communist party.
Stalin supported the NEP, and given his control of the party's agencies/organisations it was difficult for those who disagreed with him to get their ideas across.
Zinoviev and Kamenev allied with Trotsky and formed the United Opposition to criticise this economic policy. Stalin accused Zinoviev and Kamenev of being ‘factionalists’.

Removal of the United Opposition

Lenin had outlawed factionalism in 1921. Calling them 'factionalists' made the United Opposition seem disloyal.
Zinoviev and Kamenev were dismissed from their posts, and along with Trotsky, they were expelled from the party in 1927.
Zinoviev and Kamenev repented and were let back into the party, whilst Trotsky was exiled from the country in 1929.
In August 1940, an agent sent by Stalin murdered Trotsky in Mexico.

Bukharin

Ending the threat of Bukharin was the last step for Stalin to secure his position.
He wanted to industrialise the USSR rapidly.
Bukharin was not popular in the Communist party, and Stalin had only allied with him previously out of convenience.
In 1927-28, the Soviet Union was worried about the threat of a war with the West.

Collectivisation

Stalin called for an acceleration in the country’s industrialisation and introduced strict state control over food production to feed the cities.
Stalin encouraged the police in Siberia to seize grain. This was contrary to the policies of the NEP.
- This was the first step towards collectivisation (peasant farms being taken over by the state).
He announced Five Year Plans to speed up Russian industrialisation.

Bukharin's response

Bukharin disagreed with Stalin, and was condemned by Stalin and his allies as a ‘Right Communist’.
Bukharin began plotting with Kamenev about how to stop Stalin.
His plotting was discovered and he was expelled from the Politburo in 1929.