1.1.3
Stalin & the Communist Party
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The Communist Party
After Stalin had sidelined his opponents and taken power, he strengthened his hold on the Communist Party.
Stalin's opponents
- Although the left of the party was united by the end of 1925, it was not able to challenge Stalin.
- Zinoviev and Trotsky had had too many public disagreements to allow the basic level of agreement between them on economic issues to shine through.
1926 Central Committee plenum
- At the 1926 Central Committee plenum, the United Opposition (Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev) would not attack the General Secretariat.
- In 1927, the united Opposition started to attack Stalin's policy of 'Socialism in One Country'.
- They blamed it for economic failures.
Party expulsions
- The United Opposition members were expelled from the party for their opposition.
- This took place at the Fifteenth Party Congress in December 1927.
Five Year Plans
- Stalin had the Congress reaffirm the New Economic Policy.
- He also laid the grounds for the Five Year Plans.
- This was so he could present the Five Year Plans as a gradual change, when it fact they were a radical move away from the New Economic Policy.
Communist Party divisions
- There was a still a divide between Bukharin and others who believed in the NEP.
- The majority under Stalin believed that the NEP strayed too far from Marxism.
- Stalin had now completed his move from a supporter of Lenin's NEP to striking his own path.
1The Leadership Struggle, 1924-1929
1.1Struggle for Power 1924-28
2Five Year Plans & Collectivisation
2.1Changes in Industry
2.2Agriculture & Collectivisation
3Purges, Show Trials & The Cult of Stalin
3.1The Use of Terror in the 1930s
3.2Propaganda & Censorship
4Life in the Soviet Union, 1924-1941
4.1Life in the Soviet Union
5The Second World War, 1941-1953
5.1USSR in the War
5.2Stalin & WW2
5.3Post-War Recovery
Jump to other topics
1The Leadership Struggle, 1924-1929
1.1Struggle for Power 1924-28
2Five Year Plans & Collectivisation
2.1Changes in Industry
2.2Agriculture & Collectivisation
3Purges, Show Trials & The Cult of Stalin
3.1The Use of Terror in the 1930s
3.2Propaganda & Censorship
4Life in the Soviet Union, 1924-1941
4.1Life in the Soviet Union
5The Second World War, 1941-1953
5.1USSR in the War
5.2Stalin & WW2
5.3Post-War Recovery
Practice questions on Stalin & the Communist Party
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1What happened to Stalin's opponents in 1925?Fill in the list
- 2Who were the members of the United Opposition?Fill in the list
- 3What happened to the members of the United Opposition?Multiple choice
- 4
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