Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-1-stalin-and-his-rivals [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [IGCSE](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse.md) › [History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history.md) › [Edexcel IGCSE](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse.md) › Stalin & his Rivals # Stalin & his Rivals History: Edexcel IGCSE USSR, 1924-1953, topic 1.1.1 ## 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 ![Lenin’s final testament](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/f55a41d4-46c1-4a4e-9ceb-54135602c08c/shutterstock_339956711.jpg) - 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 ![Joseph Stalin](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/78089149-c01c-48bf-8737-663944d7ee91/shutterstock_631524029.jpg) - 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 ![Leon Trotsky](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/4271d0c5-2c94-4518-beab-5f6fece2a74a/shutterstock_796270189.jpg) - Trotsky was a brilliant 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, Kamenev and Bukharin](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/738dddf9-f83a-434e-9ffa-5e3c2dc68688/shutterstock_785840902.jpg) - 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 very popular in the party. He was a respected thinker and writer, but he was too sympathetic towards the NEP. This was not a popular view in the Party before 1924. ## Test yourself on Stalin & his Rivals - When did Lenin die? - Who were Stalin's main rivals to succeed Lenin? - Which of the following about Stalin are correct? - Which of the following are correct of Lenin's potential successors? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/f1dc4f79-6e3d-4596-a089-7367ed6fee1e/section/63963ce8-90be-4f95-94cc-8aa0a2bd94cf/session) - Next topic: [1.1.2 The End of Lenin & Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-2-the-end-of-lenin-and-stalin.md) ## History: Edexcel IGCSE USSR, 1924-1953 contents ### 1 The Leadership Struggle, 1924-1929 - 1.1 Struggle for Power 1924-28 - [1.1.1 Stalin & his Rivals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-1-stalin-and-his-rivals.md) - [1.1.2 The End of Lenin & Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-2-the-end-of-lenin-and-stalin.md) - [1.1.3 Stalin & the Communist Party](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/1-1-3-stalin-and-the-communist-party.md) ### 2 Five Year Plans & Collectivisation - 2.1 Changes in Industry - [2.1.1 Industrialisation & Gosplan](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-1-1-industrialisation-and-gosplan.md) - 2.2 Agriculture & Collectivisation - [2.2.1 Five Year Plans & Grain Hoarding](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-2-1-five-year-plans-and-grain-hoarding.md) - [2.2.2 Collectivisation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-2-2-collectivisation.md) - [2.2.3 Kulaks](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/2-2-3-kulaks.md) ### 3 Purges, Show Trials & The Cult of Stalin - 3.1 The Use of Terror in the 1930s - [3.1.1 Purges](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-1-purges.md) - [3.1.2 NKVD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-2-nkvd.md) - [3.1.3 Show Trials](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-3-show-trials.md) - [3.1.4 Labour Camps](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-1-4-labour-camps.md) - 3.2 Propaganda & Censorship - [3.2.1 Art & Religion Under Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-1-art-and-religion-under-stalin.md) - [3.2.2 Media & the Cult of Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-2-media-and-the-cult-of-stalin.md) - [3.2.3 The Cult of Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-3-the-cult-of-stalin.md) - [3.2.4 History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/3-2-4-history.md) ### 4 Life in the Soviet Union, 1924-1941 - 4.1 Life in the Soviet Union - [4.1.1 Living Conditions & Ethnic Minorities in the USSR](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/4-1-1-living-conditions-and-ethnic-minorities-in-the-ussr.md) ### 5 The Second World War, 1941-1953 - 5.1 USSR in the War - [5.1.1 1941-1942](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-1-1-1941-1942.md) - [5.1.2 1943-1945](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-1-2-1943-1945.md) - 5.2 Stalin & WW2 - [5.2.1 Stalin's Popularity](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-2-1-stalins-popularity.md) - [5.2.2 Post-War Consolidation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-2-2-post-war-consolidation.md) - 5.3 Post-War Recovery - [5.3.1 Economic Recovery](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-3-1-economic-recovery.md) - [5.3.2 The USSR by 1953](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/igcse/history/edexcel-igcse/5-3-2-the-ussr-by-1953.md)