HOW DID STALIN SUCCEED?

KEY MNEMONIC TO REMEMBER PILLR

P ositions. Stalin had them all : politburo, orgburo, party secy, Komissar of Nationalities

Each of these gave him a distinct advantage Ideology: Socialism in one country LUCK: in spades. Funeral and Will are the two

that he used very effectivelyL : First group he eliminated. Trotsky and the Zinoviev and Kamenev. Issue was Scissors Crisis and then NEP

R Thisis the group he eliminated in 1928 and his control complete: Bukharin, Rykov etc. This time he ends NEP

2 CANDIDATES THAT SEEMED TO BE THE MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED WERE BUKHARIN AND TROTSKY.BUKHARIN WAS THE THEORIST AND TROTSKY THE MAN OF ACTION

SO HOW DID STALIN TAKE CONTROL 1. Date of the funeral 2. Very public funeral much against the wishes of

Nadia Krupskaya 3. Lenin’s Will 4. Lenin Enrolment 5. In Policy debates Stalin would refer to the

Factionalism issue. Lenin’s rule: Party over personal view. So promotion of a personal view was bad!! Trotsky frequently accused of Factionalism

6. Trotsky now in open confrontation on Party matters with Zinoviev and Kamenev against him in 1924

HOW DID STALIN TAKE CONTROL? 6. 14th Party Congress in 1925, Trotsky’s anti NEP policy

attacked. ‘Socialism in one country appeals more Trotsky loses control of Red Army. Appointed Kommissar to

deal with electrification project. Essentially sidelined 7. Trotsky tries to defend himself with K. and Z. while

Stalin watches 8.United Opposition against Trotsky, who is now accused

of factionalism, all three expelled from the Party by 1927 9. IN 1928 he turns against NEP and advocates a policy of

rapid industrialization. 10. Opposition by Bukharin and others useless, Stalin

simply has them removed, more new members are introduced, among them Khruschev, Yagoda and Yeshov

BY 1929Stalin in control and celebrates his 50th

Birthday in styleVolgograd is renamed Stalingrad in his honour.Why was Leningrad or St Petersburg not

renamed?

WAS THERE ANY POINT AT WHICHSTALIN COULD BE STOPPED?

2 ISSUES Will Trotsky’s illness. Was it a sham? Or an

acknowledgement of Stalin?

WHY DID STALIN SUCCEED? Grey Blur: Did not push himself forward until

1925. So he was seriously underestimated Propaganda : Lenin’s heir Exploited Party rivalries Trotsky v/s Zinoviev

and Kamenev Party Positions which taken together gave him

enormous power Death of 2 possible rivals : Sverdlov and

Dzerzhinski by 1921 Trotsky lacked political acumen. Intellectual.

Man of action but not infighting Trotsky a Jew and ex Menshevik

WHY DID STALIN SUCCEED? Additional factors

Need for peace and stability promised by ‘socialism in one country

Fear of a takeover by Trotsky who had seemed very powerful as long as he controlled the Red Army

FACTORS FOR RISE TO POWER External: War since 1914. need for peace Stalin had promoted himself and Lenin’s heir Stalin a very shrewd manipulator and used

every advantage very effectively No clear heir designate that allowed for the

machinations of Stalin