Contenders in The Leadership Struggle, 1924-1929

What were the strengths of the contenders in the leadership struggle in Russia?

The contenders in the struggle for the leadership of Russia all had their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Any of them could have succeeded Lenin.

What were the strengths of Stalin as a contender in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Stalin had 6 main strengths:

• ❖ He was the general secretary of the party in 1922, which gave him a lot of power as he could control what was discussed in the Politburo meetings.
• ❖ He could appoint his supporters to key jobs because he was the general secretary.
• ❖ He had access to 26,000 personal files which he could use against the other contenders.
• ❖ He launched the Lenin Enrolment programme from 1923 to 1925. This recruited over 500,000 largely uneducated and poor members who were loyal to him.
• ❖ Many members favoured his idea of socialism in one country, where they would concentrate on developing communism in the USSR rather than worldwide.
• ❖ Most of the leading communists underestimated Stalin and viewed him merely as a capable administrator.

What were the weaknesses of Stalin as a contender in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Stalin had 4 main weaknesses:

• ❖ Stalin was harshly criticised by Lenin in his 'Testament'. If this became public knowledge it would undermine him.
• ❖ He had angered Lenin by being very rude to Lenin's wife, Krupskaya.
• ❖ He did not take part in the October Revolution.
• ❖ He was not popular or well-known in the party, considering his relatively high level of responsibility within it. He had been famously described as 'the grey blur' - a bureaucrat and administrator, rather than a charismatic leader.

What were Trotsky's strengths as a contender in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Trotsky had 4 main strengths:

• ❖ He played a significant role in the October Revolution, working closely with Lenin.
• ❖ He enabled the communists to win the civil war by creating the Red Army.
• ❖ He was a great speaker and organiser.
• ❖ He was popular with the younger and more radical members.

What were Trotsky's weaknesses as a contender in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Trotsky had 3 key weaknesses:

• ❖ He joined the Communist Party in 1917, so he was not seen as one of the 'Old Bolsheviks'.
• ❖ He was disliked by members of the party because he was Jewish and seen as arrogant and rude.
• ❖ Many members did not like his idea of worldwide revolution because it meant a continued struggle and possible war.

What were Kamenev's strengths as a contender in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Kamenev 2 main strengths were:

• ❖ He had joined the party in 1903, so he was seen as an 'Old Bolshevik'.
• ❖ He was the party secretary in Moscow, which gave him a power base.

What were Kamenev's weaknesses as a contender in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Kamenev's 2 key weaknesses were:

• ❖ He was seen as disloyal to Lenin because he had opposed Lenin's plans for the timing of the October Revolution.
• ❖ He was not really involved in the civil war.

What were Zinoviev's strengths as a leadership contender in Russia?

Zinoviev's 3 main strengths were:

• ❖ He had a strong party base because he was the party secretary in Leningrad.
• ❖ He was considered an 'Old Bolshevik' because he joined the party in 1903.
• ❖ He was a close friend of Lenin.

What were Zinoviev's weaknesses as a contender in the leadership contender in Russia?

Zinoviev's 3 key weaknesses were:

• ❖ He was seen as disloyal to Lenin because he had opposed Lenin's plans for the timing of the October Revolution.
• ❖ He was not heavily involved in the civil war.
• ❖ He was seen as ineffectual.

What were Bukharin's strengths as a contender for leadership in Russia?

Bukharin's 4 main strengths were:

• ❖ Lenin described him as the 'golden boy' of the Communist Party - he was very popular.
• ❖ He supported Lenin until his death.
• ❖ He played an important role in the Communist Party between 1925 and 1928.
• ❖ He was the editor of the communist newspaper, Pravda.

What were Bukharin's weaknesses as a contender in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Bukharin's 3 main weaknesses were:

• ❖ He had disagreed with Lenin over the ending of the First World War and the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
• ❖ He supported the New Economic Policy, which made him unpopular with the party's left wing.
• ❖ He was seen as too young and inexperienced.