How Stalin Won the Leadership Struggle, 1924-1929

What was the leadership struggle in Russia?

After the death of Lenin in 1924, Stalin ultimately won the leadership contest to rule Russia. He used different methods to do this, including using the power he had from his position as general secretary, playing his rivals off against each other, and using a pragmatic approach to win.

When did Stalin defeat his rivals in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Stalin defeated his rivals in the leadership struggle between 1924 and 1929.

Who were Stalin's rivals in leadership struggle in Russia?

Stalin's rivals in the leadership struggle after Lenin's death were: Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev and Bukharin.

Why was there a leadership struggle in Russia after Lenin's death?

There was no clear successor to Lenin after he died. Lenin had not left instructions as to who should be the new leader of the Communist Party, nor who would lead the USSR. Therefore, there was a power struggle between 5 different candidates.

What did Lenin say about the individuals involved in the Russian leadership struggle?

Lenin wrote his 'Testament' in December 1922, after his second stroke, as he realised he was likely to die soon. In it, he criticised all of the men who might replace him. Lenin said:

• ❖ Trotsky was the most capable, but far too arrogant.
• ❖ Stalin was too powerful, too rude, and he should be dismissed as party secretary.
• ❖ Kamenev had not supported Lenin's October Revolution, and so should not be trusted.
• ❖ Zinoviev had not supported Lenin's October Revolution, and so should not be trusted.
• ❖ Bukharin was the favourite of the party members, but Lenin felt he did not fully understand Marxism.

What did Stalin do first in the leadership struggle in the Soviet Union?

Stalin immediately acted strategically in 4 main ways to secure the leadership of the Soviet Union:

• ❖ He organised Lenin's funeral and carried his coffin to present himself as a close friend and loyal supporter.
• ❖ Trotsky did not attend the funeral. He claimed Stalin deliberately told him the incorrect date so it would appear as if he didn't respect Lenin.
• ❖ In May 1924, Kamenev, Zinoviev and Stalin all agreed to not release Lenin's 'Testament', the document dictated by Lenin in December 1922.
• ❖ This meant fewer people knew about Lenin's criticisms of the members of the Communist Party who were candidates to become the new leader. This included the harsh criticisms of Stalin.

What was the split in the Communist Party that Stalin exploited in the leadership struggle in Russia?

The Communist Party was split between the left wing and the right wing:

• ❖ The right wing wanted to continue the New Economic Policy to slowly industrialise and favoured the idea of socialism in one country, ie building communism in the USSR.
• ❖ The left wing wanted to abandon the NEP, and have rapid industrialisation and worldwide revolution.

How did Stalin eliminate his rivals in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Stalin was very clever. He divided and conquered his rivals in 3 stages:

• ❖ Stage 1: Stalin united with Zinoviev and Kamenev to attack and isolate Trotsky.
• ❖ Stage 2: Stalin united with Bukharin to attack the United Opposition of Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky.
• ❖ Stage 3: Stalin turned on Bukharin to attack the Right Opposition.

How did Stalin eliminate his rivals in the leadership struggle in Stage 1 in Russia?

Stalin took 3 key actions in Stage 1:

• ❖ In 1924, Stalin allied with Zinoviev and Kamenev to remove Trotsky. They supported the New Economic Policy against Trotsky, who supported rapid industrialisation.
• ❖ Zinoviev and Kamenev undermined Trotsky and worked against him at the Thirteenth Party Congress in 1924 so that all of his ideas were rejected.
• ❖ As a result, Trotsky lost his job as Commissar for War in 1925.

How did Stalin eliminate his rivals in the leadership struggle in Stage 2 in Russia?

Stalin took 4 key actions in Stage 2:

• ❖ In 1927, Stalin allied with Bukharin and supported the NEP against the United Opposition of Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky.
• ❖ The United Opposition hoped to gain support for their ideas of rapid industrialisation and world revolution at the Fifteenth Party Congress in 1927.
• ❖ Stalin accused Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev of 'factionalism' which Lenin had banned in 1921. This was because they had formed a group which was against the party's New Economic Policy.
• ❖ Therefore, Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev were expelled from the party in 1927. Trotsky withdrew from Soviet politics and went into exile.

How did Stalin eliminate his rivals in the leadership struggle in Stage 3 in Russia?

Stalin took 3 key actions in Stage 3:

• ❖ In 1928, he switched his support to rapid industrialisation, attacking Bukharin and the Right Opposition.
• ❖ Bukharin disagreed with Stalin over abandoning the New Economic Policy, and began plotting with Kamenev to stop him.
• ❖ Bukharin's plotting was discovered and he was expelled from the Politburo in 1929.

Why was Stalin able to win the leadership struggle in 1929 in Russia?

There were 7 important reasons why Stalin won the power struggle in 1929:

• ❖ His rivals made mistakes.
• ❖ Stalin was able to exploit the division in the party over policy choices. Stalin switched his allegiance from the NEP to rapid industrialisation to attack his rivals.
• ❖ Being the general secretary meant Stalin could put his supporters into positions that mattered, such as the Party Congress, to vote against his rivals.
• ❖ Stalin was a very clever politician. He used his position as general secretary to undermine his rivals and he switched alliances to benefit his own position.
• ❖ He used his position as general secretary to pack the Thirteenth Party Congress in 1924 and the Fifteenth Party Congress in 1927 with his supporters.
• ❖ He took a pragmatic approach to policy. He supported Lenin's New Economic Policy between 1924 and 1928, when it appeared to be working, so he could attack the Left Opposition, but he switched to supporting rapid industrialisation in 1928 when NEP was becoming unpopular.
• ❖ He was lucky. For example, in 1923 when Lenin was dying, Trotsky also fell ill and was unable to compete with Stalin.

What mistakes did Stalin's rivals make in the leadership struggle in Russia?

Stalin's rivals made 2 key mistakes:

• ❖ Zinoviev and Kamenev had trusted Stalin and worked with him to keep Trotsky out of power.
• ❖ Zinoviev and Kamenev agreed to not publish Lenin's 'Testament', which had severely criticised Stalin.

What mistakes did Trotsky make during the leadership struggle in Russia?

Trotsky made six key mistakes which helped Stalin to defeat him:

• ❖ Trotsky did not attend Lenin's funeral, did not insist that Lenin's 'Testament' was published and was not popular with the Party members.
• ❖ Many members of the party were offended by Trotsky's arrogant attitude. Some were concerned because he had such an influential role in the Red Army.
• ❖ He failed to take the opposition seriously.
• ❖ He underestimated Stalin as a politician and was more concerned with the other contenders.
• ❖ Other party members did not agree with Trotsky's idea of permanent revolution because it could potentially drag the USSR into future conflict.
• ❖ There were concerns that his radical policies might split the party.

What was the title of the leader of the USSR after the leadership struggle in Russia?

When Stalin took control of the country after eliminating his rivals, he kept his existing title - General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.