There are a number of factors that explain Stalin’s rise to power. As well as his role of General Secretary, there was his natural and unerring political sixth sense which, coupled with the fatal weaknesses of his opponents and the fertile ground sown by Lenin’s legacy, led to him to the top of the Communist Party. Firstly, the role of General Secretary was very important in accounting for Stalin’s success. On the face of it a dull bureaucratic post involving dreary administration, the role actually allowed Stalin vast powers over the party. It gave him a seat in the Politburo, overseeing policy, but also oversight over party members as he had access to over 26,000 personal files.
The success of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War was due to Lenin, Trotsky and their combined political, social and military capabilities as they were experts. They introduced various political and military policies that enabled them to raise support in Russia and create a dominant and successful military force. Both leaders showed immense dedication to the socialist cause and in doing so provided ruthless and brilliant leadership that ensured Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War. Peasant support for the Bolsheviks was a result of the Whites political and social faults. Firstly, the Whites treated the peasant class harshly, they did not see the advantage of gaining the support of the larger lower class as about 82% and they did not take full advantage of that.
An important factor as to why Stalin was able to emerge as leader was due to the advantages that he had as a result of his position within the communist party. Stalin managed to obtain the role of head of central control commission. His role presented him with the power to investigate and discipline members of the party. He used this to the best of his manipulative ability by not expelling those who disagreed and went against him ideologically. Another important factor was the weaknesses of his opponents for example Trotsky was a weak powerbase due to his old age although he had high authority as he was the leader of the red army.
Also writers, artists and musicians were made to produce works or realism glorifying soviet achievements. This appealed to patriotism and made the legacy of the Stalinist system strong[2]. Also the fact that Stalin succeeded in galvanising the nation meant the Stalinist system was well suited to the demands of total war as it was already centrally planned[3]. This advantage led to Stalin being a successful leader of the USSR in those years. Stalin’s economic strategies led to the successful growth of industrialism and modernisation of the USSR.
Lenin’s contribution to the Bolshevik Party was an essential factor in their consolidation of power during 1917-1924, however; Lenin’s role was not the only factor contributing to their success. The Bolsheviks were regarded as a “minor feature of Russian political life” and it was not until Lenin’s return to Russia that the party became a key player. It can be seen that Lenin played a pivotal role in the consolidation of power due to his background which allowed Lenin to be influenced by a revolutionary upbringing. Through his upbringing, Lenin was able to develop a strong leadership, political insight and determination allowing the Bolsheviks to be lead into power. Whilst the Bolsheviks were in power, Lenin’s role in dealing with uprisings and anti-communist groups was significant as it allowed the Bolsheviks to remain in power.
For some people of Eastern Europe, the Communist brought hope. The Soviet Union had achieved amazing industrial growth before WWII. Communism also offered them stable government and security because they were backed by one of the worlds superpowers. Many people hoped for great things from Communism. The reality of Soviet control of EU was very different from what people expected.
To what extent can Stalin’s industrial policies be said to have been successful? Stalin’s Five Year’s Plans were designed to strengthen the USSR’s economy to make the nation self-sufficient. Stalin claimed that the USSR was ’50-100 years behind’, and therefore they had to gain ground on their western counterparts, and fast. Stalin planned to advance 100 years in 10 – this was because Stalin felt vulnerable to attack and he believed that the USSR must ‘overtake and outstrip the capitalist countries’. He believed in ‘Socialism in one country’ where the USSR would become strong enough to survive, then would take over the rest of the world.
Likewise Stalin saw himself as a God-like man in the way he was able to have total control over Russian people. This was done through heavy propaganda and the notion of Stalinism. This simply meant anything which was successful within Russia whether it be having a meal or winning a war it was all down to Comrade Stalin. Continuity could also be seen as a key factor in characterising Russia as well as change for example the two regimes had similar methods in the running of the country. The Tsars government was predominantly made up of family members and previous heirs close advisors who supported his autocracy.
Unit 1 Stalin – Assignment ‘To what extent was Stalin’s victory over his opponents in the power struggle a result of his opponents mistakes?’ In 1929, four years after the death of Lenin, the power struggle between Stalin, Trotsky, Bukharin, Kamenev and Zinoviev was over. Stalin was the undisputed leader of the USSR. Many people would said that Stalin’s victory was due to the mistakes made by his opposition, yet it could also be argued that there were other reasons behind his rise to power. One of Stalin’s biggest opponents during the power struggle was that of Trotsky (left wing), who some considered to be the favourite to succeed Lenin at the time of his death in 1924. Despite his Menshevik past, Trotsky was close to Lenin and had played a key role in the communist party.
Why did the Reds win the Russian Civil War? When the Bolsheviks (known as the Reds) came to power in November 1917, they started to set out new policies and make new rules such as closing the Constituent Assembly. These new ways of running Russia, were disliked by many and by the summer of 1918 Russia was in the state of the Civil War. The Reds managed to win the civil war in the end. The main reasons for why the Reds won the Civil War the geographical factors affecting the war, support for the Bolsheviks and the Red Army and crucially were the leadership of Trotsky.