Stalin was never considered to be a prominent member of the Politburo however he became one of the most well known leaders of the Soviet Union and the most feared. Firstly Stalin built himself a ‘power base’ within the party that allowed him to defeat his rivals. He did this by firstly impressing Lenin about his practical abilities and there Lenin saw him as well suited for the position of General Secretary. Consequently in 1922 Lenin and Kamenev appointed Stalin. With the power that Stalin had now acquired he could appoint new members for the party and demote members of the party.
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.
How important was Stalin’s use of the Lenin legacy in gaining power? Stalin’s use of the Lenin Legacy helped him gain support during the years 1924-1929, eventually resulting in him winning the power struggle and gaining power in Russia. Even though in Lenin’s final testament he made it clear that Stalin was trouble and he should be got rid of, Stalin’s political cunning and his use of the Lenin legacy meant that he was able to gain people’s support and become leader of the Communist party. One of the most noticeable was at Lenin’s funeral. Firstly, Stalin had told Trotsky (who was a major rival to Stalin at this time) the wrong date for Lenin’s funeral.
Zinoviev was seen by the party as ‘the most despicable individual since Mussolini.’ He was considered vain and arrogant with very limited political success, so he was unable to challenge Stalin’s authority alone. Kamenev was viewed as an unambitious person and never made an effort to become leader of the Soviet Union, this really limited his chances of becoming leader. Bukharin was seen as an able competitor, honest and incorruptible. However his appeal was damaged by his open disagreements with Lenin, also he did not openly go against Stalin which led him to be manipulated by Stalin. Overall Stalin
In many ways, Stalin transformed himself to replicate Lenin by adopting his ideas and goals, although the way in which he met these goals are highly controversial by historians. Stalin was quickly acknowledged as a murderous dictator while he used a tactic of systematic killing of political opponents and innocent civilians on a massive scale. The objectives that Stalin was able to accomplish during his political career were truly outstanding and beneficial, however; the way in which he met these goals was truly unethical. Joseph Stalin was an
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.
Trotsky underestimated Stalin and what he was capable of (creating a triumvirate with Zinoviev and Kamenev, using this alliance to defeat him). He lost respect by not turning up to Lenin’s funeral, allowing Stalin to act as though he was closest to Lenin. Yet, the biggest mistake which Trotsky made was when he agreed not to publish Lenin’s
How accurate is it to say that Lenin’s leadership was the most important reason for the Bolsheviks’ success in the revolution of October 1917? The Bolshevik party on 25th October 1917 seized control of Russia with Lenin viewed to many as the icon of the revolution since his policies were quickly widespread amongst the people of Petrograd and his impressive leadership skills mobilized his ideas and the Bolshevik planned events to gain power. However, many would disagree, arguing that Lenin is not as significant because other leading Bolsheviks, such as Trotsky, were far more effective than Lenin in carrying out the revolution. Secondly, the weaknesses and underlying issues of the Provisional Government proved that they were destined to fail regardless of their attempts to keep power through repression, already placing the Bolsheviks in a good position for taking control. Finally the failures of the Provisional Government made them vulnerable which coincidentally worked to advantage the Bolsheviks.
When Lenin was alive he made several criticisms about Stalin which were not made public. If they were made public then it would have hindered Stalin’s victory. Lenin had said that Stalin was too rude and that he did not think through his decisions properly. Stalin’s victory was not expected by most people as they all underestimated his abilities. However Stalin did have his strengths which assisted in his victory.
Thus began a battle of political subterfuge, manoeuvrability and betrayal, things that Joseph Stalin, eventual leader of the USSR, excelled at. Many things influenced and aided Stalin in his rise to power. Luck was a key factor, but so was his ability to take advantage of every situation he found himself in, the lack of competence in his political opponents, and his own political skill and ability. While all these helped in securing Stalin his position of unquestioned leader of the Soviet Union, one factor rises above the rest in it importance, the question is however, which one? As said above, luck was definitely a vital part in Stalin’s victory.