Stalin was an unchallenged ruler but he believed he had many enemies and recent history made Stalin wary. His opponents in the rise to power- Trotsky, Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kamenev- all had held leading positions in the Communist Party and then fallen from power. Stalin was paranoid that he would face the same fate. He also did not trust his form opponents as he believed they were not behind his version of socialism. They also had a larger following than Stalin which Stalin feared people would be loyal to them.
Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich, also known as Ivan the Terrible, was a very powerful leader in Russia. Ivan was born in 1530 and died in 1584. He crowned himself the first tsar of Russia. Many believe that although Ivan was a ruthless leader who had a method behind his madness and that he was a tsar who caused great reform in Russia. However, it is hard to imagine how Ivan’s paranoia and constant killing caused Russia to reform for the better.
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.
This is because through the key events, his devious and scheming personality shone through, eventually gaining him the top position of authority. This is shown as soon as Lenin dies as it is said Stalin tells Trotsky the wrong date of Lenin’s funeral (his greatest opposition at the time.) Trotsky doesn’t show up, leaving Stalin to step up and show his loyalty whilst at the same time showing the people of Russia that he is a strong, caring contender, able to take Lenin’s position of leader of Russia. Moreover, Stalin’s position of a moderate ‘peace maker’ as the left side of the party tore themselves apart showed a personality of calm moderation which appealed to others within the party as the fight for leadership became bitter and often ruthless. This made Stalin’s personality shine through amongst the bitter personalities of others such as Trotsky, Zinoviev and
If too kind he will be taken advantage of and if too cruel he will be hated by his subjects. However he will have better security of his kingdom by being feared rather than loved. Therefore, a prince must be cruel to teach a lesson, gain loyalty, and strike fear of his subjects, which is what Peter the Great did during his reign of Russia. Peter's cruelty influenced many of his decisions concerning the Russian Military. He was quick to suppress any revolts and his punishments were almost always harsh to show that he was not to be betrayed.
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
Since Stalin was a paranoiac man who was obsessed of power, he was ruthless towards people and was not afraid of killing anyone who might oppose or opposed him. Stalin was determined in purging the party as there were many aspects against him such as older Bolsheviks were not happy with the treatment towards the peasants created discontent in the way of collectivisation and industrialisation was rising. Stalin was also terrified of being replaced by another member, Kirov in particular as a popular alternate where on the other hand party members were calling in for Trotsky to lead them as they acknowledged him better after the civil war. Just like Lenin, Stalin started using terror in 1934 to win against potential opponents by purging using Kirov’s murder as an excuse to clear out his rivals in the party. Shortly after receiving more applause than Stalin in the 17th Party Congress, the Kirov was shot at the back of the head in a hotel in Leningrad.
This would lead to the army losing their faith in the Tsar which was extremely vital, for as long as the army remained loyal to the him, they were able to put down any threat of revolution however, the poor conditions eventually led to them refusing to fire upon rioters. For these reasons, the First World War contributed majorly to the downfall of Imperial Russia. After his downfall, the War became increasingly unpopular. Popular demands for peace were growing intense, especially within the army. The Provisional Government attempted to regain the support of both the Russian
America, Great Britain and the USSR have been working together as members of the Grand Alliance as an attempt to defeat Nazi Germany. Although they were working together, their relationships weren’t always friendly and there was many disagreements which is part of the reason the Grand Alliance broke down. America and Great Britain were Capitalists countries where as the USSR was a Communist country so there was disputes between all of the superpowers. The USA is to blame for the breakdown of the Grand Alliance for many reasons. After Roosevelt died Truman became the American president.
Stalin, seizing this opportunity, convinced Trotsky that he would not be able to make it back in time for the funeral and the stress of trying would just worsen his condition. This allowed Stalin to be free of a major competitor during the funeral while also ruining Trotsky’s reputation by making it seem like he couldn’t be bothered to attend the funeral of Lenin. With Trotsky temporarily out of the picture Stalin set himself up as Lenin’s disciple, in the eyes of the people