Wyoming

Tuesday; July 3, 2018

Why did Stalin become party leader?

Why did Stalin become party leader?

1. You will have developed your own ideas about why Stalin emerged as the leader of Soviet Russia by 1929. The
writers of Sources 1-8 indicate some of the key reasons why they think Stalin won the power struggle and
whether this was to do with his skills or the weaknesses of his opponents. Read the sources carefully. Decide
which column of the table below they would fit into.

Stalin’s personal Weaknesses of

Importance of control
Policies characteristics and opponents, especially Luck
of party organization
political skills Trotsky
Source 1​ – G. Hosking, Source 5​ ​– I. Source 4​ – Bukharin, at Source 2​ ​– I. Deutscher, Source 8​ ​– M.
A History of the Soviet Deutscher, ​Stalin,​ a secret meeting with The Prophet Unarmed: McCauley, ​Russia
Union, ​1985, p.140 rev. edn, 1966, p. Kamenev in July 1928 Trotsky 1921-29, ​1959, 1917-41, ​1997,
To his comrades in the 277 Stalin is a Genghis Khan, p.93 p.78
Party leadership he In the Politburo, an unscrupulous The truth is that Trotsky Stalin had luck on
[Stalin] was known, when matters of intriguer, who sacrifices refrained from attacking his side. Had
rather condescendingly, high policy were everything else to the Stalin because he felt Lenin not died
as ‘Comrade under debate, he preservation of power… secure. No contemporary, Stalin would
Card-Index’ [Stalin] never He changes his theories and he least of all, saw in probably have
(Tovarishch seemed to impose according to whom he the Stalin of 1923 the been sent to the
Kartotekov): they were his views on his needs to get rid of next. menacing and towing provinces to work
content to leave him to colleagues. He figure he was to become. It for the Party.
assemble and classify carefully followed Source 7​ ​– R. Conquest, seemed to Trotsky almost a Dzerzhinsky, the
the personnel files, not the course of debate Stalin: Breaker of bad joke that Stalin, the head of the
yet realising what to see what way the Nations, ​1991, pp. wilful and sly but shabby Cheka, from its
power was wind was blowing 129-30 and inarticulate man in the inception to his
accumulating therein. and invariably In 1923 Stalin had been background, should be his death in 1926,
Most of them, being voted with the on the point of political rival. was never one of
well read in the history majority, unless he ruin. In 1924 he was one Stalin’s fans. His
of past revolutions, had assured his among equals, but Source 3​ ​– E.H. Carr, death allowed
were obsessed by a very majority without any outright Socialism in One Country, Stalin to infiltrate
different danger: that of beforehand. He was supporters in the full 1958, p.151 his supporters
finding the revolutions therefore always membership of the [Trotsky]…the great into the political
hijacked by another agreeable to the Politburo. Six years later intellectual, the great police and
Bonaparte. [​Note: majority. To Party he would be in administrator, the great eventually use
Bolsheviks were very audiences he unchallenged power… In orator lacked one quality them against his
knowledgeable about appeared as a man six years Stalin essential – at any rate in opponents.
the French Revolution without personal outmaneuvered a series the conditions of the
and expected, after the grudge and of opponents; first in Russian Revolution – to the
initial period of violent rancour, as a alliance with the rest of great political leader.
revolution, that a detached Leninist, a his colleagues, he Trotsky could fire masses
Napoleon Bonaparte guardian of the opposed and demoted of men to acclaim and
figure would emerge as doctrine who Trotsky. Then in alliance follow him. But he had no
dictator in Russia.] criticised others for with the Bukharin-Rykov talent for leadership
the sake of the ‘Right’ he defeated the among equals. He could
cause. Zinoviev-Kamenev ‘Left’ not establish his authority
bloc… and finally he and among colleagues by the
his own following modest arts of persuasion
attacked their hitherto or by sympathetic attention
allies, the “Riahtists” to the views of men of
lesser intellectual calibre
than himself.
2. How do these sources suggest that perceptions of Stalin changed considerably between 1924 and
1928?

The perceptions of Stalin changed considerably between 1924 and 1928 because of some factors that gave
him power and stability. The charisma and leadership that he had was essential to his triumph, because at
the beginning (1924) he was so common and ordinary, he didn’t have anyone to his side, but with his
abilities he got to be involved in politics and also defeated all his opponents, using the force and power that
he gained. But also we have to emphasize that if Lenin wouldn’t die he wouldn’t have the opportunity of
having the control of the Soviet Union.

3. What does this tell us about how Stalin conducted his campaign for the leadership?

That he was good by taking the attention of the ones who surround him, and that he was decided to take the
control of the Soviet Union, whatever it cost, like Maquiavelo said, the end justifies the means. At the
beginning he was like everyone else, just one more, but his determination put him high. The campaign of
Stalin was massive, and he couldn’t leave nobody alive that could intervene to his desire of getting the
power.

4. Highlight any new information from these sources for your essay research on factors that helped
Stalin and factors that worked against his opponents.