The main defendants in the other trials were Pyatakov, Sokolnikov, Serebryakov, Radek, Bukharin and Rykov.The Show Trials were one of Stalin’s many forms of propaganda, to scare people. On his way to power he was cautious and did not cause the deaths of anyone - he waited until he could destroy people without any political opposition. The defendants were- Zinovyev and Kamenev and Smirnov, all of whom had been Bolsheviks since before the October Revolution of 1917. The 3rd plan was to transfer more resources into defence-related industries. Using his position as general-secretary, Stalin was able to control meetings and elections to conferences and congresses. Nikita Khrushchev begins his rise to power The Soviet government announces that Nikita Khrushchev has been selected as one of five men named to the new office of Secretariat of the Communist Party. Many prominent Bolsheviks had always underestimated Stalin because he was not well educated. ?the best qualification to move Russia away from any ideological or economic dependence on the West? Although Stalin would later be Trotsky's primary antagonist, for the moment the opposition included not only Stalin but also two other politicians: Lev Kamenev and G.E… ?No other contender came anywhere near matching Stalin in his hold on the party machine? The system of Soviet government had made it possible for Stalin to gain the influence in the party, which would be vital in crushing any opposition towards him. Both men were skilled users of propaganda, each was amoral, and they both had the ambition to make their countries powerful in the world. Additionally, rivals did not realize the way the party had changed from its earlier days and nights. [8] 2. Several factors fall under this category. Stalin and Trotsky - a comparison. Trotsky did not take advantage of several opportunities which wouldhave helped him to crush Stalin politically. Why Stalin was Able to Win the Power Struggle with Trotsky The Bolsheviks, the ruling party of the Soviet Union, was lead by the Lenin. How was Stalin able to assume control of the Communist Party by 1929? (Find a price that suits your requirements), The Essay on Stalin’s Position As General Secretary, The Term Paper on Account For Stalin’s Rise To Power In The Period 1922 To 1929, The Essay on Russian Revolution Stalin Trotsky Power, The Term Paper on Joseph Stalin: The Iron Power, Why Did Stalin Come to Power and Not Trotsky. MITALEE SUCHAK REASONS FOR Stalin's RISE TO POWER Changing membership of the politburo Lenin was incapable of leading the politburo and Stalin no All rights reserved. It was this Slavic background, according to Lee, which gave him: ? Stalin (right) seated next to his predecessor as Soviet leader, Lenin. One of the most important reasons why Stalin won the power struggle is that he used his high positions in the Communist party and the power that came with it to his advantage. Stalin was different, however. Overview. Stalin was captured and exiled to Siberia numerous times, but usually, he escaped. Severely debilitated, he went into semi-retirement and moved to his dacha in Gorki. Trotsky, by comparison, witnessed a major strength of his made redundant and his policies finding little support at home from a party swayed by Stalin?s pro-Slav approach. EH Carr and Deutscher claim that Stalin had not carefully planned this rise to prominence within the party machinery, rather he was an opportunist, willing to seize the moment, and thus finding power within his grasp. In this essay I will discuss whether Stalin’s position as General Secretary was the most important factor in his seize of power. Stalin often assured them that if they confessed they would be allowed to go, but this was untrue.The trials successfully eliminated the major and potential political rivals of Stalin. On the Photographs were altered so Stalin seemed a closer friend to Lenin than he had been and Trotsky was removed from all photographs and history books and articles. Stalin’s rise a result from his deliberate and skilfulmanipulation of genuine political and ideological differences amongst … Adolf Hitler's rise to power began in Germany in September 1919 when Hitler joined the political party then known as the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei – DAP (German Workers' Party). By 1928 Stalin was said to have control over the communist party in Russia. The Great Purge which happened after he gained total power consumed about 2.5 million people. The paper began by providing an overview of the conditions in post-war Italy. The following were equally important reasons why Stalin was able to hold onto power in the Soviet Union:* The purges and show trials* The secret police* Propaganda and the cult of personality* Stalin’s economic policies.Explain how far you agree with this statement. Trotsky?s poor judgment was also evident when he took action, his condemnation of party bureaucracy at the Party Congress, Central Committee, Politburo meetings, and in numerous essays. Reed Brett on Stalin's rise to power. Thanks to all four of them it was possible for Stalin to reach to the power of one leader of a single party. Final Stage of Stalin's Rise to Power. Author: Created by alainechristian. Stalin allowed Bukharin to be chief advocate of NEP. Lenin’s testament was never read out to the public or the communist party because Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev decided it was better that Trotsky was not in power and to keep Stalin on Zinoviev’s and Kamenev’s side. It gets you high marks! Most importantly, his appointment to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1922 put him in the position of being the ?vital link-man? Overview. It was aimed at transforming traditional agriculture in the Soviet Union and to try and reduce the power of the Kulaks. Power Politics. Why Did Stalin Become Leader After Lenin, Not Trotsky. It would appear that Stalin?s opponents had serious flaws, which prevented them from effectively challenging him; Trotsky in particular, had squandered vital opportunities to change the course of the leadership race, and made serious errors that effectively ruined his own bid. Arpil 1925 measures to boost agricultural production and gain capital by selling grain abroad. The Secret Police or NKVD (People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs) had hundreds of thousands of people murdered and millions imprisoned. Yet after Lenin's death, Stalin was able to ensure that his testament did not gain a wide audience, even among Party members. When Lenin died in January of 1924, he left behind no clear successor, and vague indications of his intended plans for the Bolshevik party. According to Lynch: ?The prevailing view of Party members towards Trotsky is an important part of any explanation of Trotsky?s political failure and Stalin?s success? Stalin, quite astutely, began to take on the ?legacy of Lenin? The final piece of the jigsaw was Stalin turning against the NEP policy. * Stalin was fortuitous that Lenin’s testament was not read out and that Trotsky was ill for most of the power ... ... Stalin's position was consolidated. (June 2006) These are the two possible questions and to be honest, they're fairly similar. Many dismissed him as a nonentity and a political figure of no real substance. Prof Rempel on Stalin vs Trotsky This power would be vital in his rise to power as it restricted any real challenge to the ?vital link-man? Stalin was a very shrewd manipulator. Stalin was, by opportunism or careful planning, able to gain control of the party machine and use it to his advantage, and use his own political skills to out manoeuvre his opponents, while they often displayed lackluster tactics in a vain attempt to win the support of a party loyal to Stalin. This was where the connection was between the Five-Year and Collectivisation. How far do you agree that the weaknesses and mistakes of Stalin’s rivals was the main factor allowing Stalin to rise to power? The failure of Communism in the West has also been advanced as an explanation for the success of Stalin in his rise to power, a view given much support from Lee and Colletti, who give much emphasis to the failure of the German Revolution is strengthening the position and policy of Stalin. The rise of Stalin was as clever and manipulative as it was unexpected. Here you can order a professional work. As time went on Stalin became more and more fearful and paranoid and in turn became more and more controlling of his country. Essay, USSR – The main reason for the February/March Revolution was The World War I Essay, Pros and cons of various economic systems Sample Essay, Was life improving for the Russian people before 1914? On March 2nd, 1930, he published an article called ‘Dizzy from Success’, in which he blamed local officials for the intensity of Collectivisation and almost immediately many peasants left the collective farms. But by 1936, Stalin had achieved his aim of collectivisation as nearly all of the peasantry had been collectivised.The famine continued and millions were dead or had been deported. History was re-written so that Stalin became a more important part in the Russian Revolution and Civil War than he actually had been. The Main Factor That Allows Stalin to Rise to Power. This was where Soviet propaganda presented Stalin as a god-like figure. The army and navy were seriously weakened by the loss of senior officers. A small middle class and an urban working class were emerging as Russia began to industrialize. Would you like to get a custom essay? E xplain why Stalin’s efforts and Trotsky’s mistakes allowed Stalin to succeed Lenin as the leader of USSR. The main question that you need to be able to write about on this topic is simply: why did Stalin win the power struggle that followed the incapacitation and death of Lenin? This was because many peasants were giving all their harvest to the state and a prevalent famine began.After a number of years of collectivisation Stalin decided to slow down the collectivisation process. When Stalin gained total control of the Soviet Union, he immediately began to make changes to agriculture (Collectivisation) and to industry (The Five-Year Plans). Political Thought of Joseph Stalin. Stalin and Trotsky - a comparison. Trotsky?s failure to take the appropriate action at key moments, as he himself pointed out to Lenin, allowed for Stalin?s power within the party to grow unchecked. Propaganda also prevented movement away from socialist teaching and avoided debate within the party. General Secretary of the Party for example. EH Carr and Deutscher believe that this was a crucial stage in the campaign as it allowed Stalin to rally support by taking on the role as a patriot, and silence Trotsky as an effective political opponent. Stalin was able to exercise such powers in the decisive votes against the proposals of Trotsky and the left and to defeat their proposals and eventually remove Trotsky from his position as Commissar for War in 1925. I agree that all the above reasons did help Stalin stay in power and I believe that they are equally important reasons. of the party, since he could always rely on loyalty from his appointees.