The two rivals who wanted to lead the communist party were Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin.

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Intro

Lenin died in 1924 who was leader or Russia, therefore there needed to

be a new leader of Russia. Lenin was seen like a god-like figure to

the Bolsheviks, who were now known as the communist party and had

complete control of Russia, the two rivals who wanted to lead the

communist party were Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin.

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Stalin became leader because he saw the working class as “one of the

people”. Giving them a sense that they are important and have a say in

how their country is run. As general secretary of the party, he gave

his supporters powerful jobs and kicked Trotsky supporters out of the

party. Lenin wanted a strong person at the centre of the Party

apparatus to root out corruption and bureaucratism. He thought that

Stalin was such a person, but he was mistaken.

Once installed in such an important post, Stalin began to staff the

Party's central offices with cronies such as Kaganovich, who was put

in charge of the Party's Organizational Department (Orgotdel). This

committee controlled appointments. It therefore had powers of

patronage. It would never have occurred to Sverdlov to use this

position for personal gain. And the Party itself was very clear on the

question of appointments and non-elective positions in general.

A secret triumvirate was formed of Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin, aimed

at isolating Trotsky. In his Testament, Lenin not only referred to

Trotsky as the most capable member of the Central Committee but also

stated that his non-Bolshevik past "should not be held against him

personally". Yet the triumvirate ignored Lenin's advice and launched a

vitriolic campaign against Trotsky, inventing the myth of

"Trotskyism". As part of this they created the cult of Lenin. Against

Krupskaya's wishes, his body was embalmed and placed on public display

in the mausoleum in Red Square. Later Krupskaya stated: "All his life

Vladimir Ilyich was against icons, and now they have turned him into

an icon."

A fatal role in all this was played by Zinoviev and Kamenev, who were

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