As Lenin approached his final years of power, he was left with two
main concerns. Firstly, he was becoming increasingly alarmed about the
gradual movement of partial communism to full communism. This tied in
closely with his second, and more important concern of who was to
become his successor. As Lenin became increasingly ill, there was
rising tension between the two likely candidates to replace Lenin.
Initially, it looked as though Trotsky was the rightful heir. Having
served well in planning the revolution, he was well respected by
troops, an extremely good public speaker, an outstanding organiser,
and a keen writer of revolutionary ideas. Stalin on the other hand was
seen as dull and humourless and didn’t get on personally with Lenin,
yet there are a number of reasons why he emerged as Lenin’s successor.
To begin with, whilst the to important leaders of the Communist Part,
Kamenev and Zinoviev agreed with Trotsky Politically, they very much
disliked him personally, and therefore formed an alliance with Stalin
to prevent him coming to power. Trotsky also suffered constant attacks
from older party members who distrusted him. His domination of the Red
Army, combined with his extreme communist views, led them to become
suspicious that he might use their support to become a dictator. The
fact that he only joined the Bolshevik party in 1917 caused them to
doubt his loyalty, unlike Stalin, who had been a trustworthy member
for over 20 years.
Trotsky found himself in a rather difficult situation, after becoming
a sort of victim of his own success with the Red Army. In spite of the
fact that Trotsky had made himself extremely popular among the troops,
by ensuring that he was there to help them out in the field, he soon
found himself extremely distant from the Politburo and the circle of
powerful leaders, with little role. He therefore failed to use his
popularity within the army to help his cause, and become Lenin’s
successor.
In contrast with this, Stalin was able to use his position to his
While spending time in Kazakhstan, his desire to go out and fight grows stronger and stronger. Through much hard work and planning he eventually manages to enlist in a Polish Army division called Battalion 92, which helps maintain the railways which deliver supplies to the fronts. After nearly starving to death on an assignment in the Ural Mountains, he deserts the Battalion, escaping to Chelyabinsk, where he joins a military school. Upon completion, he is sent to fight at the front in a Polish Army Reserve, achieving his goal o...
In order to establish whether Lenin did, indeed lay the foundation for Stalinism, two questions need to be answered; what were Lenin’s plans for the future of Russia and what exactly gave rise to Stalinism? Official Soviet historians of the time at which Stalin was in power would have argued that each one answers the other. Similarly, Western historians saw Lenin as an important figure in the establishment of Stalin’s socialist state. This can be partly attributed to the prevailing current of pro-Stalin anti-Hitler sentiments amongst westerners until the outbreak of the cold war.
The Development of Totalitarianism Under Stalin By 1928, Stalin had become the undisputed successor to Lenin, and leader of the CPSU. Stalin’s power of appointment had filled the aisles of the Party Congress and Politburo with Stalinist supporters. Political discussion slowly faded away from the Party, and this led to the development of the totalitarian state of the USSR. Stalin, through.
death in 1953. But how is it that Stalin emerged as the new leader of
Stalin and Trotsky: Patrons of World Domination. One of the most well-known countries in the world is Russia. Since the Paleolithic Period, Russia has faced misfortune and difficulties through its brutal leaders. Every change that has made this country more inclusive has been won with toil, tears, and blood.
...a man who thought he was doing the right thing and saving the people from an unjust government; meanwhile, failing to look ahead and see the possible consequences of his monumental decision.
Son of a poverty-stricken shoemaker, raised in a backward province, Joseph Stalin had only a minimum of education. However, he had a burning faith in the destiny of social revolution and an iron determination to play a prominent role in it. His rise to power was bloody and bold, yet under his leadership, in an unexplainable twenty-nine years, Russia because a highly industrialized nation. Stalin was a despotic ruler who more than any other individual molded the features that characterized the Soviet regime and shaped the direction of Europe after World War II ended in 1945. From a young revolutionist to an absolute master of Soviet Russia, Joseph Stalin cast his shadow over the entire globe through his provocative affair in Domestic and Foreign policy.
On March 3, 1918 Russia lost 1/3 of its fertile farm lands, 1/3 of its
...ding his goals, but the results do in no way justify the horrible number of deaths and suffering that came from Stalin’s rule.
politician, war hero, and a leader he put his heart into it. Sure he may have made a
How significant was Lenin’s leadership in the Bolshevik Consolidation of power in 1924? Lenin's leadership was a crucial factor in consolidating Bolshevik power up until his death in 1924. His pragmatic leadership helped gain some initial support as well as giving him unquestioned authority within the party. Furthermore, his push for the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to help save the revolution from foreign invasion was crucial and his practicality was further exemplified through War Communism and the introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP). The use of terror under Lenin's rule was also highly effective in removing political dissidents and exerting Bolshevik authority through coercive measures like the Cheka and the Red Terror.
was a loyal communist who sacrificed his own life so his people could have a
The Effects of Stalin on Russia Much like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin was one of the most ruthless and despised people in the recorded history of the world. Stalin, though, found it fit to abuse his people in any way he saw fit. This man started what history now calls "The Great Purge. " Through the late 1920's when the rest of the world was living it up as the roaring 20's came to an end, Joseph Stalin was setting the stage for gaining absolute power by employing secret police repression against opposing political and social elements within his own Communist Party and throughout society.
...logy and goals, and also a opportunist and exploitative man in regard to opportunities within foreign policy as they were presented him.