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Stalin
4.1 - Stalin's and Trotsky's claims to power
Question | Answer |
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What were the many reasons why Stalin could claim to succeed Lenin: | >he controlled the party machine as General Secretary and was an excellent organiser >he had always been loyal to Lenin >he wanted to build up communism in the USSR into a strong power >he had organised Lenin's funeral |
Why was Stalin controlling the party machine as General Secretary and being an excellent organiser a reason why he could claim to succeed Lenin? | It gave him an important power base.He used his position to appoint more junior party officials.They all supported him as they owed their position to him.These junior officials elected the Politburo,so he was able to control this organisation through them |
Give more detail on Stalin having always been loyal to Lenin as being a reason why he could claim to succeed Lenin: | Trotsky had only joined the Bolshevik Party in the summer of 1917. Stalin made sure that he was seen as Lenin's right-hand man, even getting photographs altered to show him as physically close to Lenin. |
Give more detail on Stalin wanting to build up communism in the USSR into a strong power being a reason why he could claim to succeed Lenin: | He wanted to do this first rather than plan for the spread of communism. This appealed to the Russians who had suffered through years of struggle and wanted to see the results of communism in their lives. |
Give more detail on Stalin organising Lenin's funeral being a reason why he could claim to succeed Lenin: | Trotsky had not been there; he had been recovering from malaria in the warm south, and Stalin deliberately told him the wrong date so that he arrived late. This made Stalin appear more dedicated to the memory of Lenin than Trotsky. |
What were Trotsky's substantial claims to succeed Lenin? | >he'd carried out the actual Bolshevik takeover of Petrograd >he'd led the Red Army to victory in the Civil War >he was clever >he supported Karl Marx's original aim of communism spreading to all the developed countries |
When had Trotsky carried out the actual Bolshevik takeover of Petrograd (thus giving him a claim to succeed Lenin)? | October/November 1917 |
What had Trotsky done to lead the Red Army to victory in the Russian Civil War (thus giving him a claim to succeed Lenin)? | He was a brilliant leader and toured Russia in a special train to direct troop movements and keep up morale. |
In what ways was Trotsky clever (thus giving him a claim to succeed Lenin)? | He was able to give enthusiastic support when he spoke, and he was a powerful writer. |
What did Trotsky supporting Karl Marx's original aim of communism spreading to all the developed countries mean (thus giving him a claim to succeed Lenin)? | That with this programme of 'World Revolution' he was at odds with Stalin's policy of Socialism in One Country. |