Stalin Case Study Extended Response

“Explain how Stalin was able to establish himself as leader of the USSR by 1928” By 1928, Joseph Stalin, “the man of steel” had emerged as the new leader of the USSR. This was achieved in phases which firstly started with a gradual and silent power base with the aid of the party and his secretariat powers. Afterwards it was consequently attained after the struggle for power between the most powerful opposition: Trotsky and the subsequent purging of Stalin’s past and hence any real oppistion. The skills and connections he had possessed during the party organisation proved completely useful for the sabotage of information and manipulation of knowledge with power which ultimately promised his leadership and his cult of personality. The power was firstly established with the main organisation by Lenin, Trotsky and the revolution along with the civil war with further organisation. The Bolsheviks were a group of revolutionary communists, who through better organisation and effective communication gained power of the whole disorganised and backward Russia. Lenin was secretly transported to Russia, with hope to spark Stalin at this point was in the background of the party, and shuffling along to whatever movement that occurred. However, his position greatly expanded, as his regular involvement and participation in the party was seen. With this involvement, Stalin developed a close link with Lenin and showed his ability to be a man of social ability and his instant linkage with the common workers. What sparked the final involvement in the party came after the revolution and during the periods of civil war and hence the party’s organisation. While the Bolsheviks had grasped power, resigned from war and initiated their socialism progress the problem of the ‘whites’ still lied, or in other words the noncommunist. This resulted in civil war, between the disorganised and somewhat devised of capitalists versus the ‘reds’, the communists who had with power over driving force of the country: workers. The skills shown by Stalin in this period were crucial, as Lenin found him to be extremely organised and the right man he needed for the structuring and ‘paperwork’ of the party. Following his success in the civil war with his skills of organisation and personality his appointment to general secretary of the central committee in 1922 provided him with the power to shape the party. With the civil war over and the party’s power secured, the country still lied backward with poverty and hunger. Lenin worked to dictate policy, Trotsky continued to lead the army while Stalin performed the ‘paper work’. Stalin’s ability to keep quiet and do his work was a priced act, as he stayed in the background while slowly building his power base. It was exactly this element in his behaviour which allowed him to learn various aspects of paperwork/records while silently building a party to his suiting; to hire and fire who he wishes. In addition to this power Stalin had place in the ‘politburo’ – the top bureau which decided policies and the ‘orgburo’ which organised the party. Being behind of most all the time, Stalin was able to build his power base, which would power him sufficiently as the real power struggle began. The base consisted of appointing people who suited Stalin, and would perform according to his needs and orders. This is specifically seen in the secret information he planted in his own people, slowly accepting the author and centre as Stalin. The death of Lenin bought an end to his fatherly revolution, and hence the fight of Stalin and first Trotsky to continue the revolution. Following the death of Lenin in January 1924, the rivalry of Stalin and Trotsky accelerated, and the fight for the rule

of Russia and the fight of the strength of Lenin’s relationship truly started. In this case, Stalin had allied with the Kamenev and Zinoviev to help him defeat Leon Trotsky’s left communism. The first task for this current ‘team’ was to weaken relationships of Trotsky and Lenin, which involved Stalin even at a period before this modifying data and events to draw Trotsky away and make Stalin in Lenin’s shadows. This further lead to raising opposition towards Trotsky, signalling him as an outsider and eventually establishing him as the enemy to the revolution. Everything he would do in future years would now be to protect the revolution from Trotsky and in this case destroy the strongest opposition towards Stalin. This assault resulted in the end of Trotsky in the party. The second task was the event of Lenin’s death and his final testament which was to be treated carefully and acted out precisely. Lenin’s death most importantly for Stalin raised a vacant spot in the party, but at the same time dangerously insisted party members to ‘remove Stalin from that position’1. Stalin succeeded in suppressing this suggestion found in the testament and rather focusing on eliminating Trotsky and using Kamenev and Zinoviev to ‘settle in’. This was all outmanoeuvred with an embarrassing blow when the various other copies of the testament appeared and was announced publicly in a party meeting. However this again was not a disaster, as everyone was given flaws, and finally Zinoviev offered his insight into Stalin being ‘loyal’ and overall cleaning up his act. This all resulted in the present centralisation of Stalin, while wiping out Trotsky kept him closer to the leader seat. The final stage of this power struggle was the eventual ‘purging’ of his previous supporters and hence deleting any real memory of the past which proclaimed Stalin as leader of USSR. Stalin shifted his theory to what suited him best, as in this case he turned on Kamenev and Zinoviev in 1927 and shouldered them out of power. The idea Stalin played with seemed to be the elimination of memory and the planning of the future, which in this case would allow less chance of overturn from the two members against Stalin. This was firstly done through Stalin allying himself with Bukharin who stayed at the ‘right side’ in the party. The purpose of this brief alliance only served the purpose to hold enough power to eliminate Kamenev and Zinoviev out of the party and hence wipe out any real opposition. As this task was completed, Stalin undertook the final purge of the party in which he had enough power to act solely and eliminate any future threats. This even included changing his theories once again to deprive Bukharin of his power and finally establishing himself as the head of the state. This process was essential in the reaching the top, as it silently reshaped the party and manipulated existing members into fear or ignorance to Stalin’s method of rise. By 1928, many members had been removed, many new faces initiated and the grasp of the USSR in his now ultimately powerful hands. Conclusively, Stalin had risen to power in the USSR by 1928 by performing his power in various steps. It firstly involved the slow creation of a power base through the recognition of himself as an efficient and organised worker and with that silently shaping the party to his future needs. It secondly involved the elimination of his enemies with propaganda and instinctual fear as soon as enough power could be grasped following Lenin’s death. This elimination resulted in the party’s structure rigidly supporting Stalin, and the instilling of no future challenge to his now ruthless yet powerful regime. 1- Lenin’s Testament found in Joseph Stalin by Caulkins, Janet