Why did Stalin win the struggle for power after Lenin’s death?
Why did Stalin win the struggle for power after Lenin’s death?
Leading up to and following Lenin’s death in 1924, Leon Trotsky, the logical successor to Lenin, was outwitted from becoming leader of the Communist Party. Trotsky had been second only to Lenin since the Revolution he masterminded, yet it seemed Joseph Stalin was better suited from 1924 to assume the role because he was more politically adept and had more success in out manoeuvring and taking any opportunity to usurp Trotsky. His success, therefore, was based not only upon his ability for manipulating hierarchies of power which had been developed inside the party to further his own cause, but also in Trotsky’s failure to also exploit these channels.
It is important to know a few details about Stalin’s early political life in order to understand his rise to prominence in the Bolshevik Party. Stalin’s early career as a party operative saw him as a manipulator of men and events with limitless patience. One of Stalin’s greatest strengths was his ability to maintain the status quo, to provide an image of a quiet and hard-working figure without any personal ambitions. In March 1912, Stalin helped set up Pravda, the new newspaper of the Bolsheviks, thus reaching the inner circle of leaders of the Bolshevik wing of the party.
Central to Stalin’s rise to prominence was that he held four major positions within the party. He was made Commissar for Nationalities, for State Control and for Workers’ and Peasants’ Inspection. These positions brought him prestige within the party which was a reason for him being appointed General Secretary of the Central Committee in April 1922. The position of General Secretary was the only member of all three executive organs of the communist government and so Stalin’s reach was extended throughout the whole party. Stalin’s lack of any other strong political beliefs meant that he could change his opinions when it suited him, assisting him to gain allies.
Stalin’s rise to the
Leading up to and following Lenin’s death in 1924, Leon Trotsky, the logical successor to Lenin, was outwitted from becoming leader of the Communist Party. Trotsky had been second only to Lenin since the Revolution he masterminded, yet it seemed Joseph Stalin was better suited from 1924 to assume the role because he was more politically adept and had more success in out manoeuvring and taking any opportunity to usurp Trotsky. His success, therefore, was based not only upon his ability for manipulating hierarchies of power which had been developed inside the party to further his own cause, but also in Trotsky’s failure to also exploit these channels.
It is important to know a few details about Stalin’s early political life in order to understand his rise to prominence in the Bolshevik Party. Stalin’s early career as a party operative saw him as a manipulator of men and events with limitless patience. One of Stalin’s greatest strengths was his ability to maintain the status quo, to provide an image of a quiet and hard-working figure without any personal ambitions. In March 1912, Stalin helped set up Pravda, the new newspaper of the Bolsheviks, thus reaching the inner circle of leaders of the Bolshevik wing of the party.
Central to Stalin’s rise to prominence was that he held four major positions within the party. He was made Commissar for Nationalities, for State Control and for Workers’ and Peasants’ Inspection. These positions brought him prestige within the party which was a reason for him being appointed General Secretary of the Central Committee in April 1922. The position of General Secretary was the only member of all three executive organs of the communist government and so Stalin’s reach was extended throughout the whole party. Stalin’s lack of any other strong political beliefs meant that he could change his opinions when it suited him, assisting him to gain allies.
Stalin’s rise to the