The Power Vacuum and Power struggle

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  • Created by: steloah1
  • Created on: 02-05-22 10:05
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  • The power vacuum and power struggle
    • Ideology and nature of leadership
      • Party member preferred "collective leadership"/rule by committee
        • More socialist
        • Fear that Trotsky would become a dictator
          • Control of the Red Army meant that he could easily crush opposition
      • During the Cvivil war, government became more centralised
      • Essential to maintain party unity - feared Trotsky would cause factional divisons
    • Lenin's testament
      • Stalin
        • Added on 4 Jan 1923 that "Stalin is too rude" and he should be replaced by soeone that difers from Stalin in all respects
        • "Having become General secretary, he has immeasurable power" that he can use with "sufficient caution"
      • Trotsky
        • Outstanding ability and possibly to most capable man in the Central comittee
      • Zinoviev & Kamenev
        • members of the party should not hold the incident of the october revolution against them
    • Divisions and contenders for power
      • STALIN
        • Strengths
          • Given a seat on the Executive committee of the Petrograd Soviet
          • Made commissar for nationalities in Oct, rev. it is thought it was at this time he built good rapport with Lenin
          • May 1919, in charge of the Ogburo and elected to the Politburo (main organ on power)
          • 1922 became General secretary
        • Weakness
          • No evidence of his taking charge in the October revolution
          • Removed form military position in oct rev for disobeying Trtosky's orders
            • The Civil war showed a tendency to disobey orders from the centre in favour of his own methods
          • Reputation of "industrious mediocrity"
          • Sukhanov described him as a "grey blur which flickered obscurely and left no trace"
      • TROTSKY
        • Strengths
          • Position of Commissar for war gave him a strong base in the army
          • Only member who could rival Lenin in intellect and writings on Marxist theory
          • Best orators, convincing,  and could work crowds
          • Contribution to Bolshevik consolidation was equal to Lenin's
            • Planned the Oct. Rev
          • Drive, determination and organisation of the red army bought victory in the 1918 Civil war
          • Seen as Lenin's natural successor
        • Weaknesses
          • He was arrogant and aloof
            • Dismissive of other Bolsheviks
            • Never went out of his way to endear himself
          • New Bolshevik (joined in 1917)
            • Other members unconvinced of his loyalty
              • he was loyal to a fault, he would accept decisions as he did not want to damage the party
          • He did not like political on-fighting, making deals and alliances
            • Preferred debates as this is where he felt he was naturally superior
            • 1923-26 he suffered from an undiagnosed illness
              • Absent for votes in the politburo
              • Unable to deal with continuous political attacks
      • BUKHARIN
        • Strengths
          • Lenin T: "The biggest and most valuable theoretican of the whole party"
            • 'Golden boy' of the party
              • Well-liked
          • Close to Lenin from 1917
        • Weaknesses
          • He did not have the skills and political cunning of Lenin
          • Lenin T: His theoretical views can only with the greatest doubt be regarded as fully Marxist
          • Only joined Politburo in 1922
      • RYKOV
        • Strengths
          • 1918- Chairman of the Sovnarkom
          • Outspoken, frank and direct
        • Weaknesses
          • an alcoholic
            • Rykova
      • ZINOVIEV
        • Weaknesses
          • Not an intellectual
          • Opposed the Oct rev.
          • Seen as vain, incompetent and cowardly
          • Victor Serge said he was 'simply a demagogue"
          • EH Carr: "weak, vain, ambitious [and] only too eager to occupy the empty throne"
        • Strength
          • An active Bolshevik from 1905
          • Position as party secretary in Leningrad allowed him to build a string power base
          • Member of the politburo in 1921
          • Good orator
      • KAMENEV
        • Weaknesses
          • Lost influence by opposing the Oct Rev
        • Strength
          • Active Bolshevik from 1905
          • Close collaborator with Lenin abroad from 1907-1917
            • Lenin regarded him as sensible and reliable
            • EH Carr: intellectually superior to Zinoviev and Stalin
              • But by far the least effective of the three [...] no desire nor capacity to lead men
                • Weaknesses
                  • Lost influence by opposing the Oct Rev
          • A Moderate and well - liked

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