While the left, represented by Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev, favoured abandoning the NEP, the right led by Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky supported its continuance
Stalin fluctuated from a left-leaning position until 1925 and then temporarily supported the right and continuance between 1925-28 and back again to the left thereafter
This could suggest he was a pure opportunist, though the last move could be accounted for due to the bread shortages and high food prices of that year, rather than a lack of ideological principles
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Continuous revolution VS Socialism in one country
Despite early expectations that revolution in Russia would trigger others, the Soviet Union remained the only Communist State in the 1920's
Trotsky held the line that Russians should be working to stir up revolution elsewhere and there should be 'continuous revolution' until a truly socialist society was created
Stalin, by 1924, adopted the pragmatic view that there could be 'socialism in one country' and efforts should be concentrated on building a 'worker's paradise' in the Soviet Union as an example to the rest of the world
This less orthodox attitude appealed to those who favoured stability and feared the idea of continuous revolution that Trotsky was advocating
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Central leadership VS Collective control
Marx had not envisaged a single leader as neccessary in a socialist state
There were elements within the Party who felt the strong central leadership principle should now be abandoned
They argued though this leadership style might have been justified in order to win the civil war, it was no longer neccessary after 1924
These members opposed to central leadership sought collective control, through a committee of equals
While this view had ideological justification, it was mainly advanced by those who feared Trotsky, this argument worked to Stalin's advantage and for most of the 1920's his own ambition was underestimated
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