Stalin's Dictatorship - Power Struggle

Stalin's Dictatorship - Power Struggle

When Lenin died in January 1924 there was a power struggle for who would be his successor.

Stalin vs Trotsky

Stalin:

• Leading government figure in last years
• General Secretary of Communist Party
• Loyal to Lenin
• Controlled party and excellent organiser
• Used position to appoint junior officials who supported him
• They elected the Politburo - Stalin could control
• Photos were altered to show Stalin as Lenin's right hand man
• Wanted to build communism in USSR to a strong power
• Organised Lenin's funeral - Trotsky not there (Stalin told him wrong date)
• Stalin appeared more dedicated
• Focused on communism stronger in USSR not spreading it

Trotsky:

• Commited member of the Bolshevik Party in 1917
• Active in Europe and USA trying to organise support for communism
• Chairman of Petrograd Soviet
• Played leading part in the takeover of the city in Oct/Nov revolution
• Lenin's right hand man
• Organised Red Army and directing military operations
• Carried out Bolshevik takeover of Petrograd
• Was a brilliant leader and toured Russia to keep up morale
• Clever
• Supported Karl Marx's original aim of communism spreading

Communist rule in the late 1920s:

• No preperations had been made for Lenin's successor
• So the 9 members of the Politburo…