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REVISION NOTES – Russia 1905-1941
Key Topic 3: Stalin’s Russia, 1924-41
The struggle for power
Joseph Djugashvili was born in 1879 in Georgia in southern Russia. At some point
in the years from 1907 to 1914, he changed his name from Djugashvili to Stalin.
This meant ‘man of steel’.
In 1917 Stalin was editor of Pravda, the Bolshevik newspaper, but otherwise
played no special part in the events of 1917.
In 1918 he was appointed Commissar for Nationalities in November after the
Bolsheviks had seized power. In 1919 he became a member of the Bolshevik
Central Committee, the equivalent of the Cabinet.
In 1922, the post of General Secretary of the Bolshevik Party became vacant. No
one was prepared to take his place. The other Bolshevik leaders regarded it as a
boring and unexciting job. Eventually the post was offered to Stalin, who
accepted it immediately.
Why did Stalin become general secretary?
The first reason was that it immediately promoted him to one of the most
important posts in the Bolshevik Party and Russia. In effect Joseph Stalin became
the third most important man in Russia.
The second reason was that the post of General Secretary gave him
opportunities that he would never have got anywhere else.
As General Secretary Stalin got to hear about everything that was happening in
Russia. he heard about every post that became vacant, about every meeting that
was held, about every decision taken.
He set about making sure that every post was filled by someone loyal to him,
every meeting considered his point of view, every decision went his way.
Over the next two years Stalin steadily built up a network of people who he could
trust all over Russia.
Why did Stalin and not Trotsky become leader of the Soviet Union in 1928?
Lenin's Political Testament
In 1922, Lenin suffered a serious stroke and was a virtual invalid for the rest of
his life.
This allowed Joseph Stalin to play a much more prominent role in the
government of Russia. He visited Lenin regularly to keep him informed.
On 25 December 1922 Lenin drew up a Political Testament, in which he
summarised the good and bad points of all of the leading Bolsheviks. He then
stated that Trotsky should succeed him when he died.
Twelve days later Lenin added a further section to the Testament, in which he
advised the other leaders to get rid of Stalin. He then gave the document to his
wife with instructions to hand it to the Central Committee after his death.
In his Political Testament, Lenin named Trotsky as his successor and
recommended that Stalin should be dismissed from the post of General
Secretary of the Party.
, 1
The Testament was handed to the Central Committee in May 1924, by Lenin's
widow, but the other Bolshevik leaders decided to keep the Testament secret.
They did not want Trotsky to succeed Lenin.
Trotsky was outspoken and arrogant and unpopular with the other Bolshevik
leaders. This gave Stalin the chance to become the ruler of the Soviet Union.
In 1924 the Soviet Union was ruled by a committee of Kamenev, Zinoviev and
Stalin.
But Stalin soon began to conspire with the right wing in the Communist Party,
Bukharin and Rykov so that he could get rid of Kamenev and Zinoviev.
He attacked the plans of the left wing to bring about rapid industrialisation in
Russia and sided with the supporters of NEP.
But once he had got rid of the left wing, Stalin then turned on Bukharin and
Rykov and in 1928 emerged as the sole ruler of the Soviet Union.
All of his opponents found that he had so much support in the party that
opposition was useless. He then introduced much greater plans for
industrialisation than the left wing had ever thought of.
The Purges of the 1930s
In the 1930s, Stalin began to get rid of anyone who he suspected of opposing
him. These attempts became known as the Purges.
At first the purges concentrated upon technical experts, who Stalin blamed for
the failures of the First Five Year Plan. They were accused of sabotage and there
was a series of trials in 1930-1
In 1932 more than 800,000 members of the party were expelled, but the real
purges began with the murder of Sergei Kirov in December 1934.
He was the Communist Party leader in Leningrad and he may well have been
murdered on Stalin’s orders because he had become too popular.
The purges lasted from 1934 to 1938; at least 7,000,000 people disappeared.
Who were purged?
Bolshevik leaders who Stalin had forced out in 1925 to 1927. Managers of
industries who did not meet their targets for production.
Poets, writers, artists, musicians, anyone creative who might have ideas which
Stalin did not like. Millions of ordinary Soviet citizens, who often did not know
what they had done to anger Stalin.
Scientists, engineers, experts of any kind who Stalin did not trust or understand.
Only loyal party officials, who accepted Stalin’s decision without question were
safe.
Army and Navy officers; every Admiral of the Soviet fleet, three of the five
Marshals of the Red Army, 90% of the generals and more than half of the officers
of the Red Army
What were the Show Trials?
The leading Bolsheviks were given ‘Show Trials’, where they forced to confess to
ridiculous crimes which they could not possibly have committed. They were
accused of sabotage and treason and of murdering Kirov.
The aim of the Show Trials was to get rid of all the Old Bolsheviks who knew the
truth about Lenin and Stalin.
They all confessed to the crimes that they were accused of, usually because they
were told that their families would be left alone if they did.
REVISION NOTES – Russia 1905-1941
Key Topic 3: Stalin’s Russia, 1924-41
The struggle for power
Joseph Djugashvili was born in 1879 in Georgia in southern Russia. At some point
in the years from 1907 to 1914, he changed his name from Djugashvili to Stalin.
This meant ‘man of steel’.
In 1917 Stalin was editor of Pravda, the Bolshevik newspaper, but otherwise
played no special part in the events of 1917.
In 1918 he was appointed Commissar for Nationalities in November after the
Bolsheviks had seized power. In 1919 he became a member of the Bolshevik
Central Committee, the equivalent of the Cabinet.
In 1922, the post of General Secretary of the Bolshevik Party became vacant. No
one was prepared to take his place. The other Bolshevik leaders regarded it as a
boring and unexciting job. Eventually the post was offered to Stalin, who
accepted it immediately.
Why did Stalin become general secretary?
The first reason was that it immediately promoted him to one of the most
important posts in the Bolshevik Party and Russia. In effect Joseph Stalin became
the third most important man in Russia.
The second reason was that the post of General Secretary gave him
opportunities that he would never have got anywhere else.
As General Secretary Stalin got to hear about everything that was happening in
Russia. he heard about every post that became vacant, about every meeting that
was held, about every decision taken.
He set about making sure that every post was filled by someone loyal to him,
every meeting considered his point of view, every decision went his way.
Over the next two years Stalin steadily built up a network of people who he could
trust all over Russia.
Why did Stalin and not Trotsky become leader of the Soviet Union in 1928?
Lenin's Political Testament
In 1922, Lenin suffered a serious stroke and was a virtual invalid for the rest of
his life.
This allowed Joseph Stalin to play a much more prominent role in the
government of Russia. He visited Lenin regularly to keep him informed.
On 25 December 1922 Lenin drew up a Political Testament, in which he
summarised the good and bad points of all of the leading Bolsheviks. He then
stated that Trotsky should succeed him when he died.
Twelve days later Lenin added a further section to the Testament, in which he
advised the other leaders to get rid of Stalin. He then gave the document to his
wife with instructions to hand it to the Central Committee after his death.
In his Political Testament, Lenin named Trotsky as his successor and
recommended that Stalin should be dismissed from the post of General
Secretary of the Party.
, 1
The Testament was handed to the Central Committee in May 1924, by Lenin's
widow, but the other Bolshevik leaders decided to keep the Testament secret.
They did not want Trotsky to succeed Lenin.
Trotsky was outspoken and arrogant and unpopular with the other Bolshevik
leaders. This gave Stalin the chance to become the ruler of the Soviet Union.
In 1924 the Soviet Union was ruled by a committee of Kamenev, Zinoviev and
Stalin.
But Stalin soon began to conspire with the right wing in the Communist Party,
Bukharin and Rykov so that he could get rid of Kamenev and Zinoviev.
He attacked the plans of the left wing to bring about rapid industrialisation in
Russia and sided with the supporters of NEP.
But once he had got rid of the left wing, Stalin then turned on Bukharin and
Rykov and in 1928 emerged as the sole ruler of the Soviet Union.
All of his opponents found that he had so much support in the party that
opposition was useless. He then introduced much greater plans for
industrialisation than the left wing had ever thought of.
The Purges of the 1930s
In the 1930s, Stalin began to get rid of anyone who he suspected of opposing
him. These attempts became known as the Purges.
At first the purges concentrated upon technical experts, who Stalin blamed for
the failures of the First Five Year Plan. They were accused of sabotage and there
was a series of trials in 1930-1
In 1932 more than 800,000 members of the party were expelled, but the real
purges began with the murder of Sergei Kirov in December 1934.
He was the Communist Party leader in Leningrad and he may well have been
murdered on Stalin’s orders because he had become too popular.
The purges lasted from 1934 to 1938; at least 7,000,000 people disappeared.
Who were purged?
Bolshevik leaders who Stalin had forced out in 1925 to 1927. Managers of
industries who did not meet their targets for production.
Poets, writers, artists, musicians, anyone creative who might have ideas which
Stalin did not like. Millions of ordinary Soviet citizens, who often did not know
what they had done to anger Stalin.
Scientists, engineers, experts of any kind who Stalin did not trust or understand.
Only loyal party officials, who accepted Stalin’s decision without question were
safe.
Army and Navy officers; every Admiral of the Soviet fleet, three of the five
Marshals of the Red Army, 90% of the generals and more than half of the officers
of the Red Army
What were the Show Trials?
The leading Bolsheviks were given ‘Show Trials’, where they forced to confess to
ridiculous crimes which they could not possibly have committed. They were
accused of sabotage and treason and of murdering Kirov.
The aim of the Show Trials was to get rid of all the Old Bolsheviks who knew the
truth about Lenin and Stalin.
They all confessed to the crimes that they were accused of, usually because they
were told that their families would be left alone if they did.
