Presentation - Stalin's Consolidation of Power

Stalin; formerly known as Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, was a Marxist and an avid follower of Vladimir Lenin. His involvement in the Bolshevik movement was due to his active violent attacks on the Tsarist government, through bank robbing and kidnapping to fund the revolution, allowing him to become one of Lenin’s closest associates. Despite his early success within the Bolsheviks, he was not considered to be among the list of natural successors; Trotsky, Bukharin, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Kirov. This essay will evaluate which factor was the most important reason for Stalin coming into power; by analysing luck, skill, weakness of opposition and political ideology to overtake the natural successors and become the leader of Russia.