Key Profiles of Opponents to Stalin in 1924

Grigori Zinoviev
1. Influential as the head of the Leningrad Party Organisation.
2. Advantages in the struggle for power
  1. Regarded as intelligent, energetic, wide knowledge of European Culture
  2. One of party's best speakers
  3. An 'Old Bolshevik' demanded respect from colleagues
  4. Promoted to highest ranks by Lenin
  5. Had important and influential positions in the Comintern, the Politburo and the Leningrad Party
3. Disadvantages in the struggle for power
  1. Gained reputation for inconsistency, seen in opposition to Lenin and switching alliances between Stalin and Trotsky
  2. Seen as an ambitious compromiser, without a clear philosophy
  3. Vain but lacking in political courage, buckled under political pressure
  4. Subject to considerable and unpredictable mood swings
  5. Seriously underestimated his opponents, especially Stalin, to whom he looked down upon
Lev Kamenev
1. Power base in Moscow where he ran the local party machine
2. Advantages in the struggle for power
  1. 'Old Bolshevik' who helped form party policy and was close to Lenin
  2. Had influence in Moscow, where he ran the local party
  3. Regarded as thoughtful and intelligent
  4. Good at smoothing out difficulties amongst collegues
3. Disadvantages in the struggle for power
  1. Gained reputation for inconsistency and opportunism by opposing Lenin, and switching sides between Stalin and Trotsky
  2. Regarded by many as too soft , without the wish or ability to be leader
  3. Seriously underestimated opponents, especially Stalin
Trotsky
1. Advantages in the struggle for power
  1. Was clever, a dynamic speech maker. Shown himself as energetic man of action
  2. Lenin's right hand man during the revolution and the civil war
  3. Showed a combination of leadership skills, ruthlessness and decision making during those key years - carried out October Revolution, and leading the Red Army
2. Disadvantages in the struggle for power
  1. Late convert to Bolshevism, which made some Old Bolsheviks suspect him
  2. Some disliked his aloofness, arrogance and disdain for those less clever than himself
  3. Made no attempt to build a base of support within the party - crucial mistake
  4. Fear among many that Trotsky would use his Red Army links to mount a military coup after Lenin's death.
  5. Trotsky believed that as he was Jew there would be prejudice against him as leader so did not push himself forward
  6. Opportunist who lacked consistency
  7. Unpredictable, indecisive and on some occasions showed a failure of nerve. Sometimes fell ill at critical moments
  8. Crucial errors of judgement made - attacked Party Bureaucracy when he needed its support
  9. Underestimated Stalin, whom he regarded as his inferior, and never really came to terms with this
Nikolai Bukaharin
1. Advantages in the struggle for power
  1. Popular within the party, close to Lenin, and for a long time, friendly with Trotsky
  2. Intelligent and regarded as the best thinker of the party
  3. For many years a close associate to Stalin and respected by him
  4. Stalin relied heavily on his knowledge of economics
2. Disadvantages in the struggle for power
  1. Naive and lacked the qualities of intrigue, making him unsuited to party in-fighting
  2. Made the mistake of appearing to be more popular in the party than Stalin
  3. In trying to remain loyal to everyone and avoid taking sides, he lacked a power base
  4. Seriously underestimated Stalin
  5. Made a tactical mistake by trying to establish links with the defeated Kamenev and appearing inconsistent

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Key Profiles of Opponents to Stalin in 1924

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