Stalin Vs. Trotsky: A Leadership Struggle (A Brief Overview)
Stalin lied to Trotsky about the date
of Lenin's Funeral
Trotsky was ill with
Malaria and was lied to
about the funeral's date
and didn't turn up.
Trotsky had a damaged
reputation
Trotsky didn't turn up making
Stalin look like Lenin's devoted
follower
1924
Lenin's testament was not
given to the Soviet Party
Congress
The Testament was given to the
Central Committee, but was not read
out at congress
It was seen as:
Unflattering towards Kamenev and Zinoviev
As an aid to Trotsky whom Kamenev, Zinoviev,
Bukharin and Stalin were rivals with.
Harsh towards Stalin whom the Central
Committee (Chaired by Kamenev) didn't think
was a real threat.
The Triumvirate was formed
between Kamenev, Zinoviev, and
Stalinin 1923
It was formed against Trotsky
with the explicit intent to keep
Trotsky out of power
Trotsky lost votes and a
majority in the Politburo due
to Stalin's large following and
Zinoviev and Kamenev's areas
of control.
Zinoviev and Kamenev attack Trotsky's
party loyalty.
Zinoviev and Kamenev bring
up Trotsky's opposition to
Lenin before 1917
In turn Trotsky criticises their unwillingness to back
Lenin in the October Revolution
Stalin appears to be the voice of
reason, gaining supporters and
staying in the background.
A lot of Stalin's work to win the leadership struggle at
this point revolves around his position as general
secretary or Secretariat. Allowing him to recruit,
promote and appoint people gaining him friends and
allies. By not getting in the fray between the others he
allows them to pick each other off
Stalin and Bukharin allied to support
the New Economic Policy (NEP) and
cooperation with the Peasantry
1926
Called the Duumvirate
Zinoviev and Kamenev are
against the Duumvirate;
they rallied against Stalin
and Bukharin. They failed
however due to Stalin's
control over the delegates
and vast support network
thanks to his job as
Secretariat.
Zinoviev and Kamenev are
expelled from the party for
factionalism in 1927
They tried to appeal to
workers who were
planning
demonstrations
1928: Stalin attacks the Right
wing, his previous allies.
He suggests industrialisation
and the use of force to make
peasants co-operate
The right are outvoted and
Bukharin is forced out of the
Politburo and other position of
power
Stalin supported the
ideology of Socialism in One
Country
Trotsky supported the ideology of a world revolution