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