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Rise of Stalin - Coggle Diagram
Rise of Stalin
a) Stalin's Party positions
Member of the Politburo from 1917
(placed Stalin at the centre of Soviet politics among most powerful leaders in USSR
People's Commissar for Nationalities from 1917-23
(Stalin position in the first SOVNARKOM government with responsibility for the regions and republics during the civil war. Gave opportunity to built political alliances through USSR)
Head of the Workers; and Peasants' Inspectorate from 1919-22
(Administrative role overseeing the work of all government departments)
Member of the Orgburo from 1919
(responsible for making personnel appointments across all government bodies)
Liaison between Politburo and Orgburo from 1919
(unique positioning allowing Stalin to monitor Party decision making in Politburo and organisation of party personnel through Orgburo)
General Secretary of the Party from April 1922
(administrative role heading Party secretariat, supporting the work of Politburo and Orgburo. Stalin bought up most powerful individual positions within Soviet System)
Role of secretary general and his simultaneous roles in Politburo and Orgburo provided Stalin with opportunity to begin creating what historians refer to as 'personal dictatorship within a dictatorship'
extent of Stalin's control over Party debated. Isaac Deutscher argued that Stalin stacked the Party, making appointments and promotions that benefited loyal supporters
Controlling the Orgburo and Secretariat was key to Stalin's growing influence
gave Stalin power in form of Party information
gave Stalin access to dark secrets of the Party
helped him understand how the Party at large may react to changes in policy
Stalin learned of the concerns and aspirations of senior officials of USSR
b) Stalin's political agility and skill
Stalin's political skill cannot be overlooked in understanding how he emerged vicorious in the leadership struggle of 1920s
Common criticism of Stalin was he was not a deep theorist like many of the older Bolsheviks. Viewed more as a follower of Lenin rather than an ideologue in his own right
Stalin the political tacticin
skilled at seizing the middle ground in major debates and decisions that took place throughout the 1920s.
Able to make his opponents appear to be on the edges of political debate, which left them open to accusations of factionalism or worse
c) Appeal of Stalin's political profile
d) Mistakes of Stalin's opponents