Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Reasons for Stalin's rise to power - Coggle Diagram
Reasons for Stalin's rise to power
Lenin's testament was not released
Lenin made his views known in his testament advising that Stalin be removed from his position of Secretary General
After Lenin's death, the party agreed that the testament should not be made public as Lenin criticized all this potential successors
During Lenin's semi-retirement, Stalin visited him often. However, they often quarrelled and Lenin became suspicious of Stalin
Party members felt that Trotsky was w greater threat due to his powerful personality and close connections to the army
They decided to ignore Lenin's warning and Stalin retained his position in the party
Stalin used his position as Secretar-General of the party
Stalin had Trotsky expelled from the party in 1927. Even after his expulsion, Trotsky continued to criticise Stalin
He was able to replace the allies of his opponents with his own allies
Stalin's position as Secretary General gave him the authority to appoint party members
With lack of support within the party, Trotsky was forced to resign as the head of the Red Army
Stalin had Trotsky assassinated in 1940 while he was staying in exile in Mexico
By replacing Trotsky's allies with his own allies, Stalin was able to reduce Trotsky's support base considerably
Trotsky's unpopularity in the Poliburo
The support of the army made Trotsky very powerful and he was thus seen as the biggest threat
Trotsky had always been outspoken and had argued with Lenin and the party on several topics
This was seen as an act of disloyalty to Lenin and the party
Trotsky was Lenin's right- hand man and also the head of the Red Army
Trotsky was Stalin's strongest competitor to replace Lenin
Trotsky also believed in "permanent resolution, and sought to promote resolutions all over the world
Party members preferred Stalin's idea of "Socialism in one country"
Trotsky fell very ill in 1924 and was often too weak to organise his own supporters
Other party members began to exclude him from their decision making and undermine his position within the party
Stalin pretended to have been close to Lenin
Stalin gave the impression that Lenin had favored ans trusted him
When Lenin died, Stalin organised lenin's funeral, making it a grand affair and ordered Lenin's body to be displayed in a mausoleum in Moscow
Stalin arranged for the city of Petrograd to be renamed Leningrad in Lenin's honor
Stalin gave the funeral speech showing himself deeply sorrowful over the loss of Lenin
Stalin kept Trotsky from attending the funeral by giving him the wrong date
Stalin made alliances to get rid of his rivals
Stalin first allied himself with Kamenev and Zinoviev, who saw Trotsky as a rival
Stalin comvince the rest of the party that Kamenev and Zinoviev were plotting with Trotsky to overthrow the government. This got Kamenev and Zinoviev discredited and expelled
Stalin took advantage of this division to eliminate his competitors
Next he targeted Bukharin and Rykov. The rest of Poliburo sided with Stalin
Bukharin removed in 1929
Rykov removed in 1930
Members of the party were divided between the moderates and the radicals