Stalin establishment of dictatorship
Propaganda
General Secretary
Stalin and Lenin
Stalin and Trotsky
- 1917, Stalin is appointed as Commissar for Nationalities and in 1922 General Secretary of the Party which seemed like an insignificant position
- Stalin and Trotsky were seen as the 2 main contenders for the position of leadership of the USSR
- Lenin knew Stalin was a threat to the USSR, and had warned of Stalin taking too much power in his final testament
- Stalin had positioned himself closely to Lenin in his final years
- Stalin made himself chief pallbearer of Lenin's funeral procession and linked himself to the myth of Lenin
- Stalin's position used his position to appoint loyal supporters in minor positions but collectively was a vast network loyal to him
- He would use his network to call on support when he would contend for the position of leadership in the USSR
- Stalin circulated images of him and Lenin deep in conversation
- Stalin took personal control of Lenin's funeral planning which would allow him to mould his image to the Russian people
- Stalin ensured that Lenin's funeral was shown with pictures of him as the chief pallbearer and reinforced his connection to Lenin
- Trotsky had had a much more power in Russia: he was head of the Army and his power base seemed much bigger
- Stalin believed in 'Socialism in One Country' where the USSR would use its resources on itself and be seen as a shining example of communism to the world
- Between 1924-1927, Stalin manipulated those around him to undermine Trotsky, he convinved Kaminev and Zinoviev (2 other powerful individuals) to support him
- Trotsky believed in a 'Permanent World Revolution' where the USSR would help groups overthrow their oppressive regime
- Stalin used Trotsky's jewish heritage and Russia's anti-semitic population to undermine Trotsky further
- By 1927, Trotsky was no longer a threat to Stalin and in 1928 he was exiled to Siberia and would subsequently flee to Mexico