Explain why Stalin and not Trotsky emerged as Lenin's Successor.

Stalin had been a loyal member of the party for over twenty years.  His position in the party was General Secretary.  This meant he could appoint people to posts and he had control of membership of the party.  He used this greatly to his advantage; he placed all his allies and supporters into important positions in the party, and expelled those who would support Trotsky.  Most of Stalin’s work was inside the party, working behind the scenes to gain support and power.  He had a policy called “Socialism in One Country”, and it was based around the idea that Russians could build the Communist state in the USSR without the help of people from the outside.  This policy was more appealing than Trotsky’s “Permanent” policy, as it’s ideas were too radical and extreme.

Stalin’s first victory over Trotsky was straight after Lenin’s death.  At the time Trotsky was away and ill.  Stalin tricked Trotsky into thinking that Lenin’s funeral was a day after the real date, meaning Trotsky did not appear.  Others thought that he could not be bothered to come, and at the funeral Stalin made a great speech and appeared to be the Lenin’s closest ally.  This was far from the truth though, as Lenin’s testament contained criticisms of Stalin and he states that he wants him removed from the party altogether.  Lucky for Stalin, the leading Communists decided not to make the testament public.  At this stage there was a split in the party, the Left Wing, which supported Trotsky’s ideas and wanted to end the NEP.  And the Right Wing who supported the NEP and wanted Russia to move more towards socialism.  In the beginning Stalin was in the middle of the Party.  But he soon joined forces with Zinoviev and Kamenev in order to single out and defeat Trotsky.  Trotsky lost his position as Commissar for War.  His next step was to turn on Zinoviev and Kamenev by joining forces with Bukharin in the Right Wing party. Zinoviev and Kamenev lost their jobs as well.  Finally he turned on Bukharin expelling him from the party.  So you see Stalin gained power by defeated all opposition.  He ganged up on his rivals, criticizing them and putting them on the defensive.  He recovered old speeches, which would contradict them and their arguments.  So whatever side Stalin was on the majority of the party would support.  Stalin’s method to power is the best example of how he was a very skilled and cunning leader.  And although lacking many qualities that Trotsky had, his effort in consolidating power and gaining supporters behind the scenes proved that the ability of being a charismatic speaker was unnecessary.  And by replacing the members he had expelled from the party with Stalin Loyalists he became supreme leader of Russia in 1929.