How was it possible that despite Lenin’s warning in his Testament that Stalin would become the unquestioned leader of the Soviet Union by 1928

Yousef Nassar

April.6th.01

2.) How was it possible that despite Lenin’s warning in his Testament that Stalin would become the unquestioned leader of the Soviet Union by 1928

Subsequent to Lenin’s death on January 24th 1924, there were four candidates determined to occupy his former Position as leader of the Soviet Union. Trotsky, the number two to Lenin, commissar for war and leader of the Red Army, was struggling against his Archrival Stalin, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party; and two additional candidates full of ambition Kamenev and Zinoviev. Why did Stalin out of these four men receive the position especially when Lenin warned about him in his Testament?

In Lenin’s testament, the observer can read comments such as “ Stalin it too rude”, “Remove Stalin from his post and replace him” (his post as General Secretary); he virtually asks his people to do away with Stalin and declare Trotsky the new leader. The only imperfection was that his Testament was never revealed to the Russian Society. It was read in a meeting that was also attended by Stalin, and then locked away for 30 years until after Stalin’s death. Stalin was supposed to have argued that Lenin was not in a right state of mind while he was writing his Testament, due to a series of strokes shortly before his death. The public never saw the Testament, until it was published after 1953, because of its criticism of Stalin.

The Russian’s adored Lenin and desired another Leader just like him. At Lenin’s Funeral, Stalin held a speech. In this speech he tried to turn Lenin into a kind of God and promised that he would continue what Lenin had started. “ We swear to thee”, he repeated over and over in his speech. Because of Stalin’s position as General Secretary, he as put in touch with all the officials throughout the country. By promising small favors he would do for them after they had elected him, he had secured their support. Stalin made sure that his supporters were ...

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Stalin might have been ambitious, but no extremely intelligent. His work was very closely thought out. He played the position of the moderate against the extremes. Stalin accused Trotsky of Ultra-Leftist Demagogy and joined in a triumvirate against Trotsky with Zinoviev and Kamenev. The latter two probably joined this Triumvirate because they wanted to weaken Trotsky’s position to further strengthen theirs. After Stalin’s rise to power as the leader of the Russian’s, he adopted Trotsky’s ideas and turned to the right. In the year of 1928, Stalin abandoned the NEP and brought enforced collectivization.

Trotsky was a natural suspect for many Bolsheviks because he was extremely intelligent. Many of them preferred someone ordinary who was not an exception. They were looking for someone more like them and someone who had not only been with them for six years. Trotsky had been a part of the “ other side” for a while as a Menshevik. How could the Bolsheviks be sure that he was completely reliable after gaining power?

Trotsky in addition allowed free discussion within the party about the various problems Russia was facing. He went contrary to Lenin’s NEP (New Economic Policy) and called for a war on the peasants as a way of solving the food crisis and rising prices. Trotsky later condemned the NEP, Lenin’s policy, which allowed private enterprise. Some Bolsheviks started wondering whether Trotsky was too harsh, soft or maybe arrogant to rule.

Historians nowadays wonder why Trotsky did not launch a coup detat , since he was in control of the Red Army. One of the reasons for this was that Trotsky was too loyal to the party to “ Resort to the only expedient left to him-the use of the Red Army”. In 1925, Trotsky lost his position as War Commissar, a year later his seat in the Politburo and in 1929 was exiled from Russia.

Zinoviev and Kamenev, both were members of Lenin’s inner cabinet, were opposed to Trotsky. On of the main reasons for their dislike of Trotsky was that he was trying to start a “World Revolution” and they both knew that Russia had enough problems at present. Also, due to their anger about Trotsky’s book “ The Lessons of October”, in which he claimed that the two had opposed Lenin’s plans for the revolution, they joined with Stalin to go against Trotsky. Surprisingly enough, after they had rid Trotsky of his position, they would have to face each other to fight for the position of leader of Russia.

After a while, the two noticed that they were not in control of the situation. Stalin had many comrades in high positions, such as Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky. In 1927 Zinoviev and Kemenev were expelled from the Party. After this, the two tried to join with Trotsky to go against Stalin, but this attempt had failed.

I think that by now we as the observers have a very good overview of what each one of the four individuals has done. It is my firm belief that if Trotsky had used the Red Army, he could have definitely claimed his place as Leader of the Soviet Union. But due to Stalin’s smart tactics, lies and Triumvirate with Zinoviev and Kamenev, Trotsky was gotten rid off. Russia would not be the same as we know it today had Lenin’s Testament been published in 1924.

Bibliography: Extracts from Lenin’s testament

Russia, 1914-28 ( notes)

John Laver: Russia 1914-41

James Mason: Modern World History

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