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Is it right to say "Stalin gained power in the years 1924-1929 only because his rivals made mistakes"?

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  • Essay length: 843 words
  • Submitted: 17/06/2012
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AS and A Level Modern European History, 1789-1945

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In the years 1924-29 Stalin successfully rose to power within the Bolshevik party. He managed to outmanoeuvre his opponents but did his successful rise come about because of his own abilities or did his opponents make too many errors along the way?

The statement "Stalin gained power in the years 1924-29 only because his rivals made mistakes" has its merits.

Firstly, one of the biggest mistakes made by Stalin's opponents was by Kamenev and Zinoviev. Both of whom failed to make Lenin's last testament public. Lenin had stated in it that Stalin shouldn't be allowed to rise to power. Given the reverence towards Lenin in the Bolshevik party the testament would, in all likelihood, have ended Stalin's political career. Kamenev and Zinoviev, however, didn't publish it because the things written about them were far from flattering. Another reason for them choosing to do this was a flaw of all Stalin's opponents. They under-estimated him and never really considered him to be a serious contender for the leadership.

Trotsky made a huge mistake at the start of the leadership battle when he was given the wrong date for Lenin's funeral. He blindly accepted the information without checking

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