Outline ways in which Stalinism deviated from the principles of Leninism

        Deviating away from the idea of a revolutionary party working to develop the interests of the working class and continuing what Lenin was trying to imply with an existence of a monopolistic party, Stalin on the contrary felt he was a personification of the proletariat and communism dictatorship. Stalin acted as a form of totalitarian dictatorship operating through a monolithic ruling party. He exploited his position as general secretary of the Communist Party by ensured his supporters were appointed to influential posts within the party apparatus. Stalin also eliminated any threat or opposition including Lenin’s Politburo.

        According to Lenin, the government would cause the revolution. Especially by particular groups of people like the secret police. It would be when the communist party is ready to attack the weak capitalist government. As Lenin puts it ‘War is the locomotive of history. Just as Lenin, Stalin did use the secret police and labour camps but on a greater scale. He used them to an extent where he was alleged to have built up a ‘cult of personality’ and personally responsible for the brutality and suffering of the 1930’s. Where Lenin had helped the success of the Soviet Union becoming a major industrial power expanding with the establishment of communist rule in Eastern Europe, Stalin dilapidated this idea and considered it as a form of ‘bureaucratic degeneration’. Instead he proposed that a political revolution was necessary to overthrow privileged strata of state bureaucrats and return the Soviet Union to the road of socialism. One could say that there could be no collectivism unless there was an end to the NEP and no communism unless there was electrification and a proficient party.

        The revolution was believed to spread by other communist parties inspired by Bolshevik’s success. This was hoped to be a coming set of beliefs by Leninism. Whilst Stalin believed that socialism in one country could become a truly communist state and that country being the USSR. The advice that Lenin had on offer to give to other communists been ‘The end justify the means’ But Lenin fails to mention anything about violence and terrorism. Although Lenin does not mention certain aspects of terrorism, Stalinism does not have any advice but imposes it on others.  During October 1917 Revolution Lenin planned ‘Coup d’etait’ from exile where he set clearly all his theories and saw the aftermath as much more important. During that aftermath Stalin saw it as a re-writing of history.

 The central belief of Euro communism was rejection of the Leninist idea of revolution in favour of a gradual and peaceful transition towards socialism. Euro communist principles departed fundamentally from those of Orthodox Marxism-Leninism by accepting the principle of political pluralism and relinquishing their ambition to establish one-party communist rule. Lenin understood historical materialism creating a classless society but taking time for this process to further a do. Stalin conversely does not believe in historical materialism, instead he believes in Dialectic materialism. Where one can remove class antagonism but not class division i.e. Terrorism.