When the Politburo received Lenin’s advice about removing Stalin they rejected it. Stalin had been intelligent enough to realise Trotsky’s flaws and not to make his mistakes. Thus, when Lenin was arrogant and condescending with his brilliant mind, Stalin seemed more down-to-earth. Thus, what Trotsky did not realise Stalin did, it was very important to have a power-base. The support and liking for Stalin was of course an advantage for him when voting for different prepositions took place. We should also remember that many members were there due to Stalin as he had appointed them.
Stalin also realised that appearances were effective methods to spread propaganda and gain support etc. One example is Lenin’s funeral. Stalin seized the opportunity and held a speech at the ceremony. His speech was the beginning of the “Cult of Lenin”. In his speech Stalin promised to continue Comrade Lenin’s work. Stalin cultivated the myth of Lenin as the Father of the revolution. This way Stalin himself was put in the positive light. Not only did he contradict Lenin’s suggestion that he only wanted power for the sake of power, he emphasised his standpoint as a communist and seemed to believe in the revolution which strengthened his position as the next leader of Russia.
However, it wasn’t only because of himself that he mostly received the majority of votes (within the party). External event also affected his rise to power. Trotsky had since long before been strongly disliked. The fact that he hadn’t joined the party until after the 1917 rebellions irritated many of the “Old-Bolsheviks” that had been members since the creation of the party. Trotsky was also a very intelligent man (Stalin was probably too, but did not show it as Trotsky did) and that worked against him. Lenin described him as the “most capable man in the present Central Committee” (extract from Lenin’s testament, 25th December 1922). Trotsky’s competence mounted the dislike for him and lead to men within the party working together and doing anything to prevent him from gaining power, such as voting for Stalin instead.
However, Stalin strategically betrayed all these men that he had co-operated with. The right – Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky, and the left – Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoview. They were all removed at an early stage in Stalin’s USSR. He used his position as General Secretary to dismiss them from the party or to reposition them. Stalin had also introduced a system of threat of expulsion. Workers within the party had to have Party cards. If you lost your party card you could not participate in any Bolshevik activities and you could not get food stamps, jobs or housing etc. When somebody in the party was to be removed he would be asked for his card. The card would not be returned. This way, party members were never really dismissed – just missed.
To maintain the power Stalin was gaining he began his notorious purges. In the 1920’s political opponents had been sent to labour camps, where many of them died. This way Stalin effectively removed his opponents. He had expelled party members that had been a threat to him such as in 1928 he had defeated Lenin who was sent to exile, in 1929 he had defeated the Right and Left groups within the Party and expelled them. However, the “real” purges began in 1934. Only in 1933-34 over a third of the membership (Bolshevik party members) were excluded from the party on the grounds of being traitors to the party. That was about 1 million members. What is noticeable about this pure is not the number of victims but the fact that Stalin purged members of his own party who did not oppose a real threat to him. It has been suggested that Stalin suffered from paranoia all ready at this early stage, as his purges go beyond reason and logic. The purges were consistent throughout Stalin’s rule till 1953 and it has been estimated that up to 20 million people died, more millions of people were sent to labour camps. Stalin’s system of terror of course got effects. People were frightened and people began to turn each other in to save themselves. This way Stalin did not only keep control and power by eliminating people who were a threat to him, he scared people to the extent that people did not dare to even become any sort of threat – obedience followed.
Propaganda was also an important tool for Stalin to maintain power. The Cult of Lenin can be taken into account. By repeating that he would continue Lenin’s work – he does it for Lenin, in his speech at the funeral, he emphasised that the whole population of Russia should do that too and honour Lenin- the Father of the Revolution, the protector of the people. Another example was the control of Russian artists, writers etc. They were expected to glorify Russia and her achievements and Stalin. If they didn’t their works were banned – censuring was common.
Stalin also introduced a new constitution in 1936 that would appear to be more democratic by allowing voting by secret ballot. Everyone in Russia could vote for members to the national assembly, the Supreme Soviet. However, the Supreme Soviet did not have much power. It elected ministers to the Praesidium to act on its behalf and Stalin was also the secretary of it, thus he controlled the Praesidium too but at the same time it looked as if he had introduced a more democratic system.
Education was also controlled by the state. Literacy increased but indoctrination at the schools were carried out, raising a generation to look up to their leader, Stalin and the Father of the revolution Lenin.
Slowly Russia was more and more controlled by the Bolsheviks and Stalin. He had control over his own party by eliminating eventual threats. He controlled the entire nation by propaganda and illusions. The illusion of a more democratic system was in fact only one more thing for Stalin to control. The free education was in fact only a school of indoctrination where the children were taught what Stalin decided. The many purges on Stalin’s orders created fear and suspicion among the Russians. This way did Stalin have control over the people not only physically (education etc.) but also psychologically. People were constantly frightened that they would be next, or their son etc. This way they were probably more likely to stress their obedience to Stalin.
