Rise of Stalin.

Question: Rise of Stalin

Lenin slow decline of health gave the government time to look for a successor. Four of the successors were Joseph Stalin, Gregory Zinoviev, Leon Kamenev and Leon Trotsky. Lenin wanted Trotsky to be his successor, as he believed in his views on future communism. Trotsky believed that it would only survived if the other countries were communists.

Lenin did not support Stalin because he thought he was too keen for personal power. He also wrote a political testament shortly before his death,”I am not sure he always will know how to use caution with sufficient caution, therefore I proposed to the comrades that a way to be found to remove Stalin.

But this testament was not read out, as Stalin used his influence to prevent it from reading out. He used his position, as General Secretary to win support, while part of his responsibility was to post positions to members of the groups, so he used this opportunity to removed opponents and replaced supporters. After Lenin’s death, he also encouraged Cult of Lenin, (e.g. the embalming and permanent display of Lenin’s body.) He also presented himself as Lenin close follower (e.g.: chief mourner), hence fool the people into thinking that he was the obvious successor.

Kamenev and Zinoviev allied with Stalin to pushed Trotsky into exile, as they find him the main rival. Later on, Stalin also used his supporters to kicked Zinoviev and Kamenev out. Maybe it was faith too, as people favour Stalin’s policy of concentrating communism in Russia than Trotsky’s policy of believing that Soviet Union will only survived if other countries were communists. Trotsky’s idea proved unpopularity in Russia.

Stalin then argued against the NEP and in favour of expanding industry. When it was opposed, Stalin used his majority vote to pull the NEP down. In 1928,Stalin authorised a complex ...

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Stalin then argued against the NEP and in favour of expanding industry. When it was opposed, Stalin used his majority vote to pull the NEP down. In 1928,Stalin authorised a complex and ambitious plan set out industrial targets for Russia over five years. Firstly, private business was re-nationalised. Secondly, old industrial areas were re-developed while new industry sprank up. A program of heavy industrialisation was forcefully implented through with strict at all time brutal code of labour where absenteeism, impunctuality, inefficient, and laziness were severely punished. Also, industrial shortfalls were not blamed on the ambitious targets but on anti-socialist sabotage. With these five years plan and industrialisation, Russian manufacturing boomed during the great depression in period of 2 years. The national income rose from 24.3 to 96.3 billion roubles, coal output increased from 35.4-128millions tons, steel production from 4-17.7 million tons, electricity output rose from 700% and machine production 20000%. Stalin established himself industrialisation very well and within 10years, USSR became a key industrialisation power.

There were problems in agrilcuture in 1928, where technology was backward, land overfarmed and kulaks, the rich peasants own 98% of land, while the rest owned or rent be the peasants. Many peasants burned livestock and farms which result in famine. Stalin also find the kulaks class no loyalty so encouraged hatred for the kulak class. In the end, Stalin’s collectivisation caused many peasants to overwork.

Stalin was in success, as the five years plan hauled USSR to the top, just second from USA in 1939, but very strict control over people’s thinking. Stalin eliminated some of the most capable and brightest people in Russian government and military. Many prominent members of party were arrested and put on show trial. No one was safe as prosecutors might find themselves the next one being accused. Often, people admitted their “crimes” after tortures and family threat. Atmosphere of fear and terror was in air, and purges nearly caused Russians could not be able to cope during Germany invasion in 1941.

Overall, Russia had achieved the success, as Stalin established her as a strong and powerful country in a rather short period of time.