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Stalin Takes Power 1924–1929

     

Lenin died 1924. Many expected Trotsky (Red Army leader) to succeed. Lenin’s said Stalin was unfit & backed Trotsky. Yet Stalin took power.

   

Secretary Stalin

Made of Communist Party (1922); seemed an unimportant job but let Stalin place supporters in key roles.

   

Trotsky was Unpopular

    •  Brilliant but .

    •  Stalin misled him re Lenin’s → missed it → hurt reputation.

    •  Wanted → many feared this would ruin USSR.

   

Played off Politburo Factions

The Politburo was split:

    •  Leftists (, ) wanted world rev & end NEP (but disliked Trotsky).

    •  Rightists (, , ) wanted NEP until USSR stronger.

Stalin manipulated both:

    •  1924-25: Allied w. Zinoviev & Kamenev (‘’) → covered up Lenin’s Will, got Trotsky dismissed.

    •  1927: Promoted ‘Socialism in One Country’ → allied with Rightists → got ‘’ of Zinoviev, Kamenev, Trotsky dismissed. Trotsky exiled (1928).

    •  1929: Attacked NEP as uncommunist → got Bukharin, Rykov, Tomsky dismissed.

By 1929, Stalin had supreme power.