Presentation by Dr. Kevin Lasher POL 328: Soviet and Russian Politics Presentation by Dr. Kevin Lasher

The Leadership Struggle After Lenin

LENIN Undisputed leader of Bolshevik party In power : late 1917-early 1923 1st stroke in May 1922; 2nd stroke in December 1922 Incapacitated by early 1923 Vague plans for leadership transition “Lenin’s Testament” comments on key members of party

LENIN Evidence that Lenin was preparing to move against Stalin before 3rd stroke (early 1923) Stalin survives Lenin attack in Testament following Lenin’s death (1924) Question: Did Leninism have to lead to Stalinism?

Who will succeed Lenin? ? Josef Stalin

The Combatants

LEV KAMENEV “Political twin” of Zinoviev Junior-partner despite his real strengths Lenin admired his character and calm approach to issues Editor and publisher of Lenin’s works Head of Moscow party Politburo in 1919 “Democratic” Bolshevik; had no involvement with Red Terror

LEV KAMENEV Voted against Bolshevik take-over in October 1917 Teams with Zinoviev and Stalin to isolate Trotsky Warns of Stalinist dictatorship in late 1925; demoted soon after Re-admitted to party after defeat Show trial and execution in 1936

GRIGORY ZINOVIEV “Senior partner” with Kamenev Head of Leningrad party; head of Comintern Politburo in 1921 Long association with Lenin; in exile and on “sealed train” “Friend” of Lenin? Marxist theoretician Good orator, behind Lenin and Trotsky

GRIGORY ZINOVIEV Voted against Bolshevik take-over in October 1917 Teams with Kamenev and Stalin to isolate Trotsky Expelled from power with Kamenev Re-admitted to party after defeat Show trial and execution in 1936

NIKOLAI BUKHARIN Marxist theorist, true intellectual, economist Editor of Pravda; replaced Zinoviev at Comintern Politburo in 1924 “Democratic Bolshevik,” unhappy with dictatorship “Gentle personality,” out-of-place among Bolsheviks

NIKOLAI BUKHARIN Sides with Stalin on attack on Zinoviev and Kamenev Supporter of NEP; tells peasants to “get rich” Stalin attacks in 1927; removed from power by 1929 Show trial and execution in 1938 Memory returns in Gorbachev-era

LEON TROTSKY Intellectual “equal” of Lenin Great orator, inspires masses Built Red Army, led Bolsheviks to victory in Civil War “Most capable man in Central Committee” Popular with “masses,” disliked by party elite Joined party in 1917; many disputes with Lenin in past

LEON TROTSKY Politburo in 1919 “Big Issues” man; dislikes routine administrative duties; arrogant Permanent revolution; anti-NEP No “power base” within party Stalin and others focus first attacks on Trotsky Trotsky absent from Lenin’s funeral Unwilling to use Red Army to “defeat” others

LEON TROTSKY Trotsky no match for Stalin in competition for leadership “Annoys” Stalin with attacks from abroad Assassinated in exile in 1940

JOSEF STALIN No quarrels with Lenin until Lenin’s illness Viewed as “mediocrity” by other party leaders Politburo, Orgburo, Secretariat Used General Secretary position to build party support Placed his supporters in key positions

JOSEF STALIN Assumed Lenin’s mantle after death of Lenin, fosters “Lenin cult” Shifting coalitions to eliminate opponents Moved cautiously throughout leadership transition Socialism in one country Dominant leadership position by 1929 In power from 1929-1953

Socialism in one country Leadership Struggle Socialism in one country Pro-NEP Permanent revolution Anti-NEP Bukharin Stalin Zinoviev/Kamenev Trotsky

Leadership Struggle

Leadership Struggle

Leadership Struggle 1923 Lenin and Trotsky plan to attack Stalin at 12th Party Congress, but Lenin is incapacitated by then Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin triumvirate to isolate Trotsky Trotsky passive against attacks

1924 Leadership Struggle Lenin dies in January Lenin’s Testament attack on Stalin read at party meeting; Stalin survives with support from Zinoviev and Kamenev Zinoviev and Kamenev will “use” Stalin to eliminate Trotksy Socialism in one country vs. permanent revolution

Lenin’s “Last Testament” “Comrade Stalin, having become Secretary-General, has unlimited authority concentrated in his hands, and I am not sure whether he will always be capable of using that authority with sufficient caution. Comrade Trotsky, on the other hand, as his struggle against the Central Committee on the question of the People's Commissariat of Communications has already proved, is distinguished not only by outstanding ability. He is personally perhaps the most capable man in the present Central Committee, but he has displayed excessive self-assurance and shown excessive preoccupation with the purely administrative side of the work. These two qualities of the two outstanding leaders of the present Central Committee can inadvertently lead to a split, and if our Party does not take steps to avert this, the split may come unexpectedly.”

Lenin’s “Last Testament” “Stalin is too coarse and this defect, although quite tolerable in our midst and in dealing among us Communists, becomes intolerable in a Secretary-General. That is why I suggest that the comrades think about a way of removing Stalin from that post and appointing another man in his stead who in all other respects differs from Comrade Stalin in having only one advantage, namely, that of being more tolerant, more loyal, more polite and more considerate to the comrades, less capricious, etc. This circumstance may appear to be a negligible detail. But I think that from the standpoint of safeguards against a split and from the standpoint of what I wrote above about the relationship between Stalin and Trotsky it is not a minor detail, but it is a detail which can assume decisive importance.” Addendum

Leadership Struggle 1925 Trotsky out as War Commissar; isolated on Politburo Bukharin tells peasants to “get rich” Stalin moves to alliance with “Right” Socialism in one country and NEP Kamenev denounces Stalin in December; demoted on Politburo Three pro-Stalin additions to Politburo

Leadership Struggle 1926 Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Trotsky in uneasy, desperate alliance Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Trotsky removed from Politburo

1927 Leadership Struggle Kamenev and Zinoviev out of party Trotsky exiled to Central Asia Stalin declares NEP a success; announces beginnings of new policy Stalin “goes Left” and attacks Bukharin Politburo: Six for Stalin, three Rightists

Leadership Struggle 1928 Beginning of collectivization and industrialization Stalin struggles against “Right”

1929 Leadership Struggle Bukharin removed from Politburo Full-scale collectivization and de-kulakization Stalin in dominant leadership position Last “Rightists” removed from Politburo in 1930 Politburo in 1930: Stalin plus eight supporters Opponents all alive at this stage

Stalin in Power Collectivization of agriculture Industrialization Repression and Great Terror Great Patriotic War Early Cold War with US

The End