1. Warm Up
HW: Due Friday-Practice Paper 2 Questions.

2. Why did Stalin become party leader?
L/O – To identify the historiography about Stalin’s rise to power

3. Why did Stalin become leader?
Historians differ in their opinions about the reasons for Stalin’s emergence and rise to power, as no one factor seems to offer a satisfactory explanation.
Being able to understand the different views of historians and using those views to supplement your arguments in essays is called historiography. It gets you high marks!
Historiography = the study of the way history has been, and is, written: the history of historical writing.

4. Power Politics
Stalin’s rise a result from his deliberate and skilful manipulation of genuine political and ideological differences amongst the Bolshevik leaders.
His aims = to gain supreme power, make himself a revolutionary hero by crushing all opposition.
His success = due to his political ruthlessness and weaknesses of rivals.
Historians = Robert Conquest, Robert C. Tucker, Edward Carr, Stephen Cohen, Isaac Deutscher
Robert Conquest
Robert C. Tucker

5. Structuralist Explanations
Stalin was a product of Russian history and the administrative system set up after 1917.
He was a ruler in the long Russian tsarist tradition of absolutist ruler, the ‘Red Tsar’.
Civil war led to political appointments rather than elections. As administration grew, so did Stalin’s power to appoint his friends.
Centralisation of government structure under Lenin enabled Stalin to gain control through his job roles (General Secretary)
Historians = Robert Daniels, ‘Circular flow of power’
Robert Daniels

6. Socio-Cultural Explanation
Emphasises the impact of society and the social structure on the politics and developments of Party and State.
New party members after 1921 had no real understanding of Marxism or Bolshevik history so were easily manipulated by Stalin.
New party members were often uneducated ex-peasants – they often preferred Stalin’s ‘down to earth’ political style. They disliked the intellectual tone of Trotsky and the left.
Historians = Shelia Fitzpatrick
Shelia Fitzpatrick

7. Ideological Explanations
There were genuine political differences amongst the communist leaders of the 1920s. Stalin’s political positions just persuaded people.
Stalin’s policies and ideas were in tune with the majority of the party membership who desired stability above all.
His policy of continuing NEP and ‘socialism in one country’ seemed safer than Trotsky’s idea of ‘permanent revolution’.
Historians = Alexander Ehrlich, Moshe Lewin
Alex Ehrlich
Moshe Lewin

8. Activities- We will have two class periods to work.
Produce a chart summarising the main historical interpretations and explanations of why Stalin was able to come to power. Remember to include the names of relevant historians.
Why do you think Stalin emerged as leader? Explain which historical interpretation(s) you agree with the most.
Research what is meant by the term ‘Red Tsar’. Imagine you are a lawyer. Draw up a case to prove/disprove the allegation. You can ‘summon’ specific historians to support your case.