Stalin's Rise to Power

Just prior to Vladimir Lenin’s death in 1924, a ‘power struggle’ for authority over communist Russia came between the leaders of the Bolshevik regime, because there was no logical successor to Lenin. The members of the ‘Politburo’, who were divided between those on the right and those of the left, were the main players in this battle, particularly Bukharin, Zinoviev, Kamanev, Tomsky, Rykov, Trotsky and Stalin. With success depending crucially upon their abilities to gain and secure support, the true rivals were the “two major figures…Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin” . Although Trotsky was seen as the most likely successor to Lenin, it was Stalin, regardless of his lack of intellect, who was able to establish a personal dictatorship, through his manipulative but shrewd character. However, whilst Stalin’s character was strongly responsible for his rise to power, it was not the only aspect. His positions in communist power, his role as editor of the national newspaper, the factional disputes between left and right and his realistic approach contributed greatly to what was to become “the most ruthless autocracy” Russia had ever endured.

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Approximate Word count = 1278
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)