Trotsky Vs Stalin

Stalin’s policy priorities were not building a ‘worker’s paradise’ or a classless society, but protecting Russia from war and invasion. In 1928, Stalin launched the first of two ambitious five-year plans to modernize and industrialize the Soviet economy. These programs brought rapid progress – but also significant death and suffering. Stalin’s decision to nationalize agricultural production dispossessed millions of peasants, forcing them from their land to labor on gigantic state-run collective farms. Grain was sold abroad to finance Soviet industrial projects, leading to food shortages and disastrous famines in the mid-1930s. Soviet Russia was dragged into the 20th century, transforming from a backward agrarian empire into a modern industrial superpower – but this came at extraordinary human cost.

There are many different ways on how a prince or ruler could come into power and how they choose to rule once in power. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote the book The Prince based on his own personal opinions on how a prince should rule. Machiavelli writes all of his beliefs based on princes and the monarchy in England/France in the fourteenth century. The principalities that Machiavelli wrote about can be compared to many European leaders. One European leader that has some differences to what Machiavelli wrote is Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union. As said before many leaders come into power in different ways and the way Stalin came into power and what he did with that power is different from a Machiavellian ruler.

During the years following the death of Lenin in 1924, there was an immense power struggle in the politburo of the Communist Party, as its leading figures competed to replace him. By 1929, Joseph Stalin had defeated his rivals - and therefore become leader of the party - through three stages: the defeat of the left opposition (and therefore Trotsky), the united opposition (Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky), and finally the right deviation (Bukharin). Stalin gained power due to a number of factors, particularly his position as General Secretary of the party, along with his other roles, but also through errors made by the Bolsheviks, most notably their underestimation and dismissal of Stalin. However, his position as General Secretary gave

However, in 1928 Stalin tuned on Bukharin when it became clear it would be far more useful to him to now want to end the NEP. Stalin used Trotsky’s policies to oppose Bukharin. Even after Lenin’s death, Stalin continued to support the idea of World Revolution and Permanent Revolution, in which state industrialisation and state collective farms would be in place. This was popular with the Communists and increased Stalin’s support.

Soso Djugashvili, more commonly known as Joseph Stalin, ‘man of steel’, dictator of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Russia, can be considered a ‘Red Tsar’ to an extent when features of Stalinism are compared to those of Tsarism and Russia ruled by Nicholas II’s autocratic regime from 1894 to 1917. A ‘Red Tsar’ is a communist leader whom follows similar principles followed under the leadership of a Tsar, that were influenced by few opinions allowing sole leadership and little opposition from others. Stalin can be considered a ‘Red Tsar’ to an extent as he ruled Communist Russia as a somewhat totalitarian state and was considered a ‘God-like’ figure sent to Earth to lead the nation and its people. From Stalin’s reign of terror from 1929 to 1953 there can be similarities seen in his regime to features of Tsarism as well as differences, this is why there are alternative interpretations for Stalin being considered a ‘Red Tsar’.

Stalin was frequently captured and sent to Siberia, but, he managed to escape. “Stalin played a key role in the Russian revolution he gained control over the party newspaper Pravda and helped Lenin to escape Finland” (Joseph Stalin Bio, biography.com Editors, bio.com website). Stalin was one of the five Lenin appointed in the Russian civil war against anti-Bolshevik policies. Stalin frequently clashed with Leon Trotsky and Stalin advocated harsh measures to ensure discipline and loyalty. In 1922, Lenin fell ill and Stalin became one of the main links between Lenin and the outside world. Lenin became increasingly distrustful of Stalin, disliking his arrogance and love of power. In Lenin’s testimony he wanted Stalin removed from power. However, with great skill Stalin formed alliance’s with other key Communist party members, he outmaneuvered Trotsky and had him expelled from the Soviet Union. On the death of Lenin, Stalin was able to assume the position as leader of the Soviet Union, He quickly strove to consolidate

Vladimir Lenin was slowly degrading before Stalin took power. Before Lenin died, he spoke out against Stalin by saying, “Stalin has concentrated enormous power in his hands, and I am not sure he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution.” (Document 1). As the main creator of the Communist party and the USSR, Lenin warned the public that Stalin’s power was going to get to his head and he was going to become a selfish ruler. This became true when Stalin becomes a full time dictator. He begins abusing his power by creating a police state that brought terror among the public. He forced obedience and crushed any opposition that came in his way. Secret police arrested and killed off any traitors towards Stalin. Stalin, then, betrayed members of the Communist Party. From there, he lofted the Great Purge, which was a campaign of terror against all of his citizens. He killed off anyone that threatened the power and authority against him. Old Bolsheviks and the police themselves were either arrested or eliminated. It is estimated by the end of the Great Purge, Stalin killed as many as 8 to 13 million people. These were all people who supposedly threatened his regime. Even more people got killed, when Stalin started persecuting religious officials and followers. By Lenin’s warning, the Great Purge, and religious persecution, it is evident on how Stalin frequently abused his power during his reign. It also shows how selfish he is towards his

In 1922, Vladimir Lenin founded the Soviet Union, and during these years, Stalin became one of his most loyal followers. As he continued to gain popularity and began to move up the party ladder, Stalin became Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This role enabled him to appoint his allies to government jobs and have a base of political support (History.com Staff, 2009). When Lenin passed away in 1924, Stalin began creating a "cult of personality" around himself and got artists to paint pictures glorifying him (Trueman, 2015). He also built himself to be a great genius and a leader who was guided by Lenin and described himself as "Lenin's right hand man" (Kenny 2015). In the late 1920's, Stalin gained complete control over the Soviet Union and became its dictator.

It is plausible to suggest that Joseph Stalin was essentially a Red Tsar. Whilst Stalin was committed to communism, his ideology and authoritarian reign was reminiscent of the Tsarist autocratic rule that proceeded him. For nearly six centuries Russia was ruled under a Tsarist autocratic government until it was overthrown during the 1917 revolution that led to the introduction of the first communist government in Russia and the leadership of Joseph Stalin. During his reign, Stalin enacted a ‘cult of personality’ in which he was worshipped as a god-like being similar to that of the autocratic Tsars who ruled before him. Likewise, there were immense similarities in the social structures and quality of life for Russia’s people under the reign of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and Joseph Stalin. There is considerable evidence therefore to support the idea that Joseph Stalin was essentially a Red Tsar.

This determination greatly affected Stalin’s rise to power, and allowed him to completely decimate all opposition to his leadership. Originally, Stalin was a powerless citizen of the USSR, yet he managed to quickly rise to the top of the political field. He began his role in politics by joining the Bolsheviks in 1903. Due to his thirst for power he steadily rose through the ranks of the party and was soon the General Secretary. The Bolshevik insurrection to Russian leadership was successful and placed Stalin in a position of great power. He then used his power to isolate members of the party in an attempt to take away their power and popularity. Determined to gain absolute dominance over the other members, he caused the dismissal, and possibly the deaths, of several of his political opponents. This left him in total rule over the Communist party,

Stalin’s unquestionable dominance over the Bolshevik party and their actions highlights the impact of Stalinism

Conversely, Stain’s tendency to grasp opportunities and advance in situations was pivotal in explaining his rise to power by 1929. Historian S, Phillips argues that “Stalin was undoubtedly skillful in using the circumstances that presented themselves in 1924 and opportunities that arose thereafter to overcome his opponents in the party” . This view supports the idea that Stalin used his political shrewdness and skills to outwit his colleagues for the battle for power and positioned himself in situations that he could benefit from and gain advantages which is an alternative factor to the Party machine argument as the main reason for Stalin’s dominance of power. It is correct to argue that Stalin had begun to lay down the foundations of power during Lenin’s latter years and used his powers granted to him by

once this was a very silly idea as they would not be able to pull it

All of Stalin's successors until Gorbachev stressed their devotion to Marxism-Leninism as the guiding ideology of the Soviet Union and the focus of the Communist Party to the Soviet state. Gorbachev tried to reform the Soviet economy and open its society. Yet by removing the control of the Communist Party he only succeeded in accelerating the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev proved Lenin and Stalin to be correct, the Soviet Union could not Marxism -Leninism to bind it together. The Soviet era had left behind a bloody legacy, an estimated 20 million deaths that resulted from Stalin's excesses on top of the estimated 8.8 million deaths from the Russian Civil War. Soviet losses in the Second World War were horrendous at around 20 million

Lenin believed that Trotsky was the best suitable to take the Communist party to the next level. Trotsky was not all that popular among party members though and Stalin was in a position as Gen Sek, or General Secretary, to place his people in powerful positions throughout the party. Also, Stalin worked extremely hard at achieving power whereas Trotsky was rather lazy. Because of these reasons along with Stalin's "zero tolerance" attitude towards everyone, he was able to seize control.