Russia, 1917–1953 – Stalin’s rise to power, 1924–1929: The power vacuum…

The idea

Lenin’s declining health and death in 1924 created a profound power vacuum, sparking a fierce power struggle over the nature of leadership and ideology. The suppression of Lenin's Testament, which criticised all major contenders but particularly urged Stalin's removal, fundamentally altered the succession. The struggle exposed deep divisions among the contenders. Trotsky possessed brilliance and Red Army support but lacked political tact. Stalin, often underestimated, leveraged his role as General Secretary to build patronage. Zinoviev and Kamenev had strong local power bases but were seen as disloyal in 1917. Bukharin was popular and a leading theorist but lacked political cunning, while Rykov and Tomsky held significant administrative and trade union influence but lacked the ruthless drive required to outmanoeuvre Stalin.

What earns the marks

• Assess how the suppression of Lenin's Testament by the Central Committee protected Stalin and damaged Trotsky's chances of assuming leadership.
• Evaluate the ideological divisions regarding the nature of leadership, specifically the shift from collective leadership to a single dictator.
• Analyse Stalin's strengths, particularly his control over the party apparatus as General Secretary, which allowed him to appoint loyalists.
• Compare the characters, strengths, and weaknesses of the Left (Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev) and the Right (Bukharin, Rykov, Tomsky) in their failure to unite against Stalin.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Claiming Lenin's Testament only criticised Stalin.

  Put it right: Acknowledge that the Testament contained criticisms of all the main contenders, including Trotsky, Bukharin, Kamenev, and Zinoviev, which is why they all agreed to suppress it.

• Assuming Trotsky was the official heir apparent.

  Put it right: Recognise that the Bolsheviks did not have a formal succession process and officially favoured collective leadership over a single heir.

• Ignoring the roles of Rykov and Tomsky.

  Put it right: Include Rykov (Chairman of Sovnarkom) and Tomsky (head of the trade unions) as significant figures with distinct power bases and weaknesses in the Right Opposition.

Exam tips

• When evaluating the contenders, contrast Stalin's bureaucratic power base with Trotsky's reliance on personal charisma and the Red Army.
• Use Lenin's Testament as a pivotal piece of evidence to explain why the contenders' initial decisions inadvertently facilitated Stalin's rise.
• Avoid narrative descriptions of the contenders; instead, explicitly link their specific character traits and weaknesses to their ultimate political defeat.