8/11/2019 Stalin Rose to Power Because of Trotsky's Weaknesses

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Friday 8th January 2013

"Stalin rose to power because of Trotsky's weaknesses" !o youaree# $%plain &12 arks(

After the Death of Lenin, there was no obvious successor to be ruler of

the USSR, though everyone knew that the contest was between Stalin and Trotsky.

 Trotsky was under the imression from the beginning that he did nothave to !ght to become leader of the USSR. "e did not make much of anattemt to counteract Stalin#s camaign, under$estimating his ability withingthe arty and neglecting to build u suort. "e made a terrible start to hiscamaign, failing to attend Lenin#s funeral, meaning he was seen as lessdevoted to Lenin#s memory. "e had only made the transer from %enshevik to&olshevik in '('), instead of being with them from the very beginning,meaning eole thought of him as less dedicated to the cause, "e managedto o*end senior arty members, who thought he was arrogant and too

academic, hence he did not aeal to the ma+ority of Russians. n addition tothese roblems, Lenin himself said in his testemony -although this was neverublished that he was re$occuied with the administritive side of work, andnot the ractical. The most signi!cant fault that Trotsky made, however, wasthat he wanted to sread communism over the world, instead of focusing onStalin#s olicy of socialism in one country. This would mean war, that whichthe Russian eole had already seen their fair share of.

/n the other hand, Stalin had a lot of ower within the 0olitburo. "ehad an e1cellent osition as 2eneral Secretary, meaning he could take awayand give +obs to those who would suort him. "e had tricked Trotsky intofailing to attend Lenin#s funeral, so as he could attend as chief mourner andaear dedicacted to Lenin#s memory. "e came from humble beginnings,meaning he aealled more to the eole of Russia. "e also made sure to beseen as close to Lenin, even editing hotograhs so he would seem hysicallycloser to him as his natural successor. Lenin himself said that he had a greatamount of ower within the arty, and was leading as Lenin was dying.Another thing that served him well was his ability to ick o* his oonentsone by one3 such as when he allied himself with 4inoviev and %anenev inorder to remove Trotsky from his osition, then used &ukharin to removethem, before !nally turning on &ukharin using the same tactics. "is bestasset that ut him above Trotsky was his olicy of Socialism in one 5ountry.

 This was Lenin#s belief, and aealled more to the general ublic in the USSRas it did not mean war and was not too ambitious.

believe that Stalin was always the stronger candidate. Although Trotsky was a more owerful seaker and writer, he aid little attention to theway in which he was viewed by other eole, most imortantly with thosewho could vote. Stalin was clever in the way he made himself aeal, layingarticular care to how he was seen, as well as securing the most suort.6ven if Trotsky had tried harder to oose Stalin, believe that his oliticalbeliefs would never have been acceted by the Russian eole, and heultimately would have lost out to Stalin, even if it took Stalin more time.