01. SOVIET CONTROL OF EASTERN EUROPE: Stalin

After World War Two a Cold War developed between the capitalist Western countries and the Communist countries of the Eastern Bloc. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted a buffer zone of friendly Communist countries to protect the USSR from further attack in the future. However, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee and US President Harry Truman made it clear at Yalta and Potsdam that this was unacceptable to the Western governments. They wanted freely defined states. Communist parties had gained control through what the Hungarian leader, Rakosi, called salami tactics. By 1950, the Eastern Bloc consisted of many Eastern European countries which were under the influence of the USSR. These included Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Ukraine. After Stalin's death in 1953, there was a power struggle in the USSR. By the mid-1950s the dominant Soviet political figure Nikita Khrushchev was solidifying his grasp on power.

1. SOVIET CONTROL EASTERN EUROPE JOSEPH STALIN 1

2. Bibliography – Cambridge Approved Allan Todd. The European Dictatorships. Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini (2002). Allsopp John. Challenge and Response (1980). Andrew Heywood. Politics (1997). Ben Walsh. Modern World History (2001). Colin Pearce. Representations of 20 th Century History (1995). John Martell. The Twentieth-Century World (1980). Philip Ingram. Russia and the USSR, 1905-1991 (1997). Ralph Levering. Debating the Origins of the Cold War. American and Russian Perspectives (2001). Robert Gellately. Lenin, Stalin and Hitler (2008). Tony McAleavy. Twentieth Century History. International Relations Since 1919 (2002). Steve Phillips. Lenin and the Russian Revolution (2000).

3. Stalin Biography Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUlwALrh0Ak&ab_channel=TheLifeGuide

4. Stalin Stalin was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953 . He held power as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1952) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (1941–1953). Initially governing the country as part of a collective leadership , he consolidated power to become a dictator by the 1930’s.

5. The Man of Steel Stalin’s adopted name translates in “man of steel”. He was born in Georgia in 1879 and he was the son of a shoemaker. He was expelled from the seminary (he wanted to become a priest) for revolutionary activities. He joined the Bolsheviks in 1903 . Bolsheviks were the radical communists, while Mensheviks were the moderate one. He became the general secretary of the Communist Party in 1922 . He won the struggle for power with Trotsky, after Lenin’s death. He established a brutal totalitarian dictatorship that was supported by an elaborate cult of personality .

6. Socialism in One Country Stalin’s ideological heritage is linked to the doctrine of “Socialism in One Country”. This doctrine justified industrialization and collectivization in terms of the need to resist capitalist encirclement and the need to eliminate the KULAKS (rich peasants) as a class. Stalin appealed to Russian nationalism . The doctrine

7. Stalin’s Ideology Ideologically Stalin was a firm believer of Leninist interpretation of Marxism. His own policies are called Stalinism .

8. Trotsky and the Revolution Lenin died of a stroke in 1924. The battle for succession was fierce. Trotsky was Lenin’s favourite to be elected as the new leader. Trotsky’s role in the 1917 revolution was instrumental. He was the military mastermind behind the Bolshevik success. He was a powerful speaker, a talented writer and a highly original thinker. He was the “darling” of the Russian Communist Party.

9. Stalin and the Revolution Stalin played an obscure part in the Revolution. In 1922 he was elected to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party . This entitled him to be part of the Politburo. Stalin was an excellent administrator , but he had no charisma . He inspired no one and he was called by his colleagues “Comrade Filling-Card” or the “Grey Blur”. A photo-montage, made in 1920, of the leaders of the revolution. Lenin and Trotsky appear together in the centre of the picture. Stalin’s photo has not been included.

10. Stalin and his 8 Steps to Power Stalin’s rise to power was difficult to explain. There was a complex series of events that favoured him to manoeuver for power. There are 8 identified factors that can explain Stalin’s rise to power.

11. Step 1: Differences in Personality Stalin’s personality was better suited to the situation in which the party leadership found itself after 1924. He was a very good administrator . All his rivals were easily fooled by Stalin : Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev, Tomsky and Bukharin. Relationships were especially difficult between Stalin and Trotsky . Trotsky (left) and Stalin (right)

12. Step 2: The Situation in 1924 After Lenin’s death, there was a lot of confusion and uncertainty . Stalin’s advantage was that he had control over the party structures , as the General Secretary.

13. Step 3: Stalin’s Position in the Party Stalin was able to influence the outcome of the debates because of his powerful position as General Secretary. In this capacity he was able to ensure his supporters were appointed to key posts within the party and could then outvote his rivals.

14. Step 4: Structural Changes in the Party Stalin’s supervision of the “Lenin Enrolment” worked to his advantage. Stalin increased the number of workers in the party. The new members were poorly educated and naïve . They saw loyalty to the General Secretary as a great step in securing privileges .

15. Step 5: Lenin’s Funeral This event provided a huge opportunity for Stalin to ride on the wave of popular enthusiasm for Lenin and his achievements. Stalin was the chief mourner . Trotsky was absent .

16. Step 6: The “Lenin Legacy” Stalin was able to manoeuvre himself into a position as the person most likely to continue the work of Lenin’s legacy . This was to be a very powerful position given the cult of hero worship that had developed so quickly around Lenin.

17. Step 7: Trotsky’s Attack on the Party Trotsky’s criticism of the growing power of the bureaucracy were valid but they were unpopular with those party members who saw their newfound privileges and status threatened. This highlighted Trotsky’s lack of popularity and support within the party and contrasted with Stalin’s position as head of bureaucracy.

18. Step 8: Differences Over Ideology Stalin was to defeat both the left and the right of the Party during the 1920’s over ideological issues. The importance of ideological differences compared to personality differences was confusing because they were so closely related.

19. Readings Stalin vs Trotsky: The Soviet Union at a Crossroads Link: https://www.thecollector.com/leon-trotsky-joseph-stalin/ Stalin’s Soviet Dictatorship. Reading to be printed. Source: John Martell, The Twentieth-Century World (1980).