Emergence: Conditions for Stalin's rise to power Notes
Conditions In Which The Authoritarian Leader Emerged
StalinTip
In the case of the USSR, it is LENIN who establishes the authoritarian state.
If the question asks about the emergence of an authoritarian state, you must use Lenin, and not Stalin.
If the question asks about the emergence of an authoritarian leader, you can use Lenin OR Stalin for the case of Russia/USSR
Lenin’s final years exposed weaknesses in consolidating the Revolution.
The Bolshevik victory in 1917 created a one-party authoritarian state.
Early Soviet accounts emphasized popular support, but many modern historians see it as elite coup + mass unrest.
Early Bolshevik consolidation: Sovnarkom created; decrees on land and peace gained support; dissolution of Constituent Assembly (1918) marked suppression of competition.
Civil War (1918–21) and War Communism: State centralization, grain requisitioning, famine, and unrest set precedents for authoritarian control later used by Stalin.
NEP (1921): Allowed limited private trade, split party into Right (Bukharin, pro-NEP) and Left (Trotsky, anti-NEP). Stalin positioned himself as pragmatic mediator.
Faction ban (1921): Following Kronstadt, the 10th Party Congress outlawed factions, permanently ending open dissent within the party.
Lenin’s illness (1922–24): Strokes left him incapacitated; no clear succession plan.
Lenin’s Testament (1923): Criticized Stalin but also attacked Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Bukharin. Suppressed after Lenin’s death (1924), leaving a power vacuum.
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What split did the introduction of the NEP (1921) create within the Bolshevik party?
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Note
The Russian Revolution of 1917 marked a pivotal moment in world history, leading to the establishment of the first communist state. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized power through a combination of revolutionary fervor and strategic planning.
The October Revolution was not a spontaneous uprising but a carefully orchestrated coup by the Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks promised "Peace, Land, and Bread" to gain popular support
The revolution led to the creation of a one-party state, setting the stage for future authoritarian rule
Analogy
Think of the Bolshevik takeover like a chess game where Lenin and his followers strategically positioned their pieces (supporters) to capture the king (government) at the right moment.
Note
The Bolsheviks' ability to seize power was aided by the weakness and unpopularity of the Provisional Government.