Struggle for power (1924–29): After Lenin’s death, leading Bolsheviks (Stalin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Bukharin) competed for control. Stalin built alliances, used his role as General Secretary to place loyal supporters in key posts, and presented himself as Lenin’s true follower.
Defeat of Trotsky: Trotsky was Stalin’s main rival. He was blamed for past disagreements, painted as arrogant, and lost influence. By 1929, Trotsky was expelled from the USSR and Stalin had total control.
A kolkhoz (Russian: колхо́з) was a type of collective farm in the Soviet Union. The Soviet government implemented them as a key part of its agricultural collectivization policies in the late 1920s and early 1930s, primarily under Joseph Stalin.
Collectivization: Stalin forced peasants to give up private farms and join collective farms (kolkhozes). The goal was to modernize agriculture and feed cities. Many peasants resisted, killing animals and hiding grain. This led to famine, especially in Ukraine (Holodomor).
Five-Year Plans (from 1928): Stalin launched state plans to rapidly industrialize the USSR. Heavy industry (coal, steel, oil) grew quickly. Huge projects like the Dnieper Dam and new cities showed progress, but working conditions were harsh.
Successes of industrialization: By the late 1930s, the USSR became a major industrial power, which helped it survive World War II.
Failures of industrialization: Production targets were unrealistic, quality was poor, and workers lived in overcrowded, tough conditions.
Government under Stalin: The USSR was a one-party dictatorship. Stalin used propaganda (posters, films, art, newspapers) to create a “cult of personality,” showing himself as the wise, heroic “father of the nation.”
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What was the Struggle for power (1924–29) in the Soviet Union?
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Note
After Lenin's death in 1924, a fierce power struggle erupted among the Bolshevik leadership. Stalin emerged victorious through a combination of political cunning, strategic alliances, and manipulation of party machinery.
Stalin initially formed a triumvirate with Zinoviev and Kamenev to isolate Trotsky
He later allied with Bukharin to defeat the Left Opposition
Stalin used his position as General Secretary to appoint loyal supporters throughout the party
Analogy
Think of Stalin's political maneuvering like a chess game, where he carefully positioned his pieces (allies) while eliminating threats one by one.
Note
Stalin's ability to shift alliances and exploit divisions among his rivals was crucial to his rise to power.