How Defeat Of His Opponents In The Essay Example

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Lenin's testament strongly criticized Stalin and expressed his wish for Stalin not to assume leadership. Additionally, Lenin urged senior members to oust Stalin from power. In contrast, Bukharin was renowned for his integrity, impartiality, and incorruptibility - qualities highly esteemed in a leader and admired by Lenin. Consequently, Bukharin possessed a positive reputation among senior party members as well as numerous communists. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Lenin stated in his testament that Bukharin was the preferred candidate of the entire party.

Despite Bukharin's initial popularity, Stalin ultimately emerged as the leader. Surprisingly, his arrogant reputation did not impede his ability to defeat his opponents. This implies that the contenders' personalities were not crucial in determining Stalin's victory. It is also conceivable that Bukharin could have become the leader in 1929. Additionally, a significant factor contributing to Stalin's triumph in the leadership struggle was the disparity in Party powerbases between him and his rivals.

Even though Zinoviev and Kamenev, who led the Petrograd and Moscow Parties respectively, held positions of power in the party, Lenin opted for Stalin as the General Secretary due to his superior administrative abilities. Moreover, Trotsky and Bukharin, who posed as Stalin's primary competitors, had minimal support within the party. Bukharin lacked a vote in the politburo while Trotsky only wielded influence within the government as Head of the Red Army.

Stalin prioritized becoming the Party leader over concerns about the Government's powerbase. Fortunately, none of the other senior party members were willing to assume the role of General Secretary and its associated responsibilities because they considered it an obstacle to their own leadership campaigns.

Nevertheless, Stalin saw this as a chance to bolster his position by promoting like-minded followers and communists.

Stalin's success was largely due to the crucial position he held, which surpassed the influence of his rivals' personalities and secured his victory. Throughout the leadership struggle, he skillfully manipulated his role, ultimately becoming the leader of the Party. His secretive nature made him an ideal candidate for General Secretary, enabling him to manipulate party positions in his favor.

Stalin skillfully manipulated and controlled party officials to his advantage, removing those who opposed him. He also played senior members of the party against each other, gradually eliminating his opponents. By forming alliances with rival factions, he could easily change his stance and betray those he had previously made political agreements with.

Engaging in political opportunism, he employed Right-wing policies against the Left and then switched to Left-wing policies to defeat the Right. This strategy created a significant opportunity for himself, making it relatively easy for him to overcome his final obstacle, Bukharin. Despite being viewed as disloyal, shameful, and cunning by party members, the Russian people still tolerated him due to his presentation as a moderate representative and leader of the majority. His simplistic interpretation of Leninism garnered support from the masses.

Stalin utilized propaganda methods to present himself as Lenin's successor and depict his adversaries as traitors of communism, effectively weakening their positions in the competition. This manipulative and deceitful strategy played a vital role in Stalin's victory over his competitors.

Being the General Secretary was an essential part of his plan, but it was his approach to his party role that

resulted in his success.

In summary, Stalin encountered early obstacles in the power struggle due to the unfavorable portrayal of him in Lenin's testament. This significantly damaged his reputation and diminished his popularity among party members.

Bukharin would have emerged as the winner if leadership was solely based on contenders' personalities. However, this indicates that personality did not primarily contribute to Stalin's triumph. Instead, it was his manipulation of the General Secretary position that played a vital role in securing his success as a leader. Moreover, Stalin employed strategies such as manipulating rivals and utilizing propaganda to bolster his image.