Joseph Stalin Causes

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the USSR from 1929 to his death in 1953. The important causes of this event are Stalin in the Civil War and as Commissar of Nationalities, Stalin as the General Secretary when Lenin died and the four years after Lenin’s death and how he came into power. This event had major consequences to the people of Russia including Collectivization and Industrialization, Gulags and the Five Year Plans and Show Trials and Purges.

An important long term cause of Stalin’s rise to power in USSR is Stalin in the Civil War and as Commissar of Nationalities. Stalin took part in many campaigns in both of the 1917 Civil Wars and he never failed to criticise the Army’s commander in chief, Trotsky, whom he disliked. Lenin, who didn’t

In 1922 Lenin suffered two strokes that left him immobile and without speech. This meant that Stalin as General Secretary, was his only link with the Communist Party. But Lenin was beginning to have his doubts about Stalin, he feared that Stalin would try to build up power and become the new leader of the USSR. In 1922 Lenin made a will that stated his fears about Stalin, it read; ‘Comrade Stalin has concentrated boundless power in his hands and I am not sure he can always use that power with sufficient caution.’ When Lenin died on the 21st of January 1924 Stalin was in the perfect position to rise to the top and cement his rule. But first, he had to get rid of Trotsky. Trotsky was told by Stalin that the funeral was going to be on Saturday and that he couldn’t get there on time from Moscow. But Stalin lied as the funeral took place on Sunday. Stalin’s actions at the funeral cemented his power and position as Lenin’s most faithful servant. He gave a speech saying that, ‘there is no higher honour than belonging to this army… we vow to thee Comrade Lenin, that we should honourably fulfil this, thy commandment.’ He also embalmed Lenin’s body and named cities after him, all because he wanted to win over Lenin’s followers and rise above Trotsky. Lenin would have been horrified at these things as he considered himself, ‘the servant and not the master.’ However, Stalin encouraged the cult that sprang up after Lenin’s death and made sure that he was always seen as a dutiful servant. He even altered photographs and commissioned portraits to show him always at Lenin's side. These moves at Lenin’s funeral accelerated his rise to power as it meant that he gained Lenin’s followers as they no longer had anyone to worship and Trotsky, Lenin’s favoured successor, was not around for them to