Why did Stalin become Leader of the Soviet Union by 1929?.
Stalin's rise to power can either be seen as being because of his personal merits, because of other's errors, or a mixture of the two. This essay will be looking at facts to make a conclusion on how Stalin had become the leader of the Soviet Union by 1929. It will describe who Josef Stalin was, who his opposition were, the influences on the struggle for power, the alliance against Trotsky and his defeat, the conflict between the remaining successors to Lenin, and finally the defeat of the Right. After this a conclusion will be formed in response to the question given.
Josef Stalin was one of the few members of the Bolsheviks who was of true proletariat background. His father was a shoemaker, and his grandfathers had been serfs. This would have meant that he appealed to the surfs throughout Russia. He was a good organiser, and had a strong character, despite being described as "dull and boring- by other party members. In addition to this, in his Testament, Lenin depicted Stalin as being "too rude-. Despite this, Stalin was trusted by Lenin, possibly because of the fact that Stalin was, more often than not, inclined to agree with him. This could be seen as a sign of weakness, or that he was simply trying to keep his head in the game by being close to Lenin. To his advantage within the party, he was the head of the Orgburo- the general secretary, and he was neither extreme left nor right wing, and could therefore cover both sides of the party, gaining him a wide-based group of supporters.
After Lenin's death in January 1924, the main struggle for power began amongst the seven man Politburo. This consisted of Stalin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Bukharin, Kamenev, Tomsky and Rykov. Within this struggle each man had his own weaknesses and strengths. .
Rykov was the chairman of the Vesenkha in 1918, and in 1921 succeeded Lenin as the chairman of the Sovnarkom.