How did Stalin win the struggle for leadership of the USSR in the 1920's and how did this effect individuals and groups in the USSR? Describe Stalin's leadership of the USSR between 1928 and 1933.
Stalin was a totalitarian dictator, who had no regard or compassion to the suffering of others at his own hands. He manipulated other members of the Politburo, and supported no cause but his own. He abused his power to fire others illegitimately and hired or promoted people who would support him. He demanded that the agrarian lifestyle of the people change to an industrial one and made unrealistic expectations in regard to industrial development. He was to blame for millions of innocent people's deaths, and was a cruel and ruthless leader.
Josef Stalin manipulated others within the Politburo in order to gain supreme leadership of the USSR. The other members of the Politburo made clear to all whether they were Rightists or Left Opposition, however Stalin supported whichever group suited his cause at the time. Stalin believed in the abolishment of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and in expanding industrialisation, as did the Left Opposition, however he disliked Trotsky, their leader. Trotsky was well known among colleagues as rude, arrogant and vain, and was strongly disliked by all. Trotsky was so unpopular amongst even his own party that Zinoviev and Kamenev, the co-leaders of the Left Opposition, joined forces with Stalin to ensure Trotsky was voted down within the party and could never succeed Lenin. This is a perfect example of Stalin's manipulative tendencies, which he focused on Trotsky's colleagues. There were many arguments among those in the politburo, and during 1924 the party was in turmoil regarding the future of the soviet economy. The fiercest argument during this time was between Stalin and Trotsky regarding Trotsky's theory of Permanent Revolution. Trotsky had wanted to take communism internationally, but the idea had already been tried and had failed, so his theory looked unworkable.