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Were Stalin’s methods the only ones appropriate to the task of transforming the Soviet Union into an industrial nation?
have ruled the USSR if they had won the struggle for power. However it is very unlikely, from what we know about them, that any of theses leaders could have equalled Stalin’s success.
Before Stalin came to power after Lenin’s death in 1924 he had held numerous positions within the party. The combinations of these posts allowed Stalin to monitor grassroots party appointments all over Soviet Russia, and thus build up an army of henchmen. This in turn, meant that he was soon able to control the election of deputies to the Supreme Soviet, the top legislative body, and to the Party Congress. This enabled him to have his ‘own’ people in place, so everything was channelled through him. This means he would have total control. This method Stalin used to establish a totalitarian dictatorship, which allowed him greater control and I doubt that had it been any other leader, would they have made such a drastic difference all the way through the chain. Stalin was very skilful in manoeuvring his people to positions where he wanted them, then changing sides if he saw a better option, therefore leaving them hi and dry. Stalin consolidated his position with his well-timed formulation of the theory of “Socialism in one country”, for which idea he had earlier condemned Trotsky. This doctrine, calling for construction of socialist society in the Soviet Union regardless of international situation, distanced Stalin from the left and won support with Bhukarin and the party’s right wing. With this support Stalin ousted the leaders of the “Left Opposition” from their position in 1926/27 and forced Trotsky into exile in 1928. As the NEP era ended, opened debate within the party became increasingly limited as Stalin gradually eliminated all his opponents. The murder of Kirov in Dec of 1934 for allegedly plotting to replace Stalin began a period of purging and terror that lasted until 1939. It was marked by execution of virtually the entire political and military elite and the incarceration in forced labour camps of millions of Soviet citizens. Using this method with the help of the Secret Police, Stalin established his personal dictatorship over the party and the country. To summarise Stalin was a ruthless man of caution, cunning and calculation. He was cruel and heartless, murdering anyone who appeared to stand in his way or might prove a later threat, but his plans were pursued with such vigour and forcefulness, fuelled by fear. Stalin believed that terror was a legitimate political weapon. The difference was while Lenin and other Bolshevik leaders opposed the use of terror against their own colleagues, Stalin had no such reservations. Stalin believed that terror was the most effective way of making people obey and work hard. I believe had Stalin not pulled Russia together by force to become an industrial nation, they would have been far worse off in the Nazi regime, as I have no doubt had Russia not industrialised, she would have been defeated in 1941/42. So Stalin’s methods had [next page]