Rise of Stalin

1. Stalin's manipulation

1.1. Stalin pretend to have been close to Lenin (using his power of party organisation &exploiting the ideological division with the party)

1.1.1. Pretended to be close to lenin

1.1.2. Control over party organisation

1.1.3. Exploiting of ideological division

2. Trostsky's unpopularity in the politburo

2.1. Trostsky was regarded as Lenin's right-hand man

2.2. Had the support of the army as he had led them to victory against the whites in the civil war of 1918-1922

2.3. Trostsky had a great deal of power thus seen as the biggest treat by others in polituro

2.4. Failed to convince his fellow party members of his idea of world revolution

3. Non-Disclosure of Lenin's Testament

3.1. Lenin was suspicious of Stalin's character & ambitions as they often quarreled

3.2. Voiced criticism on his leading successors **advising Stalin to be remove

3.3. When Lenin died in 1924, his testament was read out at a meeting of the central executive committe but some party felt trostsky was a greater threat

3.4. Thus the testament did not achieve the effect

3.5. Stalin establish a troika alliance with Ler Kamener and Grigory Zinoner