Stalin’s Early Career

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Lesson Snapshot:

Stalin’s Early Career

Josef Stalin became the general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party (CSPU) in April 1922. Just 8 months later Lenin wrote in his diary:

“Comrade Stalin, having become General Secretary, has concentrated an enormous power in his hands; and I am not sure he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution… Therefore I propose to the comrades to find a way to remove Stalin from that position.”

Lenin was ignored and Stalin became the man needed to enforce Communist rules and between 1922 – 27 Stalin was needed to enforce and even defend Lenin’s NEP.

In 1921 Lenin had introduced the NEP but between 1922 and 1927 the NEP went through a series of economic and political crises. These crises divided the Bolshevik Party (many of whom already already believed that Lenin had sold out his own causes) and some members of the government called for the abolition of the NEP.

1923 Crisis:
The country faced the “scissors crisis” when the price of agricultural product was so low because there was too much surplus grain but there was also a shortage of other goods which made them too expensive. The government proposed cutting the price of industrial goods, by sacking workers, but the Bolshevik Party felt that they were ‘surrendering to the peasants’. A worker’s state would be hurting the people by making some redundant – yet the peasants would be getting rich.

1925 Crisis:
The same crisis occurred again in 1925 with the same problems but different people in power. The ministers Zinoviev and Kamenev did not want to concede to the peasants again but Parliament, led by Stalin, would win again.

After Lenin’s death the Bolshevik Party was led by a political council of 7 people but it was dominated by Stalin and when a Third Crisis occurred in 1928 over providing enough grain for the Russian population he came up with the concept of ‘Five Year Plans’. In 1929 Stalin became the leader of the Bolshevik Party and finally took complete control of Russia as he seemed to be the only man at the time powerful enough to take complete control of Russia and rescue it from continuous crises.

There will be some key terms needed over the next few lessons in order to help you better understand Stalin’s reign:

Worksheet Lesson Plan:

  • Aimed at Students studying across UK Year 7,8 & 9 or equivalent
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  • Lesson plan on Stalin’s early career.
  • Contains questions throughout the study worksheet.