“Stalin’s control of the Communist Party was the main reason for his victory in the struggle

for power (1924–1929).” Discuss.

The period following the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924 was a harsh time in Soviet history,
characterized by a power struggle that had a profound impact on the newly established
Soviet Union. This, came after a very rough period in Russian history, namely the Russian
revolution, (1917-1918) that saw the abolishment of the Tsar and the introduction of
political and social reforms. In this period, Joseph Stalin, member of the Bolshevik party led
by Lenin, shaped his ideas regarding internal development of the Soviet Union, which
resulted popular amongst the party and he followed Lenin’s legacy. He was leader of the
Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953, and was a politician who effectively
consolidated power and maintained control over the Communist Party which allowed him
to ascent as the victor. He utilized strategies such as propaganda, secret police, The
situation inside the party, the division in the ideologies and the political and economic
landscape shaped by policies like the New Economic Policy (NEP) have defined the Soviet
Union during these years and influenced its course. In this essay I will delve into the factors
around Stalin's reasons for political success.

The alignment of Stalin with his trusted political members and the elimination of
opposition played a role in his victory for power only undermined by the prosperous
economic reforms and especially his elevated position as general secretary, which ensured
him more control and decisional power, crucial for his success. Nonetheless, Stalin proved
to be masterclass at political maneuvering, building a key network of loyalists and
supporters around him. He ensured that all the way up to the highest organ of the party,
the Politburo, the decision-making bodies would be populated with like-minded individuals
that would be indebted to him. This made it so Stalin was able to dictate the narrative
within the communist party and marginalize potential rivals. This was evident in 1929, with
the famous removal of Leon Trotsky, his main political rival, when Stalin emerged as the
victor and gained dictatorial control, expelling Trotsky from the Bolshevik party, and
ultimately banishing him from the territory of the Soviet Union.

Part, even if in smaller significance, of Stalin’s victory over his opponents was thanks to his
economic policies, that helped industrialize Russia and provided the people with a
promising vision for the future. After the Russian Civil War, Lenin introduced the New
Economic Policy in 1921 as a temporary retreat from strict communism to stabilize the
economy. In this policy, free market and capitalism were permitted, allowing individuals to
own small and medium sized enterprises, although under state control. Stalin initially
supported the NEP but later abandoned in 1928 soughing for a more rapid
industrialization, that would take place through his policy, the First Five-Year Plan. The five-
year plan, aimed at rapid industrialization, and it aimed at transforming the Soviet Union
from an agrarian society into an industrial powerhouse. It gave a vision of hope and future
prosperity to the Soviet citizens, enlarging his consensus and further consolidating his
authoritarian position as the leader of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, Stalin’s economic
policies resulted successful at projecting in the population the idea of a more economically
capable Russia therefore translating into increased military spending, and industrial
military capabilities, that in the face of a foreign military intervention such as the one in the
Russian Revolution, or a fascist military threat, be halted. Overall, the economic policies
aided Stalin with a reason more to emerge successful as the leader of Russia, ensuring
economic growth, population satisfaction and improved military defensive perception, all
factors that played into his rise of power.

Stalin's rise to power within the Communist Party was majorly facilitated by his strategic
position as the General Secretary of the party. This privileged role allowed him to influence
and manipulate party structures and control access to information. It enabled him to
gradually eliminate the leadership structures that were established after Lenin's death,
creating a more authoritarian system, and conducting purges within the Communist Party
to eliminate threats to his leadership, as purging high-ranking party officials and military
leaders through executions was common in the Soviet Union at this time. Since this
position was so tactic for Stalin and his strategic decision making, he operated more
controlling methods to ensure it, like the NKVD, the secret police, to monitor and suppress
any dissent. In the period of the Great Terror, the NKVD was involved in mass arrests, show
trials and even executions, especially against anyone conspiring against the state. Once his
opponents were neutralized, and his opposition silences, Stalin strengthened his grip on
the party by strategically assigning his trusted allies to the most important roles. Through
this move, he ensured that these individuals remained personally devoted to him rather
than being driven solely by the party's ideology, thus, significantly strengthening his status
quo. An example of this is his appointment of Vyacheslav Molotov as People’s Commissar
for Foreign Affairs, and later Premier of the Soviet Union, from 1939 to 1949, who played an
important role in Soviet foreign policy including the known Molotov-Ribbentrop pact with
Nazi Germany in 1939. Another strategy he employed while being the head of the
communist party was tightly controlling information through censorship and propaganda.
He manipulated the media and various cultural institutions to shape public perception in a
way that glorified his leadership and policies. This also meant limiting access to foreign
literature and media, history books etc; instead, Stalin created an image of himself as a
benevolent and infallible leader. Given his immense power, he popularized images of him
portrayed in endless posters and statues, along with other forms of propaganda. This
skewed perception of the people’s leader and made it difficult for anyone to challenge his
authority. In conclusion, Stalin’s position as General Secretary provided a crucial stage for
him to manipulate party structures and control information, allowing him to ultimately
eliminate rivals and establish an increasingly authoritarian system.

In summary, Stalin's dominance within the Communist Party, particularly through his role
as General Secretary, was the key factor in his success during the power struggle of 1924-
1929, due to his ability to expel anyone that didn’t represent the level of socialism he aimed
for, to create conformity within the party, and to control information. His control over
economic policies and the handling of the NEP, also provided him with trust from the
people and boosted rapid industrialization and authoritarianism, further solidifying his
position as the glorified leader of the Soviet Union that he was.