Russia Ttrotsky And Stalin Essay Research Paper

Russia Ttrotsky And Stalin Essay, Research Paper

Question 1

Stalin and Trotsky led two very different political careers. Before 1917 Trotsky wasn t even a member of the Bolsheviks, siding with the Mensheviks at the 2nd party congress in 1903 when the Social Democrats splintered into the two smaller parties: Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Trotsky sided with the Mensheviks more pacifist views towards revolution and general protests. In fact it wasn t until after the March revolution in 1917 when he was in jail (following the July days) that he was persuaded by Lenin to join the Bolsheviks. Trotsky quickly gained support being elected to its Central Committee and then elected chairman of the soviet within months of joining.

Stalin on the other hand had been a strong Bolshevik follower from the beginning firmly believing in its militant actions. His rise to power was much slower than that of Trotsky; he worked his way up the political ladder being very Active behind the scenes e.g.: helping to plot the hold up in then Tiflis (now Tbilis) in 1907. His first recognisable role within the party was in 1912 when Lenin co-opted him to serve on the first Central Committee of the Bolshevik party. He then went on to edit the Bolshevik newspaper Pravada before he went into exile (Stalin went into exile 7 times previously but had always managed to escape) from 1913-1917.

Both Stalin and Trotsky were in Russia for the November revolution. But whilst Trotsky was acting as the military

leader using his military revolutionary committee which was set up to defend the congress of soviets .

Stalin was much more in the background playing several key roles but not as important as Trotsky who was seen as a revolutionary hero. Trotsky kept up his role as military leader to defend the revolution when Kerensky attempted to retake Petrograd with loyal troops. He organised and supervised the major breakthrough battle of Pulkovo on Nov 13th. His work throughout the revolution was not only military, directly after the battle Trotsky joined Lenin in defeating the proposals for a coalition government, which would include both the Mensheviks and the Social Revolutionaries.

Both Trotsky and Stalin had important roles to play throughout the revolution but at this early stage we can already see that Trotsky was playing a staring role where as Stalin was more of a dedicated background figure.

Within the new government Trotsky had several roles his first was as Foreign Commissar. His first notable actions were to implement the Bolsheviks program of peace; he called for immediate armistice negotiations with all the countries at war. In December of 1917 peace talks with Germany and its allies began in Brest-Litovsk. After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which Trotsky was not in favour of, had been signed Trotsky resigned as the foreign commissar he was immediately repositioned as war commissar. In 1919 when the politburo was introduced he was named as one of the original five.

Stalin had two important posts within the government firstly being the commissar for nationalities from 1917-1923 and later the commissar for state control 1919-1923 this involved inspecting factories and farms etc. Checking on peasants and workers. Stalin was also an original member of the politburo and in 1922 he took on his first major role as secretary general of the central committee almost unnoticed Stalin set about solidifying his power, becoming a member of many committees taking on roles which no one else wanted.

Stalin held more ministerial posts within the government whereas Trotsky again was at the forefront of the action almost acting as Lenin s right hand man. Yet it may have been a wise move of Stalin s, whose qualities lay more in the ministerial side of politics.

The civil war started in the spring of 1918 and lasted until 1920, the new Bolshevik government was fighting against an array of enemies who all wished to see the restoration of the tsar these anti communist forces were known as the whites. The communists were known as the reds. Yet again Trotsky s role was vital in fact some say that without him communism could never have won. As the commissar for war Trotsky travelled all over the country in a unique mobile head quarters which was in fact a train. With this he was able to travel to the various fronts and became for the rousing speaches he gave. But before he was able to do this he had to produce an army from the shambles of the old red army, he opted for a small yet well equip and trained army going against the advice of many communists who felt this would fail.

Stalin was an active politico-military leader on various fronts and held several small ministerial posts throughout the war but nothing he did compared with the work trotsky was doing.

In 1921 at the 10th party congress it was announced that the N.E.P (or new economic policy) was to be introduced Trotsky felt that this was a step back towards capitalism and therefore unacceptable but he had no supporters within the politburo so he could do nothing to prevent it. He was also unable to voice his disagreements because of the politburo rule that no one was allowed to go public with any negative views about the government.

In May of 1922 Lenin suffered his first stroke, this highlighted the fact that there would have to be a successor. Trotsky obviousl