In GCSE History one of the topics studied is Russia in the first half of the 20th Century. One subject that is looked at is how Joseph Stalin came to power in Russia following the death of Lenin.
Joseph Stalin seemed at first unlikely to win power after Lenin's death in 1924. But he had secured a powerful position in the Party, and was able to discredit his rivals one by one. By 1929 Stalin reigned supreme, and, once he was in power, he was now ready to make radical changes in economic policy.
Find out how Joseph Stalin came to power - and what he did when he got there - in this quiz on early 20th Century Russia.
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Trotsky and Stalin differed over future policy: could Russia go it alone with a series of sweeping reforms, or would she have to ensure worldwide communism to have any chance of success?
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Under Lenin, Party membership had remained stagnant. After his death in 1924, Stalin saw a further way in which to increase his power. By recruiting more members from humble backgrounds, Stalin could cement their allegiance to him
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Trotsky already felt isolated in the growing power struggle, and he hoped that resignation from one post might take the heat off him
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Stalin always enjoyed the advantage that he had long been a Bolshevik Party member and associate of Lenin's. It was known that Trotsky had only joined quite recently
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Stalin's argument was that he had always followed the Leninist line of total unity, and that his adversaries were trying to split the Party into warring groups
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By now Stalin felt that he had overcome Trotsky's "Left-wing" opposition to domestic policy, and he now prepared to take on the so-called "Right" by outlining revolutionary plans for industry and agriculture
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By 1929 Trotsky had lost the argument with Stalin, having always underestimated his opponent. There seemed little option but to go into exile
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Stalin could not tolerate any aspect of Soviet life being under any other control than his own. One by one he brought these bodies into line, and dismissed their leaders if he felt that they posed a threat to him
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Surviving as a minister under Stalin was a high risk pastime. Through good fortune and good judgement several of Stalin's associates managed to cling on to power
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There had been a secret police force in Tsarist times. Under an even more authoritarian regime Stalin felt the need for one as he tightened his grip on Russia
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