1. L8: The Rise of Stalin and Stalinism
Agenda
Objective:
To understand…
How Stalin came to power.
What Stalin Believed:
His Vision for Russia
The Means He Advocated to Achieve that Vision.
Schedule:
Discussion
Group Work
Homework
Work on prewriting check-in. Rolling Deadline.

2. Life Under Lenin
Based on our group work from last class, how would you describe life in Lenin’s Soviet Union
Politically?
Economically?
Socially/Culturally?
Overall, what type of country was Lenin trying to create and what were the means he used to get there?

3. Lenin Dies In 1924 Lenin dies of stroke at the age of 53.
His body is embalmed and put on display in a mausoleum in Moscow, where it remains today.

4. Who Will Assume Power?
There was a power struggle between two prominent members for who would replace Lenin:
Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin

5. Leon Trotsky Born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein 1879-1940
Early supporter of the Mensheviks, but joined the Bolsheviks before the Russian Revolution.
Founder and Commander of the Red Army
Advocated, like Lenin, that the goal of the USSR was to create a world-wide communist revolution.

6. Joseph Stalin Born Iosif Dzhugashvili 1878-1953
Was arrested and exiled to Siberia 7 times for his political activity
Took the name “Stalin” from the Russian word for steel.
Participated in the Bolshevik revolution
Was the General Secretary of the Communist Party

7. Stalin Assumes Power
Lenin wrote in 1922 that he did not want Stalin to be his successor because he was rude, sought excessive power, and held differing political views from Lenin.
However, after Lenin’s death Stalin used his power as Party Secretary to eject his political rivals from the Party.
Without significant opposition, he then garnered the support of the remaining Party members who declared him the new leader.
Stalin also exiled Trotsky to Mexico, where he was later killed by Stalin’s henchmen.

8. What Was Stalin’s Vision and Plan for the Soviet Union?
To understand Stalin’s vision for the Soviet Union, as well as to preview the style of rule he used to achieve that reading, we will read and compare speeches by Lenin and Stalin.