The factors that contributed to Stalin becoming the next leader are plentiful and can mostly be divided into Stalin’s own strengths and the weaknesses of his most important rival, Trotsky. All the factors can also be linked in one way or another, as shall be seen in this answer.

One of the most important reasons why Stalin won the power struggle is that he used his high positions in the Communist party and the power that came with it to his advantage. Several factors fall under this category. Firstly is how Stalin used his position as General Secretary, as well as jealousies between the leaders and Trotsky’s illness to stage-manage Lenin’s funeral. To the general public, it appeared that Stalin was very close to Lenin, and as a result should become his successor.

In 1925, Trotsky was forced to resign as Commissar for War. This was a potentially powerful position because it meant, if need be, the army would be on Trotsky’s side. Of course, Stalin realised this and how......

Join Now to view the rest of this term paper!
Members: Login to view this research paper.

Title: Why Was Stalin Able To Win The Power Struggle?
Approximate Word Count: 874
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

With the Term Papers Lab Membership Pass, you get instant access to every essay on this site, including this essay on Why Was Stalin Able To Win The Power Struggle?, for as long as you remain a member.

Other essays sites charge almost $100 for a single term paper. At Term Papers Lab, you can get instant access to over 100,000 research papers for as little as $29.95!