1921 - The Ban on Factions

• The increasing use of terror and the economic problems caused by the Civil War led to differences of opinion within the Communist Party.

  • Some members felt that the policies pursued were too harsh and that the workers had not benefitted enough from the October Revolution.
• A group known as the "Workers' Opposition" formed within the party.

  • This worried Lenin, as party unity was vital if the new Communist regime was to survive.
• The 10th Party Congress in March 1921 passed a "ban on factions" which meant that once a decision had been made by the Central Committee then no party member could openly disagree with this policy.
• This "ban on factions" was to prove significant in Stalin's rise to power as he made use of it to accuse his opponents of "factionalism" and have them demoted or punished.