How was government under Lenin and Stalin similar?

• difference- Did Lenin's regime rely on a personality cult?

  It didn't rely on one to function

  BUT:

  - Stalinist system developed full blown personality cult

  = helped it maintain power

  
• difference - What was the democracy like democracy the like under Lenin and Stalin?

  Lenin's CPSU:- could still hold internal debates- and consider different views

  Stalin's party- reduced to little more than a"rubberstamp"= for his policies

  
• difference- What were Lenin and Stalin's to weaken grip got reinforced actions on the bureaucracy?

  Lenin- attempted to weaken increase and increase grip of party machine/bureaucracy- and increase internal democracy

  Stalinist system-reinforcedpower of bureaucracy= in both party and gov reinforced power

  
• difference- How flexible were the leader's ideologies?

  Lenin's regime- prepared to abandon ideology= to remain in power e.g. intro of NEP 1921

  Stalinist system- characterised by greater ideological inflexibility e.g. collectivisation 1930s

  
• similarities- What were their links to religion?

  To promote a Marxist popular culture-both regimes undermined religious beliefs/practises

  Lenin- attack on Orthodox Church 1921-22 Stalin- approval of religious persecution during collectivisation

  
• similarities- What did the leaders use mass media for?

  Both regimes dominated Soviet population including- through control of mass media- and other forms of propaganda- including the arts

  
• similarities - The leaders use of State power

  Both regimes centralised State power

  Lenin- did so partly in response to pressures of Russian civil war Stalin- concentrated power to personal dictatorship

  
• similarities - What did both the Lenin and Stalinist regimes resort to?

  Brutal methods- to remove actual and perceived opposition

  Lenin-red terror starting 1918 Stalin-purges of 1930s

  
• similarities - One Party State

  Lenin-create done party state-ruthless with other socialist parties e.g. Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries-intolerant of opposing views

  Stalin's control of the one-party state- allowed him to crush all those who opposed or criticised him

  
• similarities- How did Lenin and Stalin use class warfare?

  Lenin- ruthless: used terror to achieve his ends- mercilessly attacked bourgeoisie, the "former people"- created Chekaas one of first actions- set up labour camps for oppositionists 1920s

  Stalin- pursued class warfare against Kulaks= to force collectivisation- Stalin learnt methods from Lenin

  
• similarities - Why is the Stalin system rooted in centralism?

  Lenin - created highly centralised and authoritarian state= possibly because circumstances after revolution and during civil war-didn't dismantle structure of state before died = Stalin revelled in bureaucracy

  
• similarities - How did the party become detached from the people?

  Lenin considered that workers in the early 1920s were uncultured and ill-educated. Lenin and the party leadership decided that the party alone knew the right path for Russia meaning that dictatorship was ensured and Stalin carried that on
• similarities - Were Lenin and Stalin democratic?

  Lenin destroyed democracy in the party with the "ban on factions" 1921 which resulted in a new generation of party members who knew little about marxism and were more inclined to follow orders than take an active part in democratic debates. As a result of Lenin concentrating the power at the top, this facilitated Stalin's policies in the 1930s
• similarities - Lenin Stalin and the purges

  Lenin used purges on the party to weed out elements he disapproved of similar to Stalin's 1930 purges
• similarities- How did Lenin and Stalin use mass mobilisation?

  Mobilise the workers to carry out their policies. Lenin used this for the October revolution and during the civil war. Stalin used this for rapid industrialisation and collectivisation in the early 1930s and again in the Stakhanovite campaign in the mid 1930s
• differences - How were Stalin's purges different to Lenins?

  Lenin's party purges were non violent involving the withdrawal of party cards. Stalin used terror inside the party which Lenin was always against, he would never have agreed with killing leading Bolsheviks and other party members. As a result of Stalin's personality and motives he wanted to crush all enemies and opposition to this vision of the Soviet Union
• difference - Why is the term Leninism inaccurate?

  Lenin always objected to the term, and regarded himself as a marxist. He saw the Marxist theory as progressive and believed it would lead the way to socialism. Stalin developed the cult of Leninism to justify his actions.
• difference - How did Lenin view the bureaucracy different to Stalin?

  Lenin was worried by the power of the party and bureaucracy originally conceiving the Sovnakom to run the country with the politburo as a court of appeal for decisions. Lenin wanted to increase internal democracy but Stalin reinforced bureaucracy in party and governmnent
• difference - What were Lenin's views on collectivisation?

  Lenin had clearly stated that the peasantry should not be coerced into collective farms