Lenin's Testament

• After his second stroke in December 1922, Lenin wrote a testament.

  • This letter was to be read to the Party Congress after his death.
• Lenin's testament warned that Stalin had become too powerful and he could not be trusted to use his power wisely.
• Stalin's rudeness towards Lenin's wife contributed to the negative way Lenin wrote about him.
• The testament was critical of the other leading Bolsheviks.
• Zinoviev and Kamenev were criticised for their opposition to seizing power in October 1917.
• Trotsky was criticised for initially not being a Bolshevi,.
• Bukharin was criticised as his "theoretical views can be classified as fully Marxist only with the great reserve."
• The Testament was suppressed, along with his opponents underestimating Stalin and seeing him as being useful to defeat what they considered to be more significant opponents.