l'to.* L Why did-stalin win the struggle over power following the death of Lenin? There were a number of factors, which contributed to Stalin's victory in the struggle over power in Russia following the death of Lenin. These factors were divided between those which Stalin controlled and those which he did not control though played into his favour. Stalin's exploitation of his seemingly unfavourable role as General Secretary-" " (Gensek) of the Bolshevik Party and his progression through the parly structure gave impetus to his victory in the struggle over power. Lenin had appointed Stalin to many positions throughout the Party prior to his death including Commissar of Nationalities in 1917, Commissar of State Control 1919, and eventually to Gensek in 1922. Martin McCauley describes, in his book 'The Soviet Union 1917-1991', Stalin as a party'climber'whom had"1-o"ascend the "party ladder step by step" to reach tne top. This was contrary to his rivals, particularly Trotsky, who were placed at the top in '1917 through "a single stroke. " From his new position as Gensek of the Party, Sta rn rnras able to modify and control Party membership to his own betterment. The years following Lenin's death, Stalin purged the Party of members whom did not support him, esteblishing a substantial support base which he exploited later in overcoming his opponents. Despite his clear manipulation and liquidation of the Party, Stalin remained unobtrusive and unassertive. Niki+a-Khrushehev described '- r'''' t: Stalin as a "grey blur" who went unnoticed despite tti-';tyii-i,t-fiikel; characteristics. ln this way, Stalin's position as Gensek contributed to his victory to obtain power following Lenin's death. Nrts o\ai € >ule.kran,s^r Another factor which contributed to Stalin's success in the struqqle over power was his unparalleled political skill which was far superior to his oppJn'"nr.Yfo*ing Lenin's death in 1924, a leadership void emerged in the Bolshevik Party with many contenders vying for the position. Despite this, Stalin remained patient and believed that time was essential to his success. He chose to wait for the right moment before attacking his opponents and destroying their opportunity to take leadership of the Party..Martin McCauley also describes Stalin as "head and shoulders above the rest" in terms of political skill Rlg!:xperience. His skills were most notably displayed during the Tenth Party Congress in 1921where Stalin effectively projected himself as a positive and constructive member of the Party whilst also undermining Trotsky, Zinoviev and Tomsky as negative and destructive. Furthermore, Stalin used the prevailing mystique of Lenin to his advantage. Alan Wood, author of 'Stalin and Stalinism', mentions that Stalin was "by far the cleverer politician " and "Trotslq's infatiffit was Stalin's "skilful manipulation of the 'cult' of Leninism" which projected him as Lenin's disciple. From here, Stalin could demonstrate his dedication to Lenin and the Party toward the population and the other members of