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Section III (Personalities): Leon Trotsky, Revolutionary and Theorist of Permanent Revolution
Quick questions on Trotsky's struggle with Stalin: HSC Modern History Personality
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is socialism in One Country?Show answer
Stalin advanced the doctrine of Socialism in One Country in October-December 1924 in the second edition of his Problems of Leninism. The doctrine held that socialism could be built within the boundaries of the Soviet Union without waiting for international revolution. The slogan condensed the new Soviet bureaucracy's preference for consolidation over international risk.
What is the Left Opposition?Show answer
The Left Opposition was the Trotsky platform of 1923-1925. Its core demands were:
What is the United Opposition?Show answer
In April 1926 Zinoviev and Kamenev broke with Stalin and joined the Trotsky group to form the United Opposition. The fusion came too late: Stalin had already removed Zinoviev from the Leningrad organisation (January 1926) and from the Comintern (October 1926). The 1926 platform restated the Left Opposition demands.
What are the November 1927 demonstrations?Show answer
The Trotskyist counter-demonstrations on the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution (7 November 1927) were the public moment of defeat. Mounted militia broke up small Opposition columns in Moscow and Leningrad. The events were the pretext for expulsion.
What is q1?Show answer
Source A is an extract from Lenin's Testament (4 January 1923). Using Source A and your own knowledge, explain why Trotsky lost the succession struggle. [5 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Evaluate the extent to which Trotsky's defeat in the 1920s succession struggle was a result of his political miscalculation. [25 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Compare the views of Isaac Deutscher and Robert Service on Trotsky's defeat. [10 marks]
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