Edexcel GCSE History: Russia - Stalin's Rise to power

Detailed notes for the GCSE 9-1 Edexcel History Paper: Russia - Stalin’s Rise to Power.

Notes from this chapter include:

• The struggle for power, 1924-29
  - Replacing Lenin (complications)
  - The rivals for power
  - The aftermath of Lenin’s death
  - Stalin eliminates the opposition: the power struggle
• The use of terror in the 1930s
  - Purges and the use of terror in the Soviet Union
  - The role of the secret police
  - Reasons behind the purges
  - Main events of the purges
  - Consequences of the purges
  - The labour camp system in the Soviet Union
  - Show trials (1936-38)
• Propaganda and censorship
  - The link between ‘terror’ and the control of information
  - ‘Official culture’ in the Soviet Union
  - Government control of education
  - Government attacks on religion
  - Media censorship
  - The new Soviet Constitution of 1936
• The cult of Stalin
  - The cult of the wise and kind leader in Russia
  - The blame game
  - The ‘official’ Stalin