Stalin rise to power

The Bolshevik party (renamed Communist Party in 1919) attempted to come to terms with the reality of power over a period of conflict during which they were forced to resort to authoritarian measures. This repression that characterized the imposing of Bolshevik control over Russia later became known as the terror. Every Bolshevik activist suffered at the hands of the cheka (secret police) and no opposition within the Red Army was tolerated, with execution being imposed for desertion or disloyalty.

As with government and administration, the Communist Party had to learn the skills of economic management. Few historians accept the view that the revolutio...