Stalin used a range of methods to achieve and maintain power.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] (a) The Purges were a form of terror.
2. [1] (a) Thousands of politicians were removed from the party and executed.
3. [1] (a) Supporters of Trotsky were removed.
4. [1] (a) Show trials were part of the Purges.
5. [1] (a) Anti-Soviet elements, including writers and artists, were purged by Yezhov.
6. [1] (a) The secret police (NKVD) arrested over 1.5 million people.
7. [1] (a) People were scared to criticise Stalin.
8. [1] (a) The Purges kept Stalin in power.
9. [1] (a) The Purges left the army without its most capable leaders.
10. [1] (b) All aspects of culture were controlled through censorship.
11. [1] (b) Writers belonged to a union and the Communist Party controlled what could be published.
12. [1] (b) Stalin did not want opposition.
13. [1] (b) Films and books glorified the Soviet way of life.
14. [1] (b) Statues and posters praising Stalin appeared everywhere.
15. [5] (b) Stalin wanted to control culture so that he could control every aspect of people's lives. He introduced censorship to make sure that books, films and music only contained ideas which glorified him and the Soviet regime. This would stop people having access to other ideas which Stalin might see as threatening.
16. [1] (c) Lenin had warned that Stalin could not be trusted.
17. [1] (c) Lenin's Testament was not published.
18. [1] (c) Trotsky's revolutionary ideas were considered to be dangerous.
19. [1] (c) Trotsky was arrogant and unpopular.
20. [1] (c) Stalin gained influence through his job as General Secretary of the Communist Party.
21. [1] (c) Stalin's policy of 'Socialism in One Country' was popular.
22. [1] (c) Stalin portrayed himself as Lenin's closest comrade.
23. [1] (c) Stalin deliberately gave Trotsky the wrong date for Lenin's funeral.
24. [5] (c) Good fortune was an important part of Stalin's rise to power. Lenin's Last Testament was extremely critical of Stalin and warned that he could not be trusted as he was unlikely to use power wisely. He was not viewed as a natural successor to Lenin and it was fortunate for Stalin that this testament was not made public.
25. [5] (c) Stalin's rise to power showed that he was a skilled manipulator and politically astute. Stalin used his power within the Communist Party very effectively. He was the General Secretary and used this and his other positions to put his own supporters in important posts. He also made sure he removed people likely to support his opponents. He gradually increased his own support base.
26. [10] (c) Explanation of both sides (Level 4, 7-9 marks) with evaluation of 'how far' (Level 5, 10 marks).