The Empty Throne: Who Ruled Russia When Lenin Was Dying

Lenin was incapacitated by strokes in 1922-1923, but the Soviet government did not stop functioning. This episode explores the power vacuum left by Lenin's illness and the behind-the-scenes machinations that set the stage for Stalin's rise. We examine Lenin's final writings, including his 'Testament' criticizing Stalin, the troika of Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Stalin that formed to keep Trotsky from power, and the complex relationship between Lenin and Stalin in the leader's final months. We also look at how the 1922 formation of the USSR, with Stalin as General Secretary, fundamentally shifted power dynamics. Who actually made decisions in 1923-1924? How did Stalin use his role to build a network of loyalists? And what did Lenin mean when he wrote that Stalin should be removed? This is the story of the transfer of power that nobody voted on.

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