Final answer:
Stalin gained control over the Communist Party by strategically controlling party appointments, defeating political rivals, employing propaganda to align himself with Lenin's legacy, and executing systematic purges to eliminate opposition and consolidate power.
Step-by-step explanation:
Joseph Stalin gained control over the Communist Party and the Soviet state through a combination of organizational control, political maneuvering, and systematic purges. Initially, while his position as the party's general secretary was not high-level, Stalin used it to control party appointments, ensuring loyalty to him. Following Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin outmaneuvered his rivals, positioning himself as Lenin's true adherent, and by 1927 had defeated his main political enemies, including Trotsky and Zinoviev.
In the ruthless purges of the late 1930s, Stalin targeted perceived threats, including party members, military officials, and others. His secret police, the NKVD, carried out these purges under orders from Stalin himself, which involved torture and forced confessions on false charges. Propaganda also played a crucial role, with Stalin casting himself as indispensable to identifying and eliminating the enemies of the regime, thus centralizing power in his own hands.
Stalin's Control Mechanisms
Control of party appointments and bureaucratic systems.
Political defeat of rivals and manipulation of Lenin's legacy.
Use of propaganda to identify with Lenin and purport indispensable leadership.
Execution of systematic purges to eliminate opposition and consolidate power.