After Lenin's death in 1924, the USSR was faced with the great challenge of deciding who should take over the leadership of the country. The main power struggle prevailed between Stalin and Trotsky, two committed members of the Bolshevik Party. Power was finally seized and secured by Joseph Stalin in 1929. Stalin outperformed his rival due to numerous factors, notably his background, his political acumen, his ideology and circumstances, while Trotsky lacked public support and he did not enjoy trust within the party. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Lenin's death worried party members; they had to stick together to transform the reluctant population into good socialists and complete the Bolshevik revolution. Mainly they didn't want a leader who would cause division in the party. One party member feared that if power passed to Trotsky he would emerge as a “dictator,” as he was the commander of the Red Army during the civil war, so was in a position to crush the opposition. Even though Trotsky was the "brains behind the revolution", party members feared that Trotsky might cause divisions within the party, as he was not perceived as a loyal Bolshevik, having only joined their circle in 1917, having previously been a Menshevik . That. Stalin, on the other hand, joined the party in its early stages, joining the revolutionaries and committing himself to Marxism in his youth (from 1903). Stalin had a growing reputation among the Bolsheviks, going from being an editor of Pravda, a Bolshevik newspaper, to becoming the head of the Workers' and Peasants' Organization, to being in charge of the Politburo in 1919 to becoming the party's general secretary . in 1922. Lenin initially liked Stalin very much, and by adapting his ideologies into a "cult of Leninism", he retained his essential principles, such as one-party rule and internal party unity. Stalin came from a relatively subtle background, while Trotsky came from a noble and cultured background. Stalin was Georgian, his mother was the daughter of serfs, and his father was a shoemaker. At one point in his life, Stalin pursued a career as a priest. Stalin's humble origins and his image as a "common worker" helped him gain the support of the masses and the Bolsheviks. In contrast, Trotsky came from an educated Jewish family and received a high-quality education. He was the best Bolshevik orator, yet his intellectualism made it difficult for him to relate to the peasants and the working class. “Trotsky was not a natural 'comrade'” (Figes), even his visual appearance was very Jewish and abnormal for a Russian. He didn't like his character either. His contempt for other Bolsheviks, his arrogance and aloofness, undermined his credibility. While he was committed to the party and wanted what was best in its interest, his tough approach undermined his credibility. Furthermore, Trotsky was not suited for an office job and did not like political struggle, which made him vulnerable. Another factor that played a key role in Stalin's success was timing and luck, natural factors that were not under his control. Luck played against Trotsky. First, for three years from late 1923, Trotsky suffered bouts of undiagnosed fever. His illness forced him to be absent during crucial Politburo votes, including during Lenin's death. His absence was perceived by some as a disparagement of the former Soviet leader, thus undermining his reliability and loyalty. On the other hand, luck went to Stalin's advantage,.