Lesson 1

1 The struggle for power, 1924–28 Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 14

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1, The struggle for power, 1924–28: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 14: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. When did Lenin die?

    • October 1917
    • January 1924
    • December 1922
    • March 1921

  2. Which party post did Stalin use from 1922 to build his patronage network?

    • General Secretary
    • Head of Propaganda
    • People's Commissar
    • Party Chairman

  3. Which Bolshevik did Lenin’s Testament criticise as too rude to remain General Secretary?

    • Stalin
    • Kamenev
    • Bukharin
    • Trotsky

  4. Which two leaders formed a triumvirate with Stalin against Trotsky in 1923–24?

    • Molotov and Kirov
    • Zinoviev and Kamenev
    • Bukharin and Rykov
    • Tukhachevsky and Voroshilov

  5. What key economic issue divided Stalin and Bukharin between 1925 and 1928?

    • War Communism
    • Foreign trade
    • Military spending
    • The NEP

  6. Which key theoretical concept did Stalin champion against Trotsky in the 1920s?

    • Permanent Revolution
    • Socialism in One Country
    • Global Communism
    • World Revolution

  7. Trotsky was expelled from the party in 1927 and exiled abroad in which year?

    • 1932
    • 1924
    • 1929
    • 1936

  8. How did Stalin ultimately defeat Bukharin's Right opposition by 1929?

    • Military coup
    • Direct elections
    • Foreign invasion
    • Political isolation

  9. What did Stalin use to build loyal support across the USSR?

    • Secret police
    • Military coups
    • Party appointments
    • Foreign alliances

  10. Which factor best explains Stalin’s success over his rivals?

    • Foreign wealth
    • Party machinery control
    • Military command
    • Popular election

  11. What did the Left Opposition want in place of the NEP?

    • Foreign intervention
    • Immediate capitalism
    • Monarchy restoration
    • Rapid industrialisation

  12. Where was Trotsky sent after his expulsion and first exile?

    • Germany
    • Finland
    • Poland
    • Turkey

  13. What does a party official’s dependence on the General Secretary illustrate?

    • Democratic voting
    • Military discipline
    • Party patronage
    • Electoral reform

  14. What was Stalin’s main organisational advantage over Trotsky?

    • State presidency
    • Red Army command
    • Prime Minister role
    • General Secretary post

  15. Which congress backed Stalin against Zinoviev and Kamenev in December 1925?

    • 16th Party Congress
    • 14th Party Congress
    • 10th Party Congress
    • 12th Party Congress

  16. What policy did Stalin introduce after ending the NEP in 1928-29?

    • Forced collectivisation
    • Foreign privatisation
    • Free market reforms
    • Military demobilisation

  17. Which congress ordered Trotsky’s expulsion from the party in 1927?

    • 16th Party Congress
    • 14th Party Congress
    • 12th Party Congress
    • 15th Party Congress

  18. How did Stalin primarily gain supreme power in the USSR?

    • Military coup
    • Foreign invasion
    • Gradual party control
    • Democratic election

  19. What did Stalin’s rivals accuse him of building during the power struggle?

    • Personal dictatorship
    • Military junta
    • Capitalist republic
    • Workers democracy

  20. Who was the first major political figure to die, triggering the power struggle?

    • Sergei Kirov
    • Grigory Zinoviev
    • Vladimir Lenin
    • Leon Trotsky

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