Editing Stalinism (section)

== History ==
{{further|History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953)|Rise of Joseph Stalin}}
Stalinism is used to describe the period during which [[Joseph Stalin]] was the [[List of leaders of the Soviet Union|leader]] of the Soviet Union while serving as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary]] of the [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] from 1922 to his death on 5 March 1953.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/communism "Communism"]. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online''. Retrieved 4 February 2020.</ref> It was a development of [[Leninism]],{{Sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=352}} and while Stalin avoided using the term "Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism", he allowed others to do so.{{Sfn|Service|2004|p=357}} Following Lenin's death, Stalin contributed to the theoretical debates within the Communist Party, namely by developing the idea of "[[Socialism in One Country]]". This concept was intricately linked to factional struggles within the party, particularly against Trotsky.{{Sfn|Sandle|1999|pp=208–209}} He first developed the idea in December 1924, and elaborated upon it in his writings of 1925–26.{{Sfn|Sandle|1999|p=209}}

Stalin's doctrine held that socialism could be completed in Russia but that its final victory could not be guaranteed because of the threat from capitalist intervention. For this reason, he retained the Leninist view that world revolution was still a necessity to ensure the ultimate victory of socialism.{{Sfn|Sandle|1999|p=209}} Although retaining the Marxist belief that the state would wither away as socialism transformed into pure communism, he believed that the Soviet state would remain until the final defeat of international capitalism.{{Sfn|Sandle|1999|p=261}} This concept synthesised Marxist and Leninist ideas with nationalist ideals,{{Sfn|Sandle|1999|p=211}} and served to discredit Trotsky—who promoted the idea of "[[permanent revolution]]"—by presenting the latter as a defeatist with little faith in Russian workers' abilities to construct socialism.{{Sfn|Sandle|1999|p=210}}

=== Etymology ===
The term ''Stalinism'' came into prominence during the mid-1930s when [[Lazar Kaganovich]], a Soviet politician and associate of Stalin, reportedly declared: "Let's replace Long Live [[Leninism]] with Long Live Stalinism!"{{sfn|Montefiore|2004|p=164}} Stalin dismissed this as excessive and contributing to a [[cult of personality]] he thought might later be used against him by the same people who praised him excessively, one of those being Khrushchev—a prominent user of the term during Stalin's life who was later responsible for de-Stalinization and the beginning of the Khrushchev Thaw era.{{sfn|Montefiore|2004|p=164}}