How Significant is Lenin's Contribution to history?

**aqalieh95** Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:37 pm

Aspects of Lenin's character and personality that contributed to his success:

Organized
Leadership skills
Strong personality
Dedicated his life to revolution → he got good at it
Attract people
Ability to force through a decision
Good orator
Able to simplify complicated politics and able to persuade audience
No desire in material good
Not many personal friends other than politicians
“Who is not with us, is against us”
Ruthless and cruel to enemy
He was in exile for almost 20 years
Narrow minded towards other opinions

Lenin influenced many important decisions that helped the Bolsheviks seize power in Russia. He was one who forced others to follow his decision and these decisions eventually led to Bolshevik's seizure of power. “Despite the divisions, Lenin's line was eventually followed on all of these key questions” which proves that Lenin was the driving force behind the decisions Bolsheviks had made.
Lenin helped the Bolshevik party seize power in Russia by making many important decisions that kept the Bolsheviks in power. However he was also shaped by his era. Perhaps his cruelty and ruthlessness to his enemies might have been influenced by Tsarist government, where he grew up, who oppressed anyone who was against him.
How did Stalin become Communist party Leader after Lenin left?