Гуманитарные и юридические исследования (Sep 2021)
THE "TROTSKIST" OPPOSITION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE PARTY-STATE ELITE IN THE SOUTH OF RUSSIA (1923-1924)
Abstract
The article speciies the causes and manifestations of increased left radicalism in the Bolshevik organization of the south of Russia in 1923-1924. The novelty of the article consists in the reference to the documents of the Don and Kuban-Black Sea regional party organizations of the RCP(b) on intraparty discussion: transcripts of conferences and meetings, personal affairs of the party elite members in the south Russia. The activity of the left opposition is interpreted in the context of basic social divisions and the problems of NEP society, the structure of the political possibilities of counter-elite groups. By the spring of 1923, the Bolshevik Party had achieved complete and unlimited power, but was experiencing an aggravation of internal contradictions due to the crisis of the NEP, its class heterogeneity, and the ambiguity of its social development strategy. The role of the region's agrarian character, protracted manifestations of the Civil War, rising strike in preserving the leftist radical sentiments of the Communists is assessed. The political strategies and positioning of the "Trotskist" opposition and the majority of the party-state elite are compared. The author's attention is focused on the inner-party discussion of 1923-1924. The manifestations of the political activity of the "Trotskist" opposition in the South of Russia are characterized in the context of the complex evolution of the new economic policy, the dynamics of public sentiment, the interaction of power and a multi-layered society. The opposition in 1923-1924 declared the improvement of inner-party life through the "workers' democracy". Its supporters suggested a path to a classless society, different from the passive majority of the communists, while preserving the inner-party competition of opinions and groupings, while relying on workers' leveling and anti-market sentiments. The opposition was especially strong in the Kuban-Black Sea region due to the favorable balance of forces in the party apparatus. Conclusions are made about the discrepancy between the public "request" of the workers and employees for the left radical criticism of the NEP and the real political actions of the "Trotskist" opposition, which facilitated its defeat.
