Achievement Quote by Leon Trotsky
“The initiative of the Five Year Plan and of the accelerated collectivization belongs entirely to the Left Opposition, in uninterrupted and sharp struggles with the Stalinists. Not having the possibility of occupying myself here with long historical researches, I will limit myself to a single illustration. The Dnieprostroy is considered with right as the highest achievement of Soviet industrialization. Yet [Joseph] Stalin and his followers ([Clim] Voroshilov and others) a few months before the beginning of the work were decided opponents of the Dnieprostroy plan.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: On the Five Year Plan, Leon Trotsky, 1930
Trotsky argues the Five Year Plan and rapid collectivization were driven by the Left Opposition, opposing Stalin’s stance.
In simple terms: Left Opposition initiated the plan, opposing Stalin.
Key Takeaway
Recognize internal party debates shaping policy.
Themes
politics
history
economics
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- academic research
- political analysis
- education curricula
Key Concepts
Marxism
collectivization
party dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- What motivated the Left Opposition’s push?
- How did Stalin’s view evolve?
A Different Perspective
Stalin’s later support complicates the narrative.
![“Only when the kulak refused to deliver grain to the State did [Joseph] Stalin, under the pressure of the Left Opposition, accomplish a sharp turn. Being the empiricist that he is, he moved, to the opposite extreme, and set as a task for two or three years the collectivization of all the peasantry…” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f5b/leon-trotsky-2558_accomplish_only-when-the-kulak-refused-to-deliver-g_958413.jpg)
![“I don't believe in making five-year plans. I don't want to say, "Yes, I want to have children in the next five years," because I don't know. I've always known that I'd like to be a mom, but I don't want to live by a schedule. If I [did], I wouldn't be living in the moment.” quote by Charlize Theron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f6c/charlize-theron-1430_believe_i-don-t-believe-in-making-five-year-plan_769977.jpg)
![“[Joseph] Stalin closes the exposition of these [Leon Trotsky] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of [Vladimir] Lenin's conception of the proletarian revolution."” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/240/leon-trotsky-2558_characteristics_joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-t_33931.jpg)
![“In Stalin each [Soviet bureaucrat] easily finds himself. But Stalin also finds in each one a small part of his own spirit. Stalin is the personification of the bureaucracy. That is the substance of his political personality.” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/01b/leon-trotsky-2558_bureaucracy_in-stalin-each-soviet-bureaucrat-easily_198840.jpg)
