Lenin's Testament

Lenin's Testament (Russian: Письмо к съезду, romanized: Pismo k sezdu, lit. 'Letter to the Congress') is a document dictated by Vladimir Lenin in late 1922 and early 1923, during and after his suffering of multiple strokes. In the testament, Lenin proposed changes to the structure of the Soviet governing bodies; sensing his impending death, he also criticised Bolshevik leaders Zinoviev, Kamenev, Trotsky, Bukharin, Pyatakov, and crucially Stalin. He warned of the possibility of a split developing in the party leadership between Trotsky and Stalin if proper measures were not taken to prevent it. In a post-script it is also suggested Joseph Stalin be removed from his position as General Secretary of the Russian Communist Party's Central Committee; Stalin suppressed the document. Although there are some historical questions regarding the document's origins and authenticity, the majority view is that the document was authored by Lenin.