Laying the Foundations

Abstract The rules that came to govern the life of the Soviet oligarchy emerged during the first decade and a half of the life of the Soviet regime. Initially, this occurred while Lenin was alive and exercising a form of predominant leadership, but following his death the chief influence on the development of the rules was the ongoing factional conflict of the 1920s. This was conducted according to the rules as they were developing, while at the same time shaping that development. The chapter shows how the rules functioned under both a predominant individual leader and when no such leader was present.