When Lenin died on January 21st, 1924, Stalin did everything he could to build his own reputation. He delivered the eulogy, had Lenin's body mummified, and saw to the building of a Lenin Library and a Lenin Museum. A photograph was created (a fake made by pasting two photos together) showing Lenin and Stalin sitting comfortably together. This picture was published in newspapers and displayed on posters everywhere.
The attack on Trotsky continued. Stalin encouraged journalists to criticize Trotsky whenever possible. According to the media, he was no Leninist (Stalin's new form of Marxism), but the father of "Trotskyism." Thousands of Trotsky's supporters were removed from their posts and replaced by Stalin loyalists. Trotsky resigned from his post as Commissar for War.
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