ABSTRACT
During Lenin's rule very little time could be devoted to system building, if indeed a new state was to rise out of the Tsarist phoenix. The Lenin Politburo: 1917-21," lists the 10 full and one candidate members who nerved under Lenin from 1917 through 1921. Aside from Stalin, all but Kalinin were gone by 1929. Kalinin was a Stalin full-voting appointee. Indeed, all but Kalinin were destroyed in the forthcoming Stalin purge. Aside from Lenin and Stalin, the other five members of the original 1917 Politburo were purged. Trotsky was murdered in Mexico and the other two died in prison. Little imagination is required to surmise what matters must have occupied almost all of the time and effort of the original Lenin Politburo. With the exception of Beriya who was executed in 1953, since the end of the Stalin era no former Politburo member has been either expelled in great shame or executed.
