ABSTRACT
The Second Pan-Russian Congress elected a new Central Committee, which in its turn appointed the new Politburo, and three secretaries: Stalin, Molotov and Rudzutat. On the 3 April, 1922, the plenary assembly of the Central Committee elected, in accordance with Lenin's proposal, a Secretary-General: Stalin. That post he holds today. In his capacity as Secretary-General, Stalin had to edit Lenin's declarations. Lenin's health was rapidly deteriorating. From the spring of 1922 the Politburo held its sessions at Gorki, under his roof. The ailing leader was disquieted by the latest development of the NEP, and it exasperated him to see that the 'recession' of Socialism, which he had recommended, was more and more assuming the character of a retreat. The Secretary-General of the Party was not slow to recognize the uses of an Iagoda. The head of the GPU, Dzerjinski, an old Polish revolutionist, was a man of absolute integrity, but Iagoda was a 'careerist' of unknown origin.
