Editing Lenin's Testament (section)

{{short description|Document dictated by Vladimir Lenin on his deathbed}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2021}}{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox document
| document_name        = Lenin's Testament
| image                = Без названия1 20230219110046.png
| caption              = 
| image2               = Без названия2 20230219110037.png
| caption2             = Dated December 23, 1922
| orig_lang_code       = RU
| date_created         = 1922&ndash;1923
| date_presented       = January 1924
| writer               = Vladimir Lenin
| subject              = Future leadership of the Soviet Union
}}
'''Lenin's Testament''' is a document alleged to have been 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 [[Bolsheviks|Bolshevik]] leaders [[Grigory Zinoviev|Zinoviev]], [[Lev Kamenev|Kamenev]], [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]], [[Nikolai Bukharin|Bukharin]], [[Georgy Pyatakov|Pyatakov]], and crucially [[Joseph Stalin|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 of dubious origin, it is also suggested [[Joseph Stalin]] be removed from his position as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|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, the majority view is that the document was authored by Lenin.<ref name="Red Flag Wounded">{{cite book |last1=Suny |first1=Ronald |title=Red Flag Wounded |date=25 August 2020 |publisher=Verso Books |isbn=978-1-78873-074-7 |page=59 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I4XzDwAAQBAJ&dq=Few+other+scholars+doubt+the+authorship+of+the+document,+which+accurately+reflected+Lenin%E2%80%99s+views,+nor+was+it+questioned+at+the+time+it+was+written+and+debated+in+high+party+circles.+Kotkin%E2%80%99s+interpretation,+fascinating+as+it+is,+relies+on+conjecture+rather+than+evidence&pg=PA59 |language=en}}</ref>