# Stalin General Secretary; Treaty of Rapallo (1922)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1922-stalin-general-secretary-treaty-of-rapallo
Categories: main-event

In April 1922 Joseph Stalin became General Secretary of the Communist Party. At Rapallo on 16 April Soviet Russia and Germany established diplomatic relations and secret military cooperation. That autumn the 'Philosophers' ships' expelled leading intellectuals. Lenin suffered his first stroke in May 1922. The post of General Secretary became the base of Stalin's power.

## Why it matters
The post of General Secretary became the base of Stalin's power.

Ruler at the time: [Vladimir Lenin](https://history-russia.com/rulers/vladimir-lenin)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Treaty of Rapallo (1922)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Rapallo_(1922))
- [Wikipedia — Philosophers' ships](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophers'_ships)
- [Wikipedia — Russian Revolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Revolution)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Stalin General Secretary; Treaty of Rapallo](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Stalin+General+Secretary%3B+Treaty+of+Rapallo)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)