United Opposition (Soviet Union)

The United Opposition demanded, among other things, greater freedom of expression within the Communist Party, the dismantling of the New Economic Policy (NEP), more development of heavy industry, and less bureaucracy.

[4] The Platform criticized the leadership structure of the party, where decisions were increasingly dictated from the top, and the influence of workers and average voters was steadily decreased.

All three men were against Stalin and Bukharin's theory of "socialism in one country," and were increasingly opposed to the New Economic Policy, which promoted farming over heavy industry.

As a natural extension of their oppositional views, Zinoviev and Kamenev both began to support increased dissent within the party and less bureaucratization, much as Trotsky had done since 1923.

In 1927, Trotsky and the United Opposition had argued for the expansion of industrial democracy with their joint platform which demanded majority representation of workers in trade union congresses including the All-Union Congress and an increase of non-party workers to one-third of representation in these elected organs.

[10] According to historian Vadim Rogovin, these proposals would have developed democracy in the sphere of production and facilitated the establishment of worker's control over economic management.

To postpone this danger, to gain as much time as possible for strengthening the Soviet Union and consolidating the international revolutionary proletariat, should be one of our chief practical concerns.

Smirnov's Group of 15 left the United Opposition soon after its formation over increasing differences between themselves and Kamenev and Zinoviev's supporters.

[14] Their 1926 platform explicitly criticized the lack of democracy and debate permitted in the party, noting that "no resolutions anywhere are ever adopted otherwise than 'unanimously.

Many members of the United Opposition, accepting the compromise or fearing the consequences of continuing the fight, duly apologized and recommitted themselves against factionalism.

In November 1927, the United Opposition held a demonstration in Red Square, Moscow, along with Vladimir Lenin's widow, Nadezhda Krupskaya.

[18] Trotsky was expelled from the USSR in 1929 and spent the remainder of his life in exile, though he continued to agitate against Stalin, primarily through his writings.