In the voluminous secret history of the 1930s, one episode that still puzzles researchers is the death in 1937 of one of Stalin''s key allies - his fellow Georgian, G.K. Ordzhonikidze. Whether he took his own life or, like Kirov, was murdered, the case of Ordzhonikidze intersects several long-debated problems in Soviet political history. What role did Politburo members play in decision making during the Stalin era? What formed the basis of Stalin''s alliances? Were there conflicts between Stalin and his comrades and, if so, how far did they go? Was there in fact opposition to Stalin? These and other questions are addressed by one of Russia''s best young historians whose pioneering work in previously closed party and government archives is refining our understanding of the political history of the Stalin era.