1 Communist government in the USSR, 1917–85 Flashcards
Proletariat
a term used by Marx to denote the industrial workers, a new class that emerged as a result of the industrial revolution.
Bourgeoisie
owners of factories, industries and shops - those who own the means of production.
who were the bolsheviks?
- a faction of RSDLP (party), led by Lenin.
- Lenin’s followers who liked the idea of, peace, land and bread’ & an immediate end to ww1
what was the government system established by the bolsheviks like?
The government system established by the Bolsheviks was authoritarian, highly centralised and based on use of terror to reinforce the dominant position of the party.
Who took over from the Tsar?
The Provisional Government (he abdicated)
How was the Provisional Government weak? **
- There were divisions between socialists and liberals leading to a lack of clear policies.
- They saw themselves as a temporary body and left important decisions to be made by the Constituent Assembly.
- The decision to continue the war and launch a new offensive in June created large amounts of opposition.
- Real power was held by the Soviet.
- They did nothing about the deterioration of the economy.
- They refused to give national minorities a degree of autonomy.
- They underestimated the strength of the Bolsheviks.
How were the Bolsheviks powerful?
- They were the only party that opposed the continuation of the war.
- Lenin provided strong and determined leadership.
- Trotsky persuaded Lenin to postpone the date of the uprising.
- They secured the support of the peasants with the promise of land redistribution.
- The Bolsheviks had the majority of their supporters in Moscow and Petrograd, important places in the revolution.
- Their slogan of ‘Peace, Bread and All Power to the Soviets’ appealed to workers and soldiers.
When was the October Revolution?
oct 1917
What happened at the October Revolution?
- The Provisional Government were forced from power.
- Well planned and executed revolt, as the party still had a limited base of support.
- The Provisional Government didn’t resist
why did lenin seize power?
Lenin seized power because he believed that a global revolution was necessary to replace capitalism and imperialism with socialism: a new social system that would allow all people to be genuinely free and equal
what were the bolsheviks view of the world?
the bolshevik view of the world was based on writings of Karl Marx who saw history as a series of sturggle by one class against another to obtain material goods, which led to change. Marx argued historical change progressed through a series of stages driven by class
What did the Bolsheviks want to do after they seized power?
Get rid of the middle and upper classes that exploited the workers and peasants under capitalism
What system did they implement to achieve this?
The Bolsheviks implemented a socialist government that represented the workers in order to improve living and working conditions. They believed this would evolve into communism, where people would gain control over their own lives.
What is Karl Marx’s view of historical change?
That history is a series of struggles by one class against another to obtain material goods, which led to change
what were the bolsheviks view of the world?
the bolshevik view of the world was based on writings of Karl Marx who saw history as a series of sturggle by one class against another to obtain material goods, which led to change. Marx argued historical change progressed through a series of stages driven by class
