17.1 Faction and opposition in the 1920's Flashcards
What did John Westwood say about the scale and success of the Red Terror?
The red terror ‘did ensure that among each 100 innocent victims would be 1 or 2 genuine and dangerous enemies of the regime. For this reason, it can be said to have been successful in its main aim’
Who said The red terror ‘did ensure that among each 100 innocent victims would be 1 or 2 genuine and dangerous enemies of the regime. For this reason, it can be said to have been successful in its main aim’ ?
John Westwood
What main groups of opposition did the Bolsheviks face in 1917? (3)
- Other political groups
- Empirical opponents like former Tsarist officers to peasants
- Ideological ‘opposition’, bourgeoisie
What gave the Bolsheviks a ‘monopoly of power’ at the 1917 October Soviet Congress?
Menshevik and SR’s left the Soviet Congress of Oct 1917
What did the Sovnarkom allow after the 1917 October Soviet Congress?
Banning opposition press and ordered the arrest of leaders
Which opposition group wanted Bolsheviks to form a coalition government and did the Bolsheviks submit to this?
Railway workers - no skilfully avoided it
When was the Cheka created, under who?
++ What other names did it operate under and when?
+++ What supported the strength of the Cheka?
++++ Who did they report to?
- Cheka was established in December 1917 under Felix Dzerzhinsky to eliminate opposition
++ In 1922 renamed GPU then 1923 OGPU. 1934-43 it was under the NKVD.
+++ dismissal of the constituent’s assembly and extension of Red Army
++++ Lenin and Politburo
How did Lenin attack the ideological opposition?
‘Class warfare’
What was the Red Terror?
A period of political repression and mass killings carried out by the Bolsheviks after the beginning of the Russian Civil War (1918-1921)
- even more so after the attempt on Lenin’s life in August 1918 - Cheka rounded 1000’s up for questioning
How did the Red Terror escalate?
++ Which groups weren’t as affected?
- Cheka took matters into their own hands – from the Tsar & family on 17th July 1918 to ordinary suspect workers.
- 8000 priests executed in 1921 for not handing over property.
- Show trials of 34 SR’s ended political opposition
++ All suffered but priests, Jews and Catholics less – YET
How many people could have been shot by the Cheka during the Red Terror?
500k-1m
Why were there factions in the Party by 1920-21?
‘Workers’ Opposition’ under Shlyapkinov and Kollontai demanding workers have more control
As well as economic unrest
How did Lenin control factions within his party?
++ What did this lead to?
Lenin imposed a ban on factions in 1921 forcing all party members to accept Central Committee decisions – if not expelled
++ There was now a highly-centralized, authoritarian and one-party state where the opportunity for opposition was quashed.
