20 - Lenin And The Consolidation Of Bolshevik Authority Flashcards
What main issue did Bolsheviks face when consolidating authority?
They were a minority
What did Bolsheviks aspire to be the party of? What did they lack?
Party of the people
Mass support
What signed Treaty developed an increasing wide array of opposition?
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
What was Russia facing economically by spring 1918?
Collapse
What item wasn’t effectively reaching the cities? What did this cause for workers?
Grain
Hunger
What system was disrupted by the War? What item wasn’t effectively getting to the cities?
Transport system
Grain
What type of farming did peasants revert to as a result of land redistribution? What did they have little of to sell?
Subsistence farming
Surplus grain
Why did peasants have little reason to sell their limited grain? How did this become an issue?
There were few goods to exchange for it
Workers took control of the factories with no management plan
What did the factories’ shortage of raw materials lead to a decrease of? What item specifically?
Industrial output
Consumer goods
What erupted in 1918 as a result of food shortages? Why did workers flee the cities?
Food riots
To search for food
What did the workers’ search for food lead to a shortage of?
Labour in factories
Between what 2 groups was a civil war developing in the spring of 1918?
Bolshevik “Reds”
Non-Bolshevik “Whites”
What regime was at stake following the Reds’ and the Whites’ conflict?
Communism
What did Bolsheviks have to ensure the army was provided with? What did this lead to the development of?
Food and weapons
More centralised control system
What policy was adopted to control the economy and look after the army?
“War Communism”
How would Red Guards and soldiers take grain from peasants?
By force
What was placed entirely under state control under War Communism? What replaced workers’ committees?
Industry
Managers
What discipline was imposed? How could you get fined?
Factory discipline
Lateness and absence
What rationing was introduced? Who got the highest priority of food?
Food rationing
Workers and Red Army
Who got the lowest priority of food under food rationing?
Bourgeoisie
What might have influenced and dictated War Communism?
Necessity for control
What did War Communism enable the Bolsheviks to extend? Who did Lenin want to deal with?
Class warfare
“Class enemies”
What did Bolsheviks see as a primary force to develop socialism?
Centralised control
What was the most controversial aspect of early Bolshevik rule? How did Lenin justify it?
Red Terror
It ensured the survival of the regime
Who was the main target of Red Terror? What were they forced to hand over?
Peasants
Grain to feed soldiers/workers
What force supported the grain requisitioning teams?
Cheka
What happened to peasants under Red Terror? Where did this particularly happen?
Imprisoned, exiled and executed
Pro-White areas
How did Bolsheviks view socialists and SRs?
“Enemies of the people”
How many people were likely executed between 1918-21? Where were others sent?
Half a million
Labour camps
Who continued the use of terror as a political weapon after Lenin?
Stalin
