3.2 - Consequences of Russian Revolution Flashcards
1
Q
Immediate Challenges facing Bolsheviks
A
- Unable to exercise control over civil servants:
o Civil servants went on strike
o Key documents were destroyed or hidden
o Unable to gain access to State Bank until 20th November - Union of Russian Railroad Workers threated to halt all deliveries to Petrograd unless negotiations for a coalition government began
- Lenin and Trotksy’s disinterest in forming a coalition → resignation of Kamenev and Zinoviev
- Bolsheviks had little experience and had no plans on how to govern
- Naivety as many Bolsheviks believed that an international socialist revolution would begin, so governing would be easy
- Bolsheviks lacked influence over rural areas, and generally lacked legitimacy
2
Q
Violence and Disorder Following Bolshevik Takeover
A
- Breakdown in law and order occurred after the fall of the PG
- Wine Riots – where peasants and workers gained access to the wine cellars of the Winter Palace – led to mass drunkenness and violence
- Bolsheviks lacked power to stop the violence
- Bolsheviks instead encouraged the violence as it was considered an act of class warfare and would provide an opportunity for workers to establish change
3
Q
Establishment of Cheka
A
- 7th December 1917
- Political police to expose counter revolutionary and criminal activities
- Meant to be temporary
- Initially limited in its power
- Led by Felix Dzerzhinsky (Iron Felix)
- Assassination attempt of Lenin (Jan 1918) and growing threat of German invasion → significant expansion of powers of the Cheka – now able to operate outside of the law
4
Q
New Decrees by Bolsheviks
A
- Bolsheviks aimed to:
o Ensure a continuation of power
o Institute radical social and economic change, in order to differentiate it from the PG - Initial degrees were designed to encourage popular participation in the Revolution
- Land Decree (27th October) – gave peasantry the right to seize land → project image of Bolsheviks supporting peasantry
- Press Decree (27th October) – banned publication of Kadet newspapers
- 29th October – Workers guaranteed 8 hour work day
- 2nd November – promised right to self determination → Finland declaring independence on 17th November
- Workers’ Control Decree (14th November) – allowed workers to apply to form self management committees for their factories
- 24th November – old criminal justice system preplaced by ‘People’s Courts’ and revolutionary justice
- Women’s rights enhanced
- Homosexuality decriminalised
- All banks, stock companies and financial institutions nationalised
- Armistice signed with Germany in December
- Democratisation of the armed forces
5
Q
State Capitalism
A
- Formed due to:
o Major food and fuel shortages threatening production – Bolsheviks needed to address this to protect revolution
o Social revolution involving workers taking control of production, soldiers forming revolutionary committees, and peasants seizing land → disorder
o Bolshevik desire for a socialist economy - Lenin believed that a temporary compromise of revolutionary ideals was needed to allow for an easier transition to workers’ control = State Capitalism:
o Government to exercise control over key industries
o Government would hold a monopoly on trade
o Financial policy would be directed through a state owned bank
o Workers’ Control Committees supervise management
o Businesses retain old owners as ‘bourgeois experts’
o Free market structure remains - 2nd December – Vesenkha formed to manage workers’ committees and management boards
6
Q
Challenges to State Capitalism
A
- Workers lacked knowledge to run factories efficiently → workers committees urged for nationalisations from below → removed role of ‘Bourgeois experts’
- Workers gave themselves unsustainable pay rises and were corrupt – stealing stock and equipment → further declining efficiency and production
- Higher wages → exacerbated inflation
- Food shortages caused by falling production = lowest rations yet (50g bread/day)
- Ultimately, this led to Lenin realising that a stricter approach to the economy was required
7
Q
Constituent Assembly
A
- Bolsheviks previously supported Constituent Assembly but now held power themselves
- Election occurs 12th November
- Results = unfavourable for Bolsheviks
o Bolsheviks won 9.8m votes = 23.5%, and 175/717 seats
o Bolsheviks won a majority of votes in urban areas
o SRs won 17.5m votes = 42%, and 370/717 seats - Lenin blamed results on:
o Lack of awareness of Bolsheviks in rural areas
o Voters unaware of split of SRs - Lenin also claimed that ‘bourgeoisie parliamentarianism’ is outdated and incompatible with socialism, and would restrict power of the Soviet
8
Q
Bolshevik Dissolution of Constituent Assembly
A
- Bolsheviks take action before the opening of the Constituent Assembly in January 1918:
o 28th Nov – Kadets targeted with Decree on Political Parties banning all non-socialist parties
o 12th Dec – Left SRs joined Sovnarkom → legitimisation of Bolshevik regime - 5 Jan – Martial law declared in Petrograd, pro Bolshevik troops brought into Petrograd, ban on public gatherings
- Lenin calls for CA to recognise decrees made by Sovnarkom – rejection → Lenin issues threat of violence
- Bolsheviks and Left SRs stage a walkout, with Red Guard and Kronstadt Sailors remaining behind to intimidate
- Bolsheviks have Red Guard block access to Tauride Palace before second convening
o Lack of public protest to dissolution of CA
o Bolsheviks clearly unwilling to give up power
9
Q
Lead-Up to Treaty of Brest Litovsk
A
- Expectation that Bolsheviks would end war due to it being a central promise prior to their assumption of power
- 26 Oct 1917 – Decree on Peace: outlined peace without annexation or indemnities as ideal, and insisted that negotiations should be held speedily and transparently
- 15 Dec 1917 – armistice signed
- Division in Bolshevik party as to how to address peace:
o Left faction demanded a continuation of the war, as a revolutionary war, in order to spread socialism
o Lenin believed that Bolsheviks needed to consolidate power and not take the risk of continuing the war effort, combined with low morale of war
o Trotsky called for ‘neither peace, nor war’, which entailed a delay to peace, in the hopes that German forces would collapse first
10
Q
Negotiations with Germany
A
- Trotsky led negotiations
- Prolonged discussions, gave long contradictory speeches and pretended to be close to a deal before rejecting it
- Trotsky also addressed the German public to promote revolution
- Strike in Berlin with 400k workers calling for immediate peace without annexations or indemnities → Trotsky believing his tactics were successful
- However, Germans become increasingly frustrated and question why the losers (Russia) are trying to dictate the peace → ultimatum: sign the peace terms or hostilities will resume
- Trotsky decides that Russia will withdraw from war and not sign peace treaty → 18 Feb 1918 – 700k German troops advance on Russia without opposition, making 240km in 11 days
o Democratization of army and low morale → no resistance - 12 Mar 1918 – Capital relocated to Moscow
11
Q
Consequences of Treaty of Brest Litovsk
A
- Conditions of Treaty:
o 34% of Russian population no longer under Soviet control
o 32% of farmland lost, including Ukraine
o 1/3 of European territory lost, including Poland, Lithuania and Estonia
o 89% of coal and iron reserves lost
o 54% of industry lost
o 26% of railways lost
o 3bn roubles in reparation (double cost of war effort for Russia) - Treaty signed 3 Mar 1918
- Decision very unpopular in party → Lenin blames Left faction but calls for unity
- Increased resentment for Bolsheviks from nationalists
- 19 Mar 1918 – Left SRs leave Sovnarkom → no opposition to Bolsheviks
- However, Left SRs attempt to restart war
- 11 Nov 1918 – German surrender → much of the Treaty is renounced
12
Q
Beginnings of Civil War
A
- Military opposition to Bolsheviks emerged almost immediately after seizure of power
- Oct 1917 – Krosnov’s Cossacks take control of towns close to Petrograd and begin preparations for a march on Petrograd
- Defeat of Cossacks (30 Oct 1917) demonstrated dedication of Red Guards and Kronstadt Sailors and removed chance of PG regaining power
- Bolsheviks still faced opposition in the Don, Kuban and Ukraine regions
- Dec 1917 – formation of volunteer army – White Army
13
Q
Bolshevik Preparations for Civil War
A
- 16 Dec 1917 – abolition of ranks
- 23 Feb 1918 – Trotsky creates the Red Army
- Trotsky implements:
o Conventional army structure with ranks
o 50k Former Tsarist officials as ‘military specialists’ but these remain under tight control of Bolsheviks
o Reinstated conscription due to low numbers of volunteers
o Strict discipline, including execution for desertion and retreating - End of 1920 – Red Army has 5m troops
14
Q
Czech Legion
A
- 40k Czech soldiers given permission to cross Russia to travel to the Western Front
- However, hostilities broke out between Czech soldiers and regional Soviets → battling of local military forces
- 8 June 1918 – Regional Soviet overthrown in Samara and replaced with SR led governments (Komuch)
- Komuch established a ‘people’s army’ that advanced on Siberia
15
Q
White Armies (Key Groups)
A
- Consisted of 4 groups by 1918:
- Denikin’s Forces:
o Largest of the groups – 150k men
o Based in Ukraine, Caucasus, Kuban and Don regions (South Russia)
o Came within 300km of Moscow in Nov 1919 but were overstretched and outnumbered → defeat in 1920 - Kolchak’s Forces:
o Formed after overthrowal of Komuch
o Mar 1919 – menaced Red Army from the East
o However, poor leadership → defeats
o Gen. Kolchak executed by Bolsheviks in Feb 1920 - Yudenich’s Forces:
o Formed in Estonia
o Small army, with only 14k men at its peak
o Reached Petrograd in Nov 1919
o Fled in 1920 - Foreign Forces:
o Included Germans, British, Japanese, US and French
o Allies became involved as they wanted to support any group that would re-enter WWI
o Japan became involved due to their territorial ambitions in Russia
o US became involved as they wanted to protect Trans Siberian Railway and limit Japanese expansion
o Foreign powers also were concerned at anti-capitalist and international revolutionary rhetoric
o Britain had taken control of northern port cities and Azerbaijan oil fields
o Japan had taken control of Vladivostok
o Involvement of foreign forces → strengthened Bolshevik belief that they were fighting capitalist imperial invaders
o Foreign soldiers were war wearied and lacked numbers → withdrawal as Bolsheviks triumphed
16
Q
Green Forces
A
- Peasant insurgent groups resisting both White and Red forces
- Held control over South-eastern Ukraine throughout 1919-20
- Powerful as they are able to disrupt food supplies
17
Q
Soviet Polish War + Impacts
A
- Poland declare independence from Russia
- Apr 1920 – Attempt to expand territory into Ukraine
- Red Army force Polish forces back
- Belief within Bolsheviks that Red Army could spread international revolution
- Poles viewed Red Army as invaders → defeat of Red Army in Poland in Mar 1921
- Treaty of Riga:
o 30m roubles in reparations to Poland
o Ukrainian and Belorussian territory to Poland
o Poland’s eastern border secured - Defeat allowed Soviets to focus on short term issues
18
Q
Reasons for Bolshevik Success in Civil War
A
- Geography:
o Population of Soviet controlled areas = 70m vs White controlled areas = 10m
o Ethnically homogenous → clear direction and unity
o Soviets controlled key factories
o Soviets had extensive railway system
o White armies had difficulty in coordinating attacks and communicating - Ideology:
o Bolsheviks had shared sense of purpose and vision
o Bolsheviks made effective use of propaganda
o This provided a reason to fight → proportionally lower rates of desertion - Trotsky:
o Successfully reorganised army
o Implemented harsh discipline
o Attached a political commissar to each commanding officer, who would carry out propaganda work and ensure orders were carried out properly
o Praised and rewarded those who performed their duties effectively
o Recognised importance of decisive leadership and had strong speaking skills → regularly visiting front lines → generated loyalty and boosted morale
o Expected that officers and commissars showed the same level of dedication as he did
o Willing to leave key military decisions to those with greater expertise than himself - White Army Weakness:
o Smaller population
o Lack of coordination
o Difficulty motivating troops
o Unable to articulate intentions
o Neglected effective government administration in regions under White control
o Angered peasants by restoring rights of landlords and punishing those suspected of supporting the Reds
19
Q
Origins of Red Terror
A
- Cheka created to crush resistance and opposition to the Bolsheviks
- Cheka targeted more privileged members of society, claiming that this was a class war
- Cheka’s powers escalated after assassination attempt on Lenin
- 5 Sep 1918 – Decree beginning of Red Terror
- Involved creation of concentration camps for class enemies and allowed for execution of anyone involved in White Guard organisations, conspiracies or rebellions
20
Q
Methods Used in Red Terror
A
- Shooting victims body part by body part
- Glove trick, where hands were held in boiling water until skin came off
- Rolling in spiked barrels
- Pipes filled with rats so that they would eat through the victim’s body
- White army had epaulets nailed into their shoulders
- Shot in back of head
- Published list of those executed to deter others
21
Q
Lenin’s Hanging Order
A
- 8 Aug 1918 – Lenin orders hanging of 100 dissident peasants in Penza for opposing grain requisitioning
- Lenin hoped that this would deter future opposition, and create support for removing Kulaks
