4. The Bolshevik Consolidation of Power and the Civil War Flashcards
What was the decree on Peace
- It said all countries involved in the war should seek peace
- Germany refused to sign any peace treaty with Russia without getting any Russian territory in exchange
- Armistice for Russian troops
What was the Decree on the Land
- This abolished private ownership of land, and land now belonged to the state and given to the peasants to farm it
- In December 1917 the decree was extended so all Church land was now owned by the state
What was the decree on nationalities
- All the different peoples of the old
Russian empire could have their own governments - However, these governments remained under Bolshevik control
What was the Decree on workers rights
- Decree on Work - 8-hour day
- Decree on Unemployment - unemployment insurance for those unable to work
- Decree on Workers’ Control - workers’ committees now ran their own factories
Why did Lenin dissolve the Constituent Assembly
- 2 days after the revolution Lenin held elections for the constituent assembly, however the Bolsheviks lost and got under 25% of the vote
- So the Bolsheviks rejected the results of the election
- In the first meeting of the Assembly Lenin’s key decrees “Peace Land and Bread” were rejected
How did Lenin dissolve the constituent assembly
- Lenin started to criticise the Assembly and said they. we’re a threat to the revolution
- Lenin also claimed that the Assembly did not represent the will on the country
- So Lenin brought the Reg Guards to prevent the Assembly from opening and banned all other political parties
What was the background to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
- After the decree on Peace there was a ceasefire between Russia and Germany while a conference was organised
- Trotsky who was in charge of negotiations kept discussions going for 2 months
- Trotsky refused to pay any compensation or give up any land
- Germany responded by invading Russia again
What were the main terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
To achieve peace Russia had to lose:
- 74 per cent of its coal mines and iron ore
- 50 per cent of its industry
- 26 per cent of its railway network
- 27 per cent of its farmland
- 26 per cent of its population (which was 62 million at the time).
- Russia also had to pay the Germans 300 million gold roubles
- Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on 3 March 1918
What were the consequences of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
- The treaty was seen as very shameful
- People began to leave the starving cities and return the country to grown their own food
- It was a main cause for the civil war
What were the strengths of the Bolsheviks (reds) in the civil war
- Trotsky’s leadership as he was extremely tactical yet ruthless
- The strength of the red army - discipline was extremely harsh and the tsars trained officers were recruited
- War communism
- Bolsheviks controlled most of the industrial areas
What were the weaknesses of the whites in the civil war
- There wasn’t a single White leader, most leaders were cruel and often drunk
- Whites all had different aims
- Whites were unpopular with workers and peasants as they were viewed as traitors
- Far fewer whites then reds
What were the strengths of the whites in the civil war
- Whites had foreign support to Britain, France and USA
- They were sent force and armaments
What were the reasons for a civil war
- Monarchists who wanted to put the Tsar back into power
- Upper call and middle class were in danger of losing everything under the Bolsheviks
- Supporters of Constituent Assembly who hated that the Bolsheviks had turned Russia into a Dictatorship
Who were the reds
The Bolsheviks
Who were the whites
The whites were many different groups fighting to defeat the reds
When was the civil war
1918-1920
When was the Royal Family executed
17 July 1918
The Bolsheviks shot Nicholas, his wife and children
