5) The Consolidation Of The Communist Dictatorship

Question 1

What was the Bolsheviks main claim when coming to power

Answer 1

They act in the interest of the proletariat ( ordinary people of Russia)

Question 2

What did bolsheviks encourage about the Oct/nov revolution

Answer 2

It was a popular rising

Question 3

How did the concept of liberal democracy seem alien to Lenin and his colleagues

Answer 3

The idea of trying to compete for votes of ordinary citizens, allowing different views to exist belonged to an old class ridden world

Question 4

What’s was Lenin convinced was the first step to socialism

Answer 4

Establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat.
Driven by Marxist ideology in state and revolution

Question 5

How did Lenin act to opponents and thoughts on leadership

Answer 5

Ruthless
Believed only the bolsheviks were acting in the best interests of working class and that his authority was all that was needed

Question 6

When did Lenin permit elections for a constituent assembly

Answer 6

November 1917

Question 7

Why were the elections for a constituent assembly to go ahead

Answer 7

Lenin has attacked kerensky for postponing

Question 8

How many votes cast in the election

Answer 8

Over 41 million

Question 9

Who had the highest percentage of votes for the constituent assembly

Answer 9

Social revolutionaries - 53%

Question 10

What percentage of the vote did the bolsheviks revive in the election for a constituent assembly

Answer 10

24%

Question 11

What’s was lenins justification for not receiving a high percentage of votes

Answer 11

Assembly held in crisis atmosphere soon after a revolution

Likely those who voted on areas away from Moscow and Petrograd had little idea of what was happening in the capital and who the bolsheviks were

Question 12

When did constituent assembly first meet

Answer 12

5th jan 1918

Question 13

Who was the chairmen chosen by social revolutionaries for constituent assembly

Answer 13

Viktor chernov

Question 14

What was the reaction of civilian when the constituent assembly was forcibly closed

Answer 14

Demonstration against it 12 killed Lenin wrote this off as crushing boyrgeois attitudes that remained after the revolution

Question 15

What did Lenin claim his government represented

Answer 15

The people and a higher form of democracy

Question 16

Explain how Bolsheviks showed what Dictatorship of the proletariat would mean

Answer 16

October 1917 curbed ability for Mensheviks and SR newspapers to be printed

Anyone known as bourgeoisie lost their right to vote in new soviet gov - July 1918

1921 all political parties were banned

Question 17

Lenin and the ending of involvement of First World War

Answer 17

Ideologically - Lenin convinced that revolution would soon engulf Germany and German workers would join their comrades. So peace agreement was seen as temporary. Lenin knew Russian army could not stop the Germans. On practical grounds compromise with enemy seemed the only way forward and worth price in order to preserve what Bolsheviks had already accomplished

Question 18

Who and when we’re negotiations on an armistice with Germans

Answer 18

Trotsky Dec 1917

Question 19

How was the party split when it came to peace talks

Answer 19

Bukharin led the revolutionary war group of those who believe Russians should fight on. To defend socialism Seen as a betrayal of promises the bolsheviks made to seizing power

Question 20

What was Trotsky approach of Neither peace nor war

Answer 20

He dragged proceedings out hoping that germans would experience their own rev before peace treaty signed

Question 21

What was the Germans reaction to Neither peace nor war

Answer 21

Angered them especially since they knew Bolsheviks were using propaganda to stir up mutiny in the German army Agreement had to be made because Germans begun to renew their advance into Russia

Question 22

What treaty was signed with Russia to end the war

Answer 22

The treaty of Brest- litovsk

Question 23

When was the treaty of Brest-litovsk signed

Answer 23

3 March 1918

Question 24

Some terms of Brest-litovsk

Answer 24

Lost Finland Ukraine Poland etc Losses amounted to 1/6th of Russian population Lost 74% of iron and coal supplies Pay 3 billion roubles in compensation

Question 25

Different views of the treaty

Answer 25

Lenin - robber of peace But Russia had to accept the naked truth Other Bol argued strongly against the acceptance of the treaty

Question 26

The decision of accepting the terms of the treaty explain

Answer 26

Lenin threatened to resign twice

Central committee- Trotsky, Stalin, zinoviev supported him

Bukharin and kamenev voted against the peace

Terms agreed by only one vote

Question 27

What did the decision of accepting the treaty mean - stretch What did this lead to for Russia

Answer 27

Establishing socialism at home would take priority over spread of international revolution Confirmed Russia would be one party state - left wing revolutionaries walked out of sovnarkom in protest to treaty Bolsheviks governed alone - everyone else eh opposed was treated as enemies

Question 28

What did Bolsheviks change their names to

Answer 28

Communist party March 1918

Question 29

Who are red army

Answer 29

A new professional force Led by Trotsky Replaced red guards Was to protect regime March 1918

Question 30

What was the RSFSR

Answer 30

July 1918 Oversee the transition to a socialist society the first Soviet constitution Russian Soviet federal Socialist Republic Supreme power rested with them Responsible for electing sovnarkom 

Question 31

Limitation of the new constitution 1918

Answer 31

Vote reserved for Toiling masses - business men and tsarist officials excluded Workers vote weighed 5 to 1 against peasant Sovnarkom officially appointed by congress in practice chosen by bolsheviks Congress met at intervals