7.1-7.3 - Changes Under The Bolsheviks

Question 1

Overview

Answer 1

By 1924, the USSR was governed by a centralised one party dictatorship in which no one could challenge its power.

Within months of seizing power, Lenin introduced war communism as a method of controlling the economy as well as supplying the needs of the red army during the civil war. This was unpopular with the peasants which led to opposition to the Bolsheviks who replaced war communism with the NEP

Question 2

What was the Cheka and how was it used by Lenin

Answer 2

In December 1917, Lenin set up the Cheka p

It was responsible for dealing with law order and political opposition to the Bolsheviks.

Bolshevik secret police

Unlimited power

Created a climate of fear and terror —> made it hard to criticise the government —> enabled Lenin to keep power

Question 3

What was the “red terror”

Answer 3

Following an attempted murder on Lenin’s life, the leader of the Cheka began the red terror

Those suspected of working against the revolution were arrested/tortured

Question 4

How did the role of the politburo help Bolshevik centralisation

Answer 4

The communist completely controlled the government

The politburo was the main decision making body of the communist party

It made key decisions and had control over the gov

Made day to day decisions too urgent to wait for a central committee debate

Question 5

What role did Lenin play in Bolshevik centralisation

Answer 5

He realised the need for a strong gov

Driving force behind early Bolshevik decrees

Didn’t believe in democracy —> believed in duty to direct the people and right for obedience from them

Central power and decision making dependant on Lenin and politburo

Question 6

What is war communism

Answer 6

Introduced in 1918

Method of controlling the economy to supply the red army and win the civil war

Question 7

Why was war communism introduced

Answer 7

Peasants wanted to keep land but not sell crops

Food shortages in Russia —> Lenin wanted to control food supply to towns

Prices rose - inflation

Communist idea of central control and direction of the economy

Bolsheviks had to send food supplies to the red army during the civil war

Question 8

What were features of war communism

Answer 8

• food rationing during food shortages
• private trading banned —> peasants had to give surplus food to the government —> requisition squads sent if peasants didn’t want to give up their produce
• factories with more than 10 workers nationalised —> state owned factories now + decided how much should be produced. Industry under control of vesenkha
• workers under gov control + told where to work.
• inflation meant money became valueless—> people now exchanged goods instead of using money

Question 9

Why was war communism unpopular + how did Lenin respond to opposition

Answer 9

• unpopular with peasants + workers
• led to starvation

Peasants didn’t want to give up produce to stat so they grew less and bred less animals —> led to fall in agricultural output

Armed Bolsheviks sent for Food requisitioning — they also took the grain needed for the next crop

Question 10

What was the Kronstadt mutiny?

Answer 10

In March 1921

Rebellion at the naval base in Kronstadt. Objected to the way the communist party took power away from the soviets

Question 11

What demands did the Kronstadt sailers have

Answer 11

New elections should be held because the current soviets don’t express the will of the workers and peasants

Freedom of speech and press for workers and peasants

Freedom of assembly and trade unions

All political prisoners from socialist parties be set free

Question 12

How did the communist government react to the Kronstadt mutiny

Answer 12

Lenin decided to stop the protests

Trotsky used the red army to end the rebellion

The rebels were either killed or put in a gulag

Lenin realised he had to change war communism

Question 13

What was the New economic policy

Answer 13

Lenin introduced the NEP in 1921 to replace war communism and meet Russia’s need for food

The policy would give Russia breathing space after 8yrs of war

Question 14

What were features of the NEP

Answer 14

Peasants had to give a fixed amount of grain to the gov but could sell their surplus for profit

Peasants who increased their food production could pay less tax

Factories with less than 20 workers given back to owners

People could use money and rouble introduced

Key industries under state control

Power stations introduced

Foreign trade

Question 15

How did people react to the NEP

Answer 15

Some communists thought they were betraying the revolution by reverting back to capitalism

Question 16

What effects did the NEP have (positive)

Answer 16

More food in cities

Growing trade, increase in industrial activity

Shops + restaurants reopened

Private traders appeared

Question 17

What were problems of the NEP

Answer 17

New class created -private traders
Greed and selfishness returning to Russia
Increasing capitalist society

More food in cities meant price was going down
Price of industrial goods rose because they were in short supply.

This increased the gap between industrial and agricultural goods.