Bolshevik consolidation Flashcards
What was the Sovnarkom?
The Council of People’s Commissars.
What term did ‘Commissars’ replace and why?
It replaced ministers. This was so it sounded less Bourgeoisie
Which party had the support of the peasants in 1917?
The SRs
Who commanded the MRC and the Petrograd Garrison?
Trotsky
When did Lenin hold elections for Constituent Assembly?
November 1917
How many seats did the Bolsheviks win at the Constituent Assembly elections in 1917?
175
How many seats at the Constituent Assembly election did the SRs win in 1917?
370
How did Lenin get out of having to use the Constituent Assembly?
He claimed that his form of Government represented a higher form of democracy
How many times were the 1917 elected assembly allowed to meet, and when did they meet?
They were allowed to meet once on the 5th January 1918 before being told to go home
What was Lenin’s first move regarding the press and when did he make this decision?
He banned all opposition newspapers in October 1917. Later he also banned the other socialist forms of press.
Which other party was banned immediately?
The Kadets
What happened to many leaders of other parties?
The leaders of the Mensheviks, Kadets and SRs all ended up in prison by the end of 1917. Two Kadet leaders were killed by Bolshevik sailors
Which unions threatened to cut off Bolshevik communications if they did not cooperate with other parties?
The Railwaymen’s Union, supported by the post and telegraph unions
Name two Bolsheviks who were in favour of a coalition with other socialist parties
Zinoviev and Kamenev
What did Lenin do to include other Socialist parties and why did he see this as beneficial?
He brought in some left SRs as junior partners in the Sovnarkom. He saw this as useful because he could gain some peasant support
What were the potential problems with handing the peasants land immediately?
It could cause violence, an economic crisis and lawlessness in the countryside
What and when was the Decree on Land?
October 1917- this gave the peasants the right to take over the estates of the gentry without compensation, and to decide amongst themselves the best way to divide it up. Land could no longer be bought, sold or rented because it belonged to the people
What was the Decree on Peace?
It stated that Russia would make peace with Germany
What was the ‘Rights of the People of Russia’ decree and why was it only kind of helpful?
It gave national minorities the right to self-determination. This was only really a paper measure because the Bolsheviks had no real influence in these areas anyway
What and when was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
March 1918- this secured Russia out of WW1.
What did Russia lose as a result of Brest-Litovsk?
They lost a quarter of their farmland, three quarters of their iron and coal reserves, as well as 62 million people within their population
What did the decrees on work do?
They introduced a 8 hour maximum day, set up rules for overtime and holidays, and set up worker’s committees to control factories
What did the decrees on marriage do?
They made divorce easier, and marriages could be done without a Priest
What was the name of the secret police?
The Cheka
What were the decrees on industry?
Bolsheviks now had control over the banks, foreign trade, large industries and railways
What were the decrees on education?
A network of schools offering free education to all were established to wipe out illiteracy
What were the decrees on Benefits?
A system of social insurance would be introduced with unemployment, maternity, sickness, and old age benefits
What were the decrees on equality?
All ranks and grades in the army were abolished along with all aristocratic titles
How many new laws did the Sovnarkom introduce when the Bolsheviks took over?
193
What kind of people were absent from the Sovnarkom?
People who were more on the right wing side of the left, such as the SRs, Mensheviks, and Zinoviev/Kamenev
How many votes were (fairly according to Lenin) cast in November 1917?
Over 40 million
What strategy did Trotsky use when negotiating the end of the war, and what did this become known as?
He dragged it out in hope that Germany would lose the war or revolution would engulf Europe. He spent ages talking about Communism in order to do this. This became known as ‘neither peace nor war’
Why did Germany need to reach peace with Russia?
They needed troops to fight the West, but the Ukrainian nationalists were putting up a fight in occupied territory
When did Germany give Russia an ultimatum and what was this?
1st March 1918. They advanced forward and gave Russia two days to sign the treaty
What did the Bolsheviks change their name to after the signing of Brest Litovsk?
The Communist Party
What happened to the Red Guard after Brest-Litovsk?
They were demobilised and replaced by the Red Army, which Trotsky headed
What happened after the signing of Brest-Litovsk?
The capital was moved to Moscow, the left-wing SRs who opposed the Treaty walked out of the Sovnarkom, religious assets were seized and large congregations prohibited. The party focused on ‘socialism at home’ rather than a Communist revolution
