Bolshevik consolidation, 1918–1924

Question 1

How did the Bolsheviks establish one-party control?

Answer 1

Banned opposition parties, shut down the Constituent Assembly, and outlawed rival newspapers.

Question 2

What decree gave the Bolsheviks full power?

Answer 2

Decree on One-Party Rule (1918) – banned all other political parties.

Question 3

Why did Lenin shut down the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 3

Bolsheviks didn’t win a majority. Lenin claimed Soviets were a higher form of democracy.

Question 4

When was the Constituent Assembly dissolved?

Answer 4

January 1918, by force using the Red Guards.

Question 5

How did the Bolsheviks justify removing the Assembly?

Answer 5

Claimed it was elected before the revolution and no longer represented the

Question 6

What was Sovnarkom?

Answer 6

he new Bolshevik government — made up entirely of Bolsheviks, ruled by decree.

Question 7

What role did the Soviets play under Bolshevik rule?

Answer 7

In theory, they represented the people. In reality, they were controlled by the Bolsheviks.

Question 8

What treaty ended Russia’s involvement in WWI?

Answer 8

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, signed in March 1918.

Question 9

What were the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Answer 9

Russia lost:

1/3 of farmland

1/3 of population

50% of industry

Had to pay large reparations

Question 10

How did Brest-Litovsk help the Bolsheviks?

Answer 10

Gave them breathing space to deal with internal enemies and begin building their regime.

Question 11

What were the main causes of the Russian Civil War?

Answer 11

Opposition to Bolsheviks (Whites), anger over Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Tsarist forces regrouping, economic collapse, foreign intervention.

Question 12

Who were the Whites in the Civil War?

Answer 12

A mix of monarchists, liberals, SRs, and nationalists. United only by anti-Bolshevism.

Question 13

What was the general course of the Civil War?

Answer 13

1918: War begins

1919: Whites advance on all fronts

1920: Red Army drives them back

1921: Reds win — Civil War ends

Question 14

What was Trotsky’s role in the Civil War?

Answer 14

Reorganised the Red Army

Reintroduced discipline (including death penalty)

Used ex-Tsarist officers with political supervision

Personally travelled to battlefronts in armoured train

Question 15

Why did the Reds win the Civil War?

Answer 15

Central control of major cities (Moscow, Petrograd)

Unified leadership (Trotsky + Lenin)

Propaganda and ideology

Better organisation than divided Whites

Use of Red Terror and War Communism

Question 16

Why did the Whites lose the Civil War?

Answer 16

Disunited and poorly coordinated

No clear ideology or plan

Relied on unpopular foreign support

Brutal treatment of peasants

Question 17

What happened to the Tsar and his family?

Answer 17

Murdered in July 1918 in Yekaterinburg by the Cheka. Aimed to stop them becoming a symbol for the Whites.

Question 18

What was War Communism?

Answer 18

Economic policy during the Civil War

Grain requisitioning

Nationalisation of industry

Banned private trade

Prioritised feeding the Red Army

Question 19

What was the Red Terror?

Answer 19

Cheka campaign against enemies

Thousands imprisoned or executed

Targeted SRs, Whites, peasants, priests

Question 20

How did the Bolsheviks maintain control during the war?

Answer 20

Cheka repression

Propaganda: Reds defending revolution

War Communism to supply army

Suppressed rival political groups

Question 21

How many people died in the Civil War?

Answer 21

Approx. 7–10 million — mostly from famine, disease, and chaos, not direct fighting.

Question 22

What was the impact of Civil War on Bolshevik power?

Answer 22

Strengthened one-party rule

Justified repression and terror

Set tone for authoritarianism under Lenin and later Stalin

Question 23

What was State Capitalism (1917–18)?

Answer 23

Temporary economic system blending socialist aims with capitalist methods.

Nationalised banks and key industries

But private trade and wages still existed

Aimed to stabilise post-revolution economy

Question 24

What was War Communism (1918–21)?

Answer 24

arsh wartime economic policy to supply Red Army:

Grain requisitioning

Nationalisation of all industry

Banned private trade

Rationing and forced labour
📉 Led to famine, falling production, and mass unrest

Question 25

What were conditions like in cities during the Civil War?

Answer 25

Industrial collapse and food shortages City depopulation (workers moved to countryside) Harsh rationing and strikes Example: Petrograd’s population dropped by 60% (1917–20

Question 26

What were conditions like in the countryside?

Answer 26

Peasants resisted grain seizures Widespread famine (esp. 1921) Angry at Bolshevik repression Led to major peasant uprisings

Question 27

What was the Red Terror (1918–22)?

Answer 27

Campaign of violence by the Cheka: Aimed to crush political opposition Targeted SRs, Mensheviks, kulaks, priests, etc. Executions: est. 200,000+ Used to enforce War Communism and control

Question 28

What was the Tambov Revolt (1920–21)?

Answer 28

Massive peasant uprising (50,000 fighters) in response to grain requisitioning. Led by Alexander Antonov Red Army used chemical weapons to crush it

Question 29

What was the Kronstadt Rising (1921)?

Answer 29

Rebellion by sailors (former Bolshevik supporters): Demanded free speech, new elections, end to War Communism Lenin called them “the pride and glory of the revolution” — but crushed them harshly

Question 30

Why did Lenin introduce the NEP in 1921?

Answer 30

To stop economic collapse and rebellion War Communism had failed Tambov + Kronstadt = warning signs Needed to revive peasant support

Question 31

What were the key features of the NEP?

Answer 31

Grain requisitioning ended Private trade legal Small businesses allowed State kept control of “commanding heights” (heavy industry, banks)

Question 32

What were the economic impacts of the NEP?

Answer 32

ood production improved ✅ Markets returned 📉 Created inequality (NEPmen, kulaks), and unemployment in cities 🟠 "Scissors Crisis" (1923): food prices dropped but industrial goods stayed expensive

Question 33

What were the political impacts of the NEP?

Answer 33

Split the party: Lenin called it a “strategic retreat” Some saw it as betrayal of socialism Party tightened political control (ban on factions – 1921) to silence criticism

Question 34

What was Lenin's view of the NEP?

Answer 34

He said it was a temporary step to stabilise the economy — not a return to capitalism long-term.

Question 35

Why did foreign powers intervene in the Russian Civil War?

Answer 35

Fear of communism spreading Wanting to reopen Eastern Front in WWI Protect weapons and supplies 🌍 UK, France, Japan, USA sent troops (small-scale)

Question 36

What impact did foreign intervention have?

Answer 36

Short-term boost to Whites Helped Bolshevik propaganda (“defenders of Russia”) Limited commitment = little effect on war’s outcome

Question 37

What was the Comintern (1919)?

Answer 37

Communist International — spread world revolution Led by Zinoviev Based in Moscow; coordinated communist parties abroad ⚠️ Failed to cause successful revolutions (e.g., Germany 1919)

Question 38

What was the Russo-Polish War (1919–21)?

Answer 38

Red Army tried to push west, hoping to trigger revolutions Polish victory at Warsaw (1920) = Red defeat 📜 Treaty of Riga (1921): USSR gave land to Poland

Question 39

What were the results of the Russo-Polish War?

Answer 39

❌ Damaged Bolshevik ambitions for world revolution ✅ Focus shifted to “Socialism in One Country” (later under Stalin)

Question 40

What was the Rapallo Treaty (1922)?

Answer 40

Deal between USSR and Germany: * Diplomatic recognition * Trade and secret military cooperation 🤝 Broke international isolation for both sides

Question 41

What was the Zinoviev Letter (1924)?

Answer 41

Fake letter published in British press, allegedly from Comintern to British communists Suggested USSR interference in UK politics 📉 Hurt Labour Party’s election chances 📉 Set back USSR–UK relations

Question 42

How did Lenin approach foreign relations by 1924?

Answer 42

Mixed strategy: promoted revolution via Comintern but also sought pragmatic diplomacy (e.g., Rapallo) USSR remained isolated but made limited progress

Question 43

How secure was Lenin’s regime by 1924?

Answer 43

✅ Civil War won ✅ Economy stabilising under NEP ✅ Opposition suppressed ❌ Party divided over NEP + future leadership ❌ No clear successor — leads to power struggle

Question 44

What was Lenin’s political legacy?

Answer 44

Created a one-party dictatorship Used terror (Cheka, Red Terror) Set up a centralised, authoritarian state Legacy of repression, economic control, and ideological rigidity