Bolshevik Consolidation Of Power

Question 1

How did the Bolsheviks find a government?

Answer 1

Lenin allowed the elections to the constitutional assembly to go ahead however they won only 175 seats against 410

They shut the Constitutional assembly down

Lenin set up the Sovnarkom (exclusively Bolsheviks) moving away from the soviet.

Question 2

How did the Bolsheviks/Lenin deal with press?

Answer 2

The press was banned in Oct 1917, first the newspapers of the centre and right than the socialist press.

Question 3

Land ownership problems?

Answer 3

In Oct ‘17 the sovnarkom passed the decree on land this gave peasants the right to take over

Question 4

Bolshevik control for running industry?

Answer 4

Workers control decree
Max 8hrs a day

Question 5

How did Bolsheviks deal with the nationalities question?

Answer 5

The rights of the people of Russia which have the right of self determination to the national minorities in the former Russian Empire

Question 6

How did the Bolsheviks deal with war and peace?

Answer 6

Lenin adopted a position of peace at any price and so accepted the terms of Brestlitovsk in March ‘18

Consequences were severe as they lost counties such as Latvia, Ukraine and Finland ect.

Question 7

How did Lenin consolidate his power using the Sovnarkom?

Answer 7

Lenin closed the constituent assembly and formed the Sovnarkom made exclusively of Bolsheviks.

Question 8

How did Lenin consolidate his power using the press?

Answer 8

All opposition press was banned and restrictions were placed on religious freedom

Question 9

How did Lenin consolidate his power using the land?

Answer 9

Decree on land gave peasants the right to take over land and for a time schools were discouraged to promote work

Question 10

How did Lenin consolidate his power using industry?

Answer 10

Workers control decree gave factory committees the right to control production. Trade unions were banned though.

Question 11

How did Lenin consolidate his power using nationalities?

Answer 11

Rights of people of Russia have self determination to people of Russian empire

Question 12

How did Lenin consolidate his power using the terror

Answer 12

Iron felix and Cheka purges and shows trails began and concentration camps set up.

Question 13

How did Lenin consolidate his power trying to end war?

Answer 13

Treaty of Brest litovsk but USSRs international role left unresolved

Question 14

How did Lenin consolidate his power using the Red army

Answer 14

Red army formed to fight civil army against whites

Question 15

How did Lenin establish a one party state?

Answer 15

-“All power to the soviets”, all councils of working people would help to run all aspects.
-October 25th 1917, delegates of the second all Russian Congress of Soviets voted 500 to 170 for a socialist government to replace the overthrown Provisional Government.
-Lenin did not allow the shared power.

Question 16

How did Lenin consolidate the one party state?

Answer 16

-Passing new decrees from the Sovnarkom
>Workers were put in charge of the railways.
>Gov support for the church ended- secular state
>industries were nationalised and land ownership was abolished- only the state owned land.

Question 17

What was the 1918 constitution?

Answer 17

-The structure for the new regime

                   Sovnarkom
       Central executive committee 
 The all Russian congress of Soviets 
                  Local Soviets

Question 18

How did only Lenin and Sovnarkom hold most of the power within the regime?

Answer 18

-Congress of Soviets only met in intervals throughout the year.
-Although Sovnarkom was officially appointed by the Congress, it was chosen by the central committee of the Bolshevik party.
-In July 1918, members of the former ‘Exploiting Classes’ were banned from voting or holding office.

Question 19

What was the negative impact of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Answer 19

The Bolsheviks had to give up a huge area in the West of Russia, meaning the loss of:
>62 million people
>2 million square kilometres of land, responsible for one third of Russias agricultural population
>A quarter of Russias iron and coal supplies.
>Three quarters of Russias iron and coal supplies