Bolshevik consolidation of power

Question 1

How & Why did the consitutent assembly close?

Answer 1

• Weeks after the October revolution, Lenin attempted to have the elections persponed, realising that the Bolsehviks were unlikely to win a majority
• Bolsheviks secured only 9.8million votes winning 168 seats compared to the SR’s winning 17.1million and 380 seats
• Lenin claimed the CA was illigitimate as the ballot boxes offered no choice between left (pro Bolshevik) and Right SR’s (anti Bolshevik)
• On 5th Januart 1918, when the CA was scheduled to open, 50,000 anti bolshevik demonstrators gathered in Petrograd. Bolsheviks opened fire, killing 10
• CA was forcibly disbanded after 1 day

Question 2

How would shutting the CA consolidate Bolshevik power?

Answer 2

• Allowed Bolsheviks to centralise political authority, could now make decisions unilaterally without needing to negotiate with other political factions
• Sole legislative body of the country
• Could maintain a stronger grasp on power, as poliitcal rivals did not have enough power to pose a significant threat

Question 3

What did Lenin do after seizing power from the consituent assembly?

Answer 3

• Lenin tried to win over some of the anti-Bolsheviks by passing legislation

Question 4

What were some of the key laws Lenin passed?

Answer 4

• 8th November 1917 - Land belonging to the Tsar, Church and nobility was handed over to the peasants
• 12th November 1917 - working day limited to 8 hours, 48 hour week, rules introduced regarding overtime and holidays
• 1st December - all non-bolshevik newspapers were banned
• 11th december - cadet party banned, leader arrested

Question 5

Why was Lenin desperate for a quick agreement with Germany?

Answer 5

• In the absense of a peace agreement, Russia was wide open to German invasion
• Lenin was key to deliver on his promise to the peasants and workers to end the war, retain credibility

Question 6

What was agreed under the treaty of brest litovsk?

Answer 6

• A cease-fire was agreed upon soon after peace talks opened
• Price of Germany ending the war was high - loss of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland & Ukraine
• These areas contained 26% of Russia’s population, 27% of its arable land and 74% of its coal and iron ore

Question 7

How were trade unions crushed?

Answer 7

• Trotsky used his powers to end the independence of trade unions
• Early 1920, the workers were brought under military discipline on the same terms as the soldiers
• Restrictions - A ban was placed on the questioning of orders and instructions
• Rates of pay or conditions were no longer negotiable
• Severe penalities enforced for poor workmanship or not meeting production targets

Question 8

How were labour camps set up?

Answer 8

• Set up by Dzerzhinsky where ‘enemies of the revolution’ were incarcerated
• By the time of Lenin’s death, there were 315 such camps developed as part of the red terror
• They held white prisoners of war, uncooperative peaants and political prisoners such as SR’s who were considered a threat to Soviet authority
• Camps were deliberately harsh - severe hunger and beatings

Question 9

Setting up the cheka

Answer 9

• Main instrument by which Lenin terrorised the Russian people into submission and conformity
• Operating as a law unto its self, answerable only to Lenin it was granted unlimited powers of arrest, detention and torture