Bolshevik Consolidation of Power

Question 1

What factors were integral to the consolidation of Bolshevik power?

Answer 1

• treaty of brest-litovsk
• civil war and war communism
• NEP

Question 2

Why was the civil war (and war communism) integral to Bolshevik consolidation of power?

Answer 2

• allowed the regime to centralise power and eliminate all military and political opposition
• WC -> means to generate secure funds and resources to sustain the war effort during the Civil War -> catalysed an acceleration of bureaucratisation that centralised authority within Russia
• the creation of the Red Army was integral to their suppression of internal threats to the regime

Question 3

Why was the Treaty of Brest Litovsk integral to Bolshevik consolidation of power?

Answer 3

• nullification of Germany’s external threat enabling the Bolsheviks to focus on their internal affairs of rising civilian discontent and a struggling economy

Question 4

Why was the New Economic Policy integral to Bolshevik consolidation of power?

Answer 4

consolidation of power was cemented by the NEP’s disregard of socialist ideology in favour of the economic and social gain available through capitalist policies -> enabled the creation of a period of peace and stability that allowed for the establishment of the one-party state

Question 5

What did War Communism contribute to Bolshevik consolidation of power? - (1)

Answer 5

• was implemented as a means to generate sufficient funds and resources to sustain the war effort -> catalysed a widespread nationalism across all areas of industry -> private ownership abolished, strict labour laws introduced (ban on strikes, abolishment of trade unions)

Question 6

War Communism (2) - Vesenkha:
- When was the Vesenkha established? What was it responsible for?

Answer 6

o In December 1917 the Vesenkha was established → responsible for the national economy as a whole

Question 7

War Communism (3) - Vesenkha:
- How did it contribute to the consolidation of power?

Answer 7

 a government economic committee → facilitated bureaucratisation as Party members were considered for roles → employment based on loyalty, not talent = centralisation of power

 bureaucratisation process mirrored in all other subsets of government → structures solidified

Question 8

War Communism (4) - Grain Requisitioning:

• When was it announced?
• What did it enforce? What did it eradicate from peasants?

Answer 8

o grain requisitioning was enforced → announced July 1918 = forced acquirement of surplus food production from peasants, eradicating possibility of profit

Question 9

War Communism (5) - Grain Requisitioning:

• How did it de-incentivise farmers?
• What was the fall in grain harvests from 1913 to 1920?

Answer 9

 de-incentivised farmers as produce would ultimately be seized by the Soviets, who were growing increasingly unpopular → fall in grain harvest from 80.1 million tonnes in 1913 to 46.5 million tonnes in 1920

Question 10

War Communism (5) - Grain Requisitioning:
- What did this increasing peasant discontent lead to?

Answer 10

 led to violent clashes and arrests by Red Army and Cheka

Question 11

Creation of the Red Army (1)

What did it give the government?

Answer 11

• creation of the Red Army - gave the government power and authority + new support base

Question 12

Creation of the Red Army (2)
How did it give Trotsky a new support base?
Consequently, by how much did their numbers increase from 1919 to 1922?

Answer 12

o Trotsky’s ruthlessness → members coerced or conscripted, harsh disciplines imposed → inspired loyalty through fear

 increased from 250 000 in 1919 to 700 000 in 1922

Question 13

Creation of the Red Army (3)

Why did revolts begin to emerge? What happened to them?

Answer 13

o even when revolts began to emerge due to discontent from the civil war and war communism, they were brutally crushed

Question 14

Creation of the Red Army (4)

How many peasant revolts in 1919?

Answer 14

344

Question 15

Creation of the Red Army (5)
When was the Kronstadt Rebellion brutally supressed?
How many killed? How many captured?

What did this lead to?

Answer 15

1921

1500 killed, 2500 captured (and executed months later)

= terror and repression to attain further consolidation of power

Question 16

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1)

Although the Bolsheviks has succeeded in eliminating the ______ they were _______ within the ____ and _____ as a whole

Answer 16

Provisional Government, lacking legitimacy, political community, society

Question 17

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (2)
When was the Congress of Soviets dissolved? What did it reinforce?

Consequence of this within populace?

Answer 17

dissolvement of the Congress of Soviets in January 1918 reinforced the tenuousness of their retainment of power → encouraging discontent within the populace

Question 18

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (3)
Additionally, the economy was in a crisis- Why?
How much had inflation increased in 1917?

Answer 18

the economy was in crisis as a consequence of the Provisional Government’s decision to continue the war and the failed Kerensky Offensive

o during 1917 inflation had accelerated to more than 15% a month

Question 19

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (4)
Peace agreement with Germany determined to be most ____ solution.

It had severe _____ drawbacks - What were they?

Answer 19

pragmatic, short-term

Question 20

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (5-1)

Examples of large amount of territory lost?

Answer 20

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and more to Germany and Austria; independence of Ukraine particularly damaging as it was a prominent source of food

Question 21

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (5-2)

____ of agricultural land, ____ of coal mines.

Answer 21

1/3, 4/5

Question 22

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (5-3)

Some members denounced the Treaty as______________.

Answer 22

“…a betrayal of the Bolshevik proletariat and the Socialist Revolution begun in Russia”

Question 23

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (6)
Why were these concessions ultimately a short term loss?

What did it create during the interim?

Answer 23

• However, ultimately these concessions were a short-term loss as the defeat of Germany allowed them to recover the worst of the losses → most territory restored

o during the interim, the treaty created a small period of respite where the threat of German invasion was nullified and allowed Party to focus on internal affairs → preparing for the impeding Civil War → integral to consolidation of power

Question 24

NEP (1)

_____ realised that the ______ ________ following the implementation of ___ _________, mirroring the prominent ______ towards the Bolsheviks with Russia, could not be ____ ____ _____ in _____ that would _____ some _____ _____.

Answer 24

Lenin realised that the constant uprisings following the implementation of War Communism, mirroring the prominent discontent towards the Bolsheviks within Russia, could not be alleviated without changes in policy that would require some ideological compromise

Question 25

NEP (2)

What was the national income in 1921 as a proportion of the national income in 1913?

Industrial capacity was _____ of 1921 levels.

The population of Moscow ____.

Food rationing was extremely ______ -> _____ of the ones imposed in _____ throughout ____.

Answer 25

o national income in 1921 one third of national income in 1913, industrial capacity 1/5, population of Moscow halved, food rationing extremely severe (one tenth of the ones imposed in Britain throughout WWI)

Question 26

NEP (3)

When and where was the NEP established?
What was the aim?

Answer 26

• 10th Party Congress March 1921 - NEP established → foster support and rebuild economy

Question 27

NEP (4)

What was enforced through the NEP?

  Grain requisitioning? Peasants and small businesses? 
  Working hours?

Answer 27

o grain requisitioning abolished, peasants and small businesses permitted to trade and make profits, working hours shortened

Question 28

NEP (5)

How did ideological compromise and relaxed policies not necessitate a reduction in power over Russia?

Answer 28

o prominent forces of economy still under state control (banks, transportation) = how ideological compromise and relaxed policies did not necessitate a reduction in power over Russia

Question 29

NEP (6)

Results of the NEP?

• Agriculture?
• Support?
• Centralisation of power = how? (2 aspects)

Answer 29

• was partially successful in improving economy: few years after implementation agricultural production reached 75% of pre-war levels
• = reattainment of some support lost throughout war
• It also facilitated an increased centralisation of power through the introduction of the Nomenklatura and the ban on factionalism

Question 30

NEP (7)

What was the Nomenklatura? How did it exacerbate bureaucratisation?

Quote about ban on factionalism? How did it lead to the consolidation of power?

Answer 30

o Nomenklatura - exacerbated bureaucratisation as individuals were appointed in government roles based on loyalty, not talent

o ban on factionalism - “…the immediate dissolution, without exception, of all groups that have been formed on the basis of some platform or other” → centralisation of power to the Bolsheviks

 arbitrary wording allows for loose interpretation that assisted in suppressing any political enemies = consolidation of power