Bolshevik Rule Flashcards
What dilemma faced Lenin with regards to WWI
Both Lenin and Trotsky thought that their revolution in Russia would be followed by revolutions in other European countries - Germany
Peace with Germany would help the Kaiser survive, but the Bolsheviks would only be able to maintain their grip on Russia if the war ended
Lenin’s promise of peace in the April Theses secured a large rise in popularity - couldn’t go back on his word
What did Germany demand in peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk
Massive chunks of Russian territory
How were the Bolsheviks split about the war and what was the temporary solution
Those who wanted to pursue war to encourage a revolution in Germany (Bukharin) and those like Lenin who saw peace as the key to Bolshevik survival
Trotsky favoured a middle solution of ‘neither peace nor war’ - but the war continued and Germans marched further into Ukraine
What made Trotsky and Bukharin re-enter negotiations
Necessity and the need for unity won over ideological purity
Lenin offered twice to resign to ensure Bolshevik unity
Give the impacts of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk in March
The pragmatic decision to end the war was important in determining the future direction of the Soviet State
Huge territorial implications
Russia was economically damaged
United many Russians across the class-divide against Bolshevik domination, as well as splitting the Bolshevik party - led directly to civil war
How did the Treaty determine the future of the Soviet state
Set a precedent that ‘socialism at home’ would take priority over spreading international revolution
Provided the intellectual foundation for Stalin’s Soviet First approach later on
Expand on the huge territorial implications of the treaty
Russia was made to surrender most of the territory on western border including Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Poland
Semi-independent governments set up in Ukraine + Georgia
How did Russia become economically damaged after losing mass territory
Lost 1/6 population (62 million)
2 million km2 land that produced 1/3 Russian agriculture, 26% railway lines and 74% iron + coal supplies
How did the treaty of Brest-Litovsk split the country
Supporters of the Tsar wanted to continue the war - saw punitive terms as humiliating, saw it as their chance to seize back power and restore Tsarist system (whites)
Left SR’s (most peasant support) left Sovnarkom in protest of ending the war
Nationalities (Georgia + Ukraine) saw it as their chance to assert full independence
Allies like France and UK anxious for Russia to re-join war and offered support to the whites
What was the Sovnarkom
8 man and one woman Sovnarkom was established as the new goverment - supposedly ruling on behalf of the Congress pf Soviets, and only passing laws with their approval
However - Sovnarkom mad up only Bolsheviks with Lenin as Chairman and Trotsky + Stalin integrated too
When were Lenin’s 9 popular decrees and what was their purpose
27th October - Dec 1917
Designed to gain Bolshevik popular support
Give 6 Decrees
Decree on Peace
Decree on Land
Decree of Worker control
Decree on Nationalities
People’s courts
Woman’s rights
Abolishment of class rankings in army
What was the Decree on Peace
Promised an end to WWI without ‘annexation or indemnities’
Tremendously popular as war threatened to destroy the economy and perpetuate worker/peasant unrest
Prices were 1000% higher than 1914
What was the Decree on Land and why was it controversial
Abolished private-ownership of land and legitimised peasant seizure of land without compensation
Lenin knew few peasants supported the Bolsheviks - many angered and argued that the means of production should belong to the state not the individual (Marxist doctrine)
But Lenin knew 300,000 Bolsheviks could not forcibly deprive 125 million peasants of their land - reduced peasant support for the SR’s + gave him valuable time to consolidate power
What was the Decree on worker control
gave workers the right to ‘supervise management’, getting rid of all hierarchy in factories
Promised 8 hour working days and social insurance schemes to cover old age and unemployment
Tithes were abolished in November and all Russians became known as………….
Citizens
Lenin ruled in the name of the Soviet to make it look like they were the chosen…………..of peasant ad workers.
In reality, the Bolsheviks did not have…………..support. Civil service refused to…….the new goverment and bankers refused to…………..it
Representatives
Majority
Serve
FInance
It took the threat of………..for the state bank to hand over its reserves and they could not yet rely on……………
Force
Police support
What did Kerensjy do that caused social unrest against Bolshevik rule
Formed an army of 18 Cossack regiments and SR officers and tried to take Petrograd in November 1917
Fighting broke out in Moscow, Kyiv, Kazan and Petrograd as most members of the Petrograd Garrison had returned to their rural homes
Railway and communication workers went on strike against the creation of a one-party goverment
Bolsheviks took 10 days to restore control over Moscow and 500 people died
What did the railway worker’s union force Lenin to do in October
To discuss a partnership with other socialist parties, but Lenin only went through the motions (talks lasted 7 days)
He was committed to sole Bolshevik rule
What happened on November 4th
Sovnarkom decreed it could now pass laws without the approval of Congress of Soviets. A Bolshevik dictatorship was in place
On what date did the Sovnarkom close down all anti-Bolshevik newspapers
27th October
The…………imprisoned political opposition leaders including the Kadets, right SR’s ad Mensheviks.
By the end of November, Moscow’s prisons were having to release…………..to make way for………prsioners
Red Guard
Petty Criminals
Political
When did Lenin create the Cheka, what did they stand for and why is that significant
December 7th
All Russian Commission for Suppression of Counter-revolution, Sabotage and Speculation
‘Suppression of Counter-Revolution’ highlights Lenin’s autocratic nature as it implies that his primary concern is to cling onto and maintain power
Speculation’ of counter-revolution in the title of the Cheka, it only amplifies Lenin’s desire for autocracy as illustrated with a surge of political prisoners as a result
Lenin approved the ruthless suppression of all…………of the…………..by the Cheka
Enemies
Revolution
How were the bourgeoise affected by the Bolsheviks
Lenin created a propaganda campaign against ‘class enemies’
This motivated the takeover of provincial town and city governments by pro-Bolshevik forces - everywhere, Bolshevik rule was established
By December 1917, Bolsheviks dominated major…..and railways, but it would take 4 years of bitter civil war before they could command control of most………..areas
Towns
Rural
Most of the other parties didn’t expect the Sovnarkom to……………and early awaited the……….for the Constituent Assembly to establish a ‘real’ government
Last long
Elections
What was the turnout at the elections
41.7 million - many Russians cast votes unaware of the revolution
What was the result of the elections
SR’s won most seats = 410, compared to the Bolsheviks 175
Lenin was enraged and argued ‘elections prove nothing’ and claimed that it would be a bourgeois parliamentary democracy and a betrayal of the October revolution
What happened on the first day of the Assembly - 5th January
Assembly refused to approve Lenin’s decrees
On Lenin’s command, the Bolsheviks walked out and other parties were evicted by pro-Bolshevik guards
When they tried to return, the Tauride palace was locked and surrounded by soldiers
A crowd demonstrating outside was shot at and 12 dies - links to Bloody Sunday
What is a clear trait of autocracy
Limiting voices of opposition as because they are autocratic and not democratically elected, their only incentive is to cling onto power by any means possible, rather than by winning the people’s support
Give another defining feature of autocracy
‘One person in absolute power’
Give a quote from Animal Farm that highlights the similarities between Lenin and the Tsar
‘The creatures looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which’
Give 3 paragraphs in response to ‘By the end of 1917, one autocracy had merely replaced another’
Strongly agree
- Suppression of opposition
- Style/structure of governments
- Lower classes
What would you include on the suppression of opposition paragraph
- Cheka = Okhrana
- Imprisoning political prisoners = Nicholas killing 2390 SR’s + exiling political leaders
- Lenin prioritising segregation and repression of political prisoners = Nicholas’ Fundamental laws (doesn’t have the wills of the people in mind, and only cares about maintain power)
- Closure of anti-Bolshevik newspapers
What would you include on the suppression of opposition paragraph
- Bolshevik dictatorship = Fundamental laws
- Elections = Bloody Sunaday
What counter-argument could you give as to how autocracy had replaced another
Lower classes experienced elements of liberation and freedom, Decree of Land, better than emancipation + Decree of workers = good
HOWEVER just done to consolidate Bolshevik power and buy crucial time - divert workers attention from the autocratic power sprouting right before their eyes, that is until it was too late to prevent.
- Only legitimised processes which were happening already
These minute liberal reforms/promises did not make Lenin’s government any less autocratic, as autocracy is not defined by the welfare of the people.
Give some unintended socioeconomic changes of the peasantry
Indifference for the expected support of the SR’s - SR”s mistakingly believed the peasants shared their values
They had their village Soviets which stood much closer to their ideals than the Constituent Assembly far away in the city
Did not need the Decree on land as they were doing it anyway - no power could tell them what to do
Give some unintended socio-economic changes for the workers
Workers failed to organise their factories effectively and output shrank at a time when it was most needed
With more money than goods, there was high inflation
Food shortages grew worse (as peasants hoarded produce), food riots threatened to undermine Bolshevik rule
1 million workers left the cities to be closer to food stores
What was at the root of the food crises
Peasant’s reluctance to sell foodstuffs for paper money when there was nothing to buy it with because of high inflation
Workers traded tools they had stolen from their factories or manufactured simple items such as axes to barter with the peasants
Give an expected socioeconomic change of the workers
Lenin spoke out against the dangers of moving towards socialism too quickly and his concerns proved well-founded
What did the Bolsheviks portray the Bourgeois as
‘Parasites’ and ‘enemies of the people’
They encouraged terror on a mass scale to destroy the bourgeoise
Give some intended socioeconomic consequences of the wealthier bourgeoise
Suppression of bourgeoise as a form of social justice by revenge was actively taken
Confiscated valuables and money from bourgeoise houses ‘for the revolution’. Soviets levied taxes on them and imprisoned hostages to enforce payment - thus began the Bolshevik terror
What impact did these policies have on the bourgeoise
Disposed and degraded, these ‘former people’ struggled to survive
Reduced to petty street vendors
Give an unintended socioeconomic consequence of the wealthier bourgeoise
White Guards became united in their fight against Bolshevism
