Bolsheviks and one party state Flashcards
what did Bolsheviks create
One-party state
what problems did Bolsheviks initially have
they were a minority party
couldn’t consolidate power without authority and mass support
where facing criticism for the treaty of Brest Livtosk
what where the Bolsheviks aims
overthrow Tsarists
get rid of classes who exploited workers and peasants
overthrow capitalist system and replace with socialism then eventually communism
establish a dictatorship of the proletariat, government taking control on behalf of the worker
who were Bolsheviks opponents
other left wing groups, Mensheviks and socialist revolutionaries
far right who supported Tsarists
nationalists who wanted Russian controlled to end e.g. Ukrainians, poles, Finns
what was the constituent assembly
a parliament elected by the people of Russia
what happed at the first and only meeting of the constituent assembly
Bolshevik lost as they only gained 175 compared to SR’s 410
After loss to socialists revolutionaries during the constituent assembly, Lenin dissolved the assembly as he condemned it as an instrument of the bourgeoise
So he turned to the All-Russia congress of soviets where he had more control
how did Bolsheviks destroy other political parties
removed vote of employer and priests who supported other parties
Bolsheviks restricted newspapers of opponents
left wing SRs lost all influence when they walked out of the government after treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Bolshevik party renamed to Communist party banning all other parties
5,000 Mensheviks imprisoned and later arrets in 1921 and 1922
Treaty of Brest Litovsk
march 1918
peace treaty with Germany, Russia lost control of many states such as Lithuania, Estonia, Finland.
national humiliation beginning civil war as whites opposed Bolsheviks and resented losing
what were the teams in the civil war
Whites- who opposed Bolsheviks, made from nationalises, conservatives, generals and military leaders from Tsar army. they received aid from allies
Red’s- Bolsheviks with peasants and industrial workers
(greens-anarchists)
how did Red’s win civil war
organised better
whites divided among themselves
Leon Trotsky’s organisation
Bolsheviks control of economy e.g. war communism helped, conscription helped red army grow 5 million in 1921
results from civil war
Bolsheviks became highly centralised, decision making and dividing of resources now in hands of government (Sovnarkom) and party leadership (politburo)
Use of terror set tone of development of party
supporters became hardened soldiers and became used to pressured situations
tenth party congress 1921
civil war was won saw growth in party membership skyrocket which posed threat to party stability
fan on factions put fourth due to Kronstadt mutiny and Tambov so Lenin decided firmer control was needed
what where the state institutions
Sovnarkom, top government ministers who were responsible for key decisions and government orders. voted by Politburo
central executive committee, tasked with overseeing the work of government and admin, voted by Central committee
all Russian congress of soviets, made laws in soviet union but had no real power local soviets voted members
what where the party institutions
Politburo, made key decisions in soviet union
Central committee, made all decisions on policy but power removed
Party Congress, local party members elected from all soviet union. some were powerful but not vert powerful
what did government do in theory
meant to be democratic socialism, where workers had power but actually all decisions made by politburo and Lenin
