Bolsheviks In Power 1917-24 Flashcards
What were some early decrees the bolsheviks issued
November;
8th - decree on peace - peace should be achieved without annexations or indemnities
8th - decree on land - 540 million acres of land taken from nobles/church./ tsar given to peasant
Decree on unemployment - insurance
Decree on work - 8-hour days
Decree on marriage
When does Trotsky begin peace talks with Germany
3rd December 1917
When was the Cheka established
7th December 1917
What was significant about the elections for the Constitute Assembly, held in November 1917
First free elections in Russia
Who won the elections for the constitute assembly (1917)
Social revolutionaries - (370 seats)
Bolsheviks only got 175
When was the first meeting of the constitute assembly after the election
5th January 1918
When did Lenin dissolve the constitution assembly
January 6th 1918
Why did Lenin dissolve the constitute assembly
- refused to pas Bolsheviks key decrees or to support the principle of all power to the soviets
After his abdication where was the tsar and his family initially allowed to live
Royal palace at tsarskoye palace
Why did they move the tsar and his family from the palace to Siberia
Palace was too close to Petrograd and afraid they would be attacked by local people
Where were the tsar’s family moved to, from Siberia in April 1918
Ekaterinburg in Ural Mountains - away from white armies
When was the tsars family executed
17th July 1918
What was the Cheka intended for
To combat counter-Revolution, sabotage and speculation
How was the Cheka justified
Lenin claimed the Revolution was under threat from the class enemies of workers/peasants - bourgeoisie
Why did Lenin want to end the war
- it’s what the people wanted
- focus forces on wiping out political opponents within Russia instead
Who was given the responsibility of negotiating a treaty with Germany
Trotsky
What was Trotsky’s initial demands for the treaty and how did the Germans react
- wanted peace with no losses to Russia
- Germans reacting by ending ceasefire and advancing into Russia further
What were the terms of the treaty
- very harsh
- Russia surrendered huge traces of land from Black Sea to the Baltic Sea
- had to pay reparations - 3 billion roubles
What was the significance of the treaty
Loss of…
- 74% coal mines/ iron ore
- 50% of its industry
- 26% of its railways
- 27% of its farmland
- 26% of its population
How did soldiers react to the treaty of Brest - litovsk
- pleased for the end of the war
How did the left social Revolutionaries react to the treaty of Brest-litosvk
-walked out of government in protest
How did the conservatives/ nationalists react to the treaty of Brest-Litsovk
Horrified at the sheer amount of land and population lost + the way in which lenin were prepared to sacrifice national interest
What were the reasons for the civil war
Economic and social hardship
- food shortages/ starvation
- bread rationing reached all time low - 50g a day
- hunger driving many people away from industrial cities - shrunk 60% by June 1918
Bolshevik reforms
- decree on land - churches/landlords/ nobles angered
- decree on peace - nationalists angered - wanted to continue the war
Constitute assembly
- SR’s and Cadets angered about dissolving
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
- huge territorial losses appalled Russians
In March 1918, bread rationing reached an all time low of
50g a day
By June 1918, hunger drove many workers out of Petrograd. What effect did this have
- workforce shrunk by 60%
- population declined by approx 2/3 million
When did the Czech Legion revolt
May 1918
- 400,000 troops taking over the trans-Siberian railway
Who were the bolsheviks opponents in the civil war
Whites
- former tsarists/ nationalists/ nobles/ wealthy industrialists- wanted to restore the tsar
- liberals/ moderate socialists - wanted law and order re-established
- social Revolutionaries - wanted restoration of the constitute assembly
Greens
- national minorities eg. Georgians
- wanted independence from Russia
Foreign powers
- Britain/ France/ USA/ Japan
- angry that bolsheviks pulled out of the war and cancelled repayments of loans from them
- scared communism would spread to their own countries
Who were the main generals in the civil war
General Yudenich - had British support attacked from north-west - threatened Petrograd
General deniken - french support - threatened south
Admiral Kolchak - British support - threatened east
Key events of the civil war
1919 - Denikin (army of 150,000) got within 320km of Moscow
June 1919 - kolchak captured Kazan and samara
Summer 1919 -admiral Miller launched unsuccessful attack along northern Dvina river
October 1919 - yudenich (army of 15,000) reached outskirts of Petrograd with Estonian troops
Who won the civil war
Bolsheviks
What were the strengths of the Bolsheviks in the civil war
- leadership of Lenin - ruthless
- war communism - tackled the economic crisis
- Cheka - terrified Russians so they wouldn’t help the whites
- control of central Russia - shorter distances to supply their armies/ moved capital to Moscow for better use of railways unlike whites / central areas contained main armaments factories
- got possession of tsars old arsenals - 2.2 million rifles, 12000 field guns, ammunition
- conscription - built up army
- support from peasantry - made up main body of army (supported as of decree of land)
- effective propaganda - fighting for a cause/ October Revolution/ look after the ordinary
What was the role of Trotsky in the civil war
- appointed commissar of war in 1918
- organised mobilisation of red army into a huge fighting force
- realised army needed experienced ex-tsarists officers - kept their families hostage to ensure loyalty
- encouraged soldiers to read and write/ learn about aims of bolsheviks
- introduced socialist military oath
What were the weaknesses of the whites in the civil war
Lack of unity
- made up of variety of different parties who didn’t share same aims
- argued/ didn’t trust each other - fighting for tsarism or republicism?
- white generals didn’t trust each other/ competed - no co-ordinated military strategy
Poor leadership
- cruel to soldiers - thus little loyalty
- High levels of corruption and indiscipline eg. Uniforms/ munitions sold on black market
Geographically spread out
- Communications difficult
- can’t co-ordinate attacks
Small populations
- less conscription
Foreign intervention
- half-hearted/ ineffective
- gave Bolshevik propaganda opportunity - foreign invaders
What was the Cheka
Bolshevik secret police
By 1919 how many employees did the Cheka have
100, 000
Why was the red terror introduced
- to remove opponents of the Bolsheviks following an assassination on Lenin’s life at the end of august 1918
What was the red terror
Those who were suspected of working against the Revolution were arrested, tortured and executed
By the end of 1918, how many people had it ‘removed’
More then 500,000
How was terror/ the Cheka used in the civil war
Sent to areas to arrest anyone who was thought to be working with the whites
When was the red terror
September 1918 - February 1919
How many people were executed in Petrograd under the red terror
800 people
By the end of the civil war, how many people had the Cheka killed
200,000
When was the second Kronstadt mutiny (after that in the February Revolution)
28th February 1921
Why did the Kronstadt revolt in 1921
Against war communism/ requisitioning of food/ red terror/ lack of political freedom
How did they deal with the Kronstadt mutiny of 1921
Trotsky sent 50,000 red army soldiers
It took until 17th March for sailers to be defeated
500 were executed
Where were the surviving rebels from the Kronstadt mutiny put
Gulags or executed by the Cheka
What was the politburo
The leading decision making body in the communist party
When was the politburo set up
1919
How many members were in the politburo and who were they
5
Lenin, Trotsky, zinoviev, Kamanev, Stalin
How did the politburo contribute to the centralisation of the Bolsheviks
Initially set up to make day-to-day decisions which were too urgent to wait for the central committee
All major decisions increasingly made by the politburo
What consisted the USSR
- Ukrainian soviet socialist republic
- Russian soviet federated republic
- Belorussian soviet socialist republic
- Transcaucasian
What was war communism
- everything in the economy was geared to meeting the needs of the military first in hope to win the civil war
What were the economic reasons for war communism
- peasants wanted to keep their land but were unwilling to sell their food
- Lenin wanted to control supply of food to feed soldiers/workers
- Lenin wanted to control industry to supply red army with weapons and Resources
- inflation
- transport problems - lack of raw materials
What were the social reasons for war communism
- severe food shortages of food and other basic necessities
What were the political reasons for war communism
- policy followed communist idea of central control
What were the military remains for war communism
Has to guarantee supplies for huge red army against the whites
What were the features of war communism
- peasants couldn’t sell their crops - Cheka requisitioned most crops
- industries nationalised and given targets
- industries put under control of Vesenkha - supreme economic council
- freedoms banned - strikes dealt with by the Cheka
- rationing
- factories with 10+ workers nationalised
- inflation - money became valueless - bargained in goods
Why was war communism unpopular
- lead to starvation
- angered peasants/ workers
What were the consequences of war communism
- peasants grew less and bred fewer animals - farm production fallen to 37% of 1913 levels
- famine 1920-21 - 7 million dead
- production halved
- black market developed
Why was there a famine in 1920-21
As of war communism, Lenin requisitioned the grain needed for next crops
Reasons for the NEP
- disastrous economic consequences of war communism
- political opposition due to war communism
What were the features of NEP
- free market - peasants could sell surplus crops
- state dropped requisitioning grain - paid tax on sales instead
- money reintroduced
- factories with less then 20 workers were given back to their owners
- electrification of Russia - network of power stations established
Who was ‘for’ NEP
- peasants and traders - freedom
Who was ‘against’ NEP
Many communist party members thought it was a backwards step - brought capitalism back
Managed to convince them as it was said to be a ‘temporary’ measure
What were the economic effects of the NEP
- agricultural production increased - grain production increased from 37 million tonnes (1921) to 56 million tonnes (1923)
- from 1920-1923, industrial growth increased by 200%
- nepmen - private traders - by 1923, 25,000 just in Moscow
What was the scissor crisis
By 1923, so much food was being produced prices fell, but prices of industrial goods rose as they were still in short supply
Widening gap between agricultural industrial goods.
How did Lenin change the life of women for the better
- new divorce laws - easier to get a divorce
- paid maternity leave 2 months before and after birth
- abortion on demand was made legal
- church weddings replaced with civil marriages - reduce influence of religion
How did Lenin change the lives of women for the worse
- by 1920’s had highest divorce rates - women abandoned when pregnant
When was the zhenotdel set up
1919
What was the zhenotdel
Women’s organisation that was set up to increase freedom equality and influence of women
Why did women’s employment position worsen
- during civil war women working in industry doubled
- when men returned and discharged after civil war they were preferred for jobs
- women forced from skilled labour to unskilled labour
Who was the first women to be a member of any European government
Alexandra Kollontai
What did Lenin introduce regarding education
- each child must receive 9 years of education
- curriculum changed to involve compulsory learning about history of Revolution and communism
- more practical education
- authority of teachers reduced - forbidden to set hw
- co-education ( girls and boys taught together)
What were the two youth organisations set up under Lenin
Pioneers - children under 15, camping /trips - like Boy Scouts
Komsomol - young people - used to take propaganda into towns through activities. Seen as an entrance to communist party
What was socialist realism
The portrayal of of communism in an accessible/ positive way
What was Lenin’s effect on art
- increasingly censored to ensure socialist realism
Who was the head of the Cheka
Felix Dzerzinchy
How many people had the cheka removed by the end of the civil war
200,000
How did the red terror spread fear
Rumours - skinned + burnt victims
The politburo worked within the frameworks of…
Democratic centralism
Economic centralisation
War communism
How much enterprise was owned by the government in the summer of 1919
80%
What were industries put under the control of (lenin)
Veneskha - supreme economic council
Social centralisation
- control of art/culture
who was the head of the Cheka
Felix Dzerzhinsky
how many operatives did the Cheka have
by 1921 - had 30,000
where was the Cheka most active
in countryside - supporting requisition brigades
examples of Cheka cruelty
- in Kharkov the Cheka scalped their prisoners
- in Poltava they burnt at the stake peasants that opposed them
how many people had the Cheka imprisoned by the end of the civil war
85,000
what does Cheka stand for
all - Russian extraordinary commission for combating counter revolution and sabotage
