Consolidation Of Bolshevik Power 1917 - 18 Flashcards
Why did Lenin pass his early decrees after the October Revolution?
To live up to Bolshevik promises and gain support, especially before opposition grew stronger.
What was the Decree on Peace (8 November 1917)?
Called for peace talks with all countries, with no annexations (land grabs) or indemnities (fines).
What was the Decree on Land (8 November 1917)?
• Took land from wealthy landowners
• Gave land to peasants
• Land was nationalised (became state property and could not be bought, sold, or rented)
Which decrees did the decrees of workers rights include?
Decree on work
Decree of unemployment
Decree of workers’ control
What did the Decree on Work guarantee?
An 8-hour working day.
What did the Decree on Unemployment introduce?
Unemployment insurance for those unable to work.
What did the Decree on Workers’ Control allow?
Workers’ committees could now run their own factories.
What was the Decree on Nationalities? (November 1917)
• Non-Russian peoples of the former Russian Empire could run their own local governments
• However, they remained under overall Bolshevik control
What democratic promise had Lenin made before the October Revolution?
To hold a general election for a Constituent Assembly.
What were the results of the November 1917 election for the Constituent Assembly?
• Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs): 53% of the vote
• Bolsheviks: only 24%
How did the Bolsheviks react to losing the election?
Declared parliamentary democracy a “backward step” and claimed Soviets were a better form of government.
What happened at the Assembly’s first meeting on 5 January 1918?
• The Assembly refused to pass Bolshevik decrees or accept the idea of all power to the Soviets
• Lenin ordered Red Guards to shut it down after one day
What happened to other political parties after the Assembly was shut down?
All parties except the Bolsheviks were banned soon after.
Why was shutting down the Constituent Assembly significant?
It ended democracy and began one-party rule by the Bolsheviks.
What was the Cheka and when was it set up?
The Bolshevik secret police, established on 7 December 1917, to fight counter-revolution.
What did Lenin say about the threat to the revolution?
It was threatened by “class enemies” — the burzhui (bourgeoisie).
Who were called burzhui?
People who had been middle or upper class before the revolution.
How did ordinary people use the Cheka?
They accused others of being burzhui to take their homes and property.
What power did the Cheka have?
Arrest, imprison, torture, and kill anyone suspected of opposing the Bolsheviks.
What role did the Cheka play in consolidating Bolshevik power?
It used fear and violence to eliminate enemies and secure Bolshevik control.
Where was the royal family held in 1918?
In Yekaterinburg, in the Ural Mountains.
Why did the Bolsheviks see the royal family as a threat?
They feared monarchists would use them to start a counter-revolution.
What happened on 17 July 1918?
As anti-Bolshevik forces approached, the Bolsheviks executed:
• Tsar Nicholas II
• His wife Alexandra
• Their five children
• Four servants
What was one of the Bolsheviks’ key promises in 1917?
To take Russia out of the First World War.
