Consolidation of Power

Question 1

What was the Sovnarkom?

Answer 1

The cabinet, made of key government ministers- 15-20- who between them would run the country as they decided on policies- exclusively Bolsheviks

Question 2

Who was chairman of Sovnarkom?

Answer 2

Lenin

Question 3

Trotsky role in Sovnarkom?

Answer 3

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Question 4

Who was the female Commissar in Sovarkom?

Answer 4

Aleksandra Kollantai

Question 5

Attitude of Lenin to PS?

Answer 5

Sidelined it- ironic as this is where the Bolsheviks claimed their name to act

Question 6

Nature of Sovnarkom?

Answer 6

Ruled by decree without seeking Soviet’s approval e.g. in peace talks with Germany
Met once or twice a day- more frequently that Soviet

Question 7

Role of first Sovnarkom?

Answer 7

Distinguish the new officials from the old bourgeois ministers as they would be known as People’s Commissars

Question 8

Example that initially the Bolshevik position was far from secure?

Answer 8

Civil servants refused to serve
Bankers refused to finance- took 10 days for State Bank to hand over its reserves- only after threat of armed intervention

Question 9

Threat of Kerensky?

Answer 9

He had set up new headquarters at Gatchina and had rallied an army compromising of 18 cossack regiments and a small force of SR’s cadets and officers
Lenin’s troops had dispersed home after revolution- had no methods of contacting them- his army was smaller- position appeared weak

Question 10

Oct 29th rising?

Answer 10

An army cadet rising against Bolsheviks was defeated quickly by Red Army - Lenin ignored Executive Committee of Railwaymen who demanded United socialist government’ and protests fizzled out

Question 11

When were Kerensky’s forces defeated?

Answer 11

2nd November

Question 12

Who left the party on 3rd November?

Answer 12

Kamenev, Zinoviev and Rykov

Question 13

When did Lenin declare the victory of the revolution?

Answer 13

5th Nov

Question 14

Lenin’s attempt to power share?

Answer 14

He reluctantly allowed seven left wing SR’s to join the Sovnarkom in the wake of protests against a purely Bolshevik state

Question 15

Worker’s decree?

Answer 15

October- established 8 hour day

Question 16

Land decree?

Answer 16

October- abolished private ownership of land and legitimised peasant seizures without compensation to landlords- reduced peasant support for SR’s- gave Bolsheviks breathing space
Land was given to those who wished to cultivate for community prosperity rather than personal profit

Question 17

Nationality decree?

Answer 17

November- Promised self determination to the people’s of the former Russian empire

Question 18

Decree on peace?

Answer 18

Oct- promised an end to war without annexation and indemnities

Question 19

Lenin’s attitude to new state?

Answer 19

Would be long term transition- first stage being state capitalism

Question 20

Veshenka?

Answer 20

Established December 1917- supervise and control economic development

Question 21

Early months actions to combat opposition?

Answer 21

Propaganda campaign mounted against class enemies
Anti-Bolshevik newspapers were closed down
Purge of civil service
Cheka established in December

Question 22

Justification of Cheka? n

Answer 22

Lenin’s conviction that ‘dictatorship of proletariat’ would require the active repression of ‘counter revolutionary’ enemies

Question 23

When were constituent Assembly elections?

Answer 23

November 1917

Question 24

Outcome of elections?

Answer 24

Bolsheviks suffered defeat to SR’s- 53>24%

Question 25

What is justification for Bolsheviks defeat and therefore Lenin’s decision to dissolve the assembly?

Answer 25

Held in crisis atmosphere- many of those who voted were away from Moscow and Petrograd so had little idea of what was happening in the capital

Question 26

Nature of Assembly meeting on 5th Jan?

Answer 26

Kadets had already been outlawed
Bolsheviks had been overruled by right wing SR majority who refused meeting to be chaired by Spiradovna and instead elected Chernov

Question 27

Demonstration to closure of assembly?

Answer 27

Protesters were fired on and 12 killed

Question 28

Decrees of Press impact?

Answer 28

Reduced influence of other political powers- could not publish their own newspapers

Question 29

Decline of bourgeois rights?

Answer 29

Lost their rights to vote in July 1918

Question 30

When were all other political parties banned?

Answer 30

1921

Question 31

Formation of Red Army?

Answer 31

In 1918 Red Guards were demobilised and Red army of workers and peasants was established to protect the regime- Trotsky was placed at the head

Question 32

Issue of capital?

Answer 32

March 1918 capital was moved from Petrograd to Moscow so that it would be more centralised

Question 33

Religion changes?

Answer 33

Church and state were separated as Russia became a secular church as the government would no longer support the secular church
Religious printing presses were closed down and clergy were disenfranchised

Question 34

Function of 1918 constitution?

Answer 34

Stated that supreme power rested with the All Russian Congress of Soviets - Central executive committee was also to be supreme organ of power

Question 35

Limitations of 1918 constitution?

Answer 35

Vote was reserved for toiling masses- members of former exploiting classes could not vote
Workers vote weighted as 5 to 1 against peasant vote
Sovnarkom was arguably chosen by Bolshevik CC
Executive authority remained in hands of Sov

Question 36

What was the Politburo?

Answer 36

7-9 members from CC that were responsible for the decision making within the party and met almost daily