Crisis and reform, Stalin's rise to power Flashcards
Post civil war problems
What problem was caused by the droughts?
How did the Bols control the situation?
What were the rebellions against?
In 1920-21 there were droughts worsening grain output. So the Bols used the Cheka to control the situation. This caused unrest and a rebellion began against grain requisition and Cheka brutality.
Post civil war rebellion
How many people were attacking grain stores in 1921?
What did the red army do to workers who were on strike in the major cities?
By January 1921 a force of 50,000 were attacking grain stores in the country side and along the Volga river. In major cities there were strikes and the red army opened fire on the workers.
The kronstadt rebellion
Who were the Kronstadt sailors?
What are some reforms they wanted?
kronstadt sailors who had aided the storm of the winter palace began to rebel, Demanding a series of reforms such as
- free and fair elections of soviets
- release of political prisoners
- end of war communism
- abolition of cheka
- restoration of freedom of speech and press.
Lenin’s response to rebellion
What did many people want?
How were rebellions such as the Tambov rebellion stopped?
How did Lenin aim to end the problems?
Many wanted to return to soviet democracy. The Kronstadt rebellion was crushed by mid-march. Other rebellions like the Tambov rebellion were stopped using:
- deportation
- sentencing to labor camps
- using poison gas on peasant villages.
Lenin wanted to end the problems by removing political and organised opposition.
Opposition: Mensheviks, Socialist revolutionaries
How were they removed?
How was it enforced?
How they were removed:
- Creating a one party state
- Allowing the Cheka to destroy opposition parties
How it was enforced:
- SR’s were put on trial, executed and arrested
- Men’s leaders were sent to prison
Opposition: Within the Bolshevik party
How was it removed?
How was it enofrced?
How it was removed:
- introduced a ‘one party unity’, banning factions within the party
How it was enforced:
- expelling members who he believed wanted a faction
