Early Consolidation of Power, 1917 - 18 Flashcards
why did the Bolsheviks pass decrees
to live up to their promises
when and what was the 1st decree that was passed by the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
Decree on Peace - 8 November 1917
what was the aim for the Decree on Peace
- All countries should seek peace
- Peace achieved **‘without annexation (land seized) and indemnities (large fines) ** between country’s
how did the decree of peace increase support for the Bolsheviks and what did they hope they would achieve in this decree
- increase support amongst Russian army + civilians
- hope it encourage German soldiers to begin own Boleshevik - style revolution, and spread it across Europe - didn’t happen
when and what was the 2nd decree
Decree on Land - 8 November 1917 (same day as Peace)
what were the aims for the Decree on Land
-
distributed land of wealth landowners to the peasants
- many peasants had already taken land - decree gave this a force of law –> showed Bolsheviks approved land seizures
- Prov Gov failed to do before –> lost peasant support
- December: Church land nationalised - many Russian churches were damaged / shut
when and what was the 3rd decree
Decree on worker’s rights - November - December 1917
what were the 3 decrees within the Decree of Worker’s rights
- Decree on Work - 8 hour day / 48 hr a week - less demanding hours
- Decree on Unemployment - unemployment insurance for those unable to work (illness, injury)
- Decree on Workers’ Control - workers committees now ran their own factories
when and what was the 4th decree
Decree on Nationalities - November 191
what was the Decree of Nationalities
- All different people of the old tsarist Russian empire could have their own government
- these governments still remained under Bolshevik control
- no Russian rule / language would be forced upon different ethnicities (Ukrainians, Georgians, Armenians, Poles etc.)
what was the Decree of Nationalities used as a attempt to do what
- attempt the stop nations breaking away and becoming independent
- seemed the decree would give different groups more freedom - reality: Bolshevik control tighter than ever before
why was the results from the election of the Constituent Assembly disappointing for the Bolsheviks
November 1917 election :
- Bolsheviks only won 168 seats (24%)
- Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) won 370 seats (53%)
why did the Bolsheviks declare about the Constituent Assembly
- declared that a return to parliamentary democracy was a backward step when Russia already had soviets
when did the Constituent Assembly meet again and what did they refuse that the Bolsheviks wanted
5 January 1918
- refused to pass Bolsheviks key decrees or accept the principle of all power to soviets
why did the Bolsheviks want to abolish the Constituent Assembly
Bolsheviks had no intention of losing the power they had seized in October 1917
how did the Bolsheviks break up the Constituent Assembly and what happened afterwards
Red Guards + sailors from the Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt broke up the assembly
- soon after all political parties apart from Bolsheviks were banned
what was the Cheka and when was it set up
7 December 1917
Lenin set up Cheka - the Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counter-Revolution, Sabotage and Speculation
which group of people did Lenin say that threatened the revolution
burzhui or bourgeoisie - class enemies of the workers or peasants (the people who were middle/upper class before the October Revolution)
after Tsar Nicholas abdicated were they taken to
held captive in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains
why did the Civil war lead to the murder of the Tsar and his family
Bolsheviks feared Nicholas and the royal family were a potential threat to Bolsheviks power.
- anti-Bolshevik forces advancing through Urals area might free tsar
- Monarchists could use them to rally support for a counter-revolution
when and how was the Romanov family executed
17 July 1918:
as anti-Bolshevik forces were closing in on Yekaterinburg –> Bolsheviks executed Nicholas, and his entire family, and remaining servants and doctor
what were the 3 reasons for the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
- Many Bolshevik supporters were soldiers + sailors who were desperate for an end to the war as they needed a ‘breathing space’ as Lenin had promised
- Lenin said “We must make sure of throttling the bourgeoise and for this we need both hands free” - ending the war would mean Bolshevik could concentrate all forces in wiping out political opponents within Russia
- Lenin + Trotsky were certain that a revolution would soon happen in Europe - and treaty they signed with Germany would no longer have effect
the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was used to fulfil which promise the Bolshevik promised to the people
promise to take Russia out of WW1
how did Trotsky want to come to peace with Germany but how did this not work out?
- hoped for ‘no peace, no war’ - avoid fighting + avoid surrendering
- Germans continued advancing - Petrograd in danger of being captured
- Russia could do nothing to stop Germans advancing –> Lenin demanded Trotsky get peace deal at any price
when was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed with Germany
3 March 1918
who which political group opposed about having peace with Germany, but what did Lenin want, Trotsky want?
Left SRs - wanted to continue war
- Lenin - wanted to accept German terms and peace
- Trotsky - avoid fighting war + avoid surrendering (middle way)
Lenin won
what did Russia lose due to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk:
- Russia lost all its Western lands: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine and parts of Poland
- lost 74% of Russia’s coalmines + iron ore
- lost 26% of population: 62 million people
- lost 27% of farmlands
- lost 26% of railways
how much did the Russian’s have to pay the Germans
300 million gold roubles
what were the positive reaction to the treaty
- soldiers pleased that war ended + Russians (and Bolsheviks) were relieved that threat of German invasion was over
- Bolsheviks believed that German workers would be disgusted by treaty terms and rise up in revolution, like Russian workers
what were the negative reactions of the treaty
- Left SRs left the government in protest at the treaty –> killed the German ambassador in hopes to re-spark the war
-
Nationalists + Conservatives were horrified at the losses to Russia and its empire –> became vitally important for many Russians to fight to stop Bolsheviks to save Russia from humiliation and destruction:
- began to form into armies : ‘White army’ to fight the Bolsheviks ‘Red Army’
what was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk a major cause for
the Civil War
