Early Months 1917-18 + 1918 Constitution

Question 1

How did B’viks overcome early months in power?

Answer 1

-mixture concession + ruthless action

Question 2

What did the B’viks face in the early months of their power?

Answer 2

-overcame strikes + protests from working class in cities who favoured soviet rule
-bypassed soviet to establish B’vik gov headed by Sovnarkom
-prevent other political groups sharing power + issued decrees to win support

Question 3

How did the B’viks deal with the C.A?

Answer 3

-was forcibly dissolved Jan 1917
-TBL gave gov peace needed to survive despite it being controversial with B’viks

Question 4

What decrees were made in October 1917?

Answer 4

-max 8 hr day for workers
-ban on opposition press
-decree peace
-decree land
-social insurance - old age, health + unemployment benefits

Question 5

What decrees were made in November 1917?

Answer 5

-self determination for ethnic minorities
-abolition titles + class ranks
-workers control
-abolition old legal system
-female equality + right own property

Question 6

What decrees were passed in December 1917?

Answer 6

-Cheka est
-banks nationalised
-army under control of army soviet + soldiers committees
-officer ranks abolished
-marriage + divorce out of church hands
-church land nationalised

Question 7

What decrees were passed in January 1918?

Answer 7

-workers control railways
-creation red army
-church + state separated

Question 8

What decrees were passed February 1918?

Answer 8

-nationalisation of Ind
-socialisation of land

Question 9

What were the intentions of the 1918 constitution?

Answer 9

-supreme power rested with all Russia congress of soviets - made up of deputies from local Soviets
-central exec committee to be ‘supreme organ of power’ - like a pres

Question 10

What was the congress also made responsible for?

Answer 10

-electing sovnarkom for purposes of ‘general administration of affairs of state’
-in surface looked highly democratic

Question 11

What were the limitations of the 1918 constitution?

Answer 11

-vote reserved for ‘toiling masses’ + members of former ‘exploiting classes’ (Burzhui) excluded
-workers vote weighted into proportion of 5 to 1 against that of peasants in elections
-Congress only met at intervals so exec authority in hands of sovnarkom
-centralised structure + real focus of power was party

Question 12

What was a limitation of the constitution regarding the sovnarkom?

Answer 12

-Sovnarkom officially appointed by Congress
-but in practice chosen by B’vik/communist party’s central committee