Empire and nationalities: Lenin Flashcards
What was the background to the Russo polish war 1920?
The red army had been sent to Poland to ‘free’ the workers from their tyranny, the poles did not welcome them.
What happened when the red army reached Warsaw?
They were forced to retreat and in October, the Bolsheviks signed a treaty permitting polish independence.
What had the Fins done in the aftermath of the civil war?
They had consolidated their Republican government, but relations with the soviets remained strained with frequent boarder disputes such as the 1922 port mutiny.
Explain what happened in Finland in 1923
Finnish communists formed the Karelian autonomous soviet socialist republic which strained relations farther.
What was the background to the treaty of Brest litovsk?
16th November 1917 saw Russian negotiators sent to Brest litovsk to negotiate peace with the Germans. Trotsky wanted to drag out negotiations for as long as was possible.
What did Lenin want?
He wanted to make a treaty immediately, Trotsky wanted to drag out negotiations and the left SRs wanted to turn the conflict into a revolutionary war.
Why did Lenin side with Trotsky?
He was scared about the SRs and their revolutionary war, he therefore decided to agree to trying to draw talks out for as long as possible.
What did the Germans do in February 1918?
They made peace with the Ukraine and sent 700,000 troops into Russian territory, it took them only five days to get 150 miles, this encouraged the Germans to push for even more concessions.
What was an immediate consequence of the treaty being signed with the Germans in march?
The left SRs resigned from government, leaving it completely in the Bolsheviks’ hands.
List the countries Russia lost under the treaty
Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia and Finland.
What did Russia loose under the treaty?
1/3rd of all agricultural land, population and railway track. 2/3rds of all coal mines and virtually all of its oil.
Why did Lenin sign the treaty?
He hoped a worldwide revolution would follow, making it meaningless, or that Germany would be defeated by the allies.
How did the majority of people feel about the treaty?
They saw it as a humiliating betrayal, Lenin was seen as unpatriotic and it was one of the reasons behind the civil war.
How was the treaty positive for the Bolsheviks?
The government was completely in their hands, this gave them the ability to impose some of their more extreme measures and to consolidate their power. Some claim that they used the unrest caused by the treaty as an excuse for the civil war.
List two major negative consequences of the treaty
- The loss of Ukraine led to serious food shortages. 2. Food shortages led to opposition to the Bolsheviks growing in support and in august 1918 there was an assassination attempt on Lenin.
