Essays Flashcards
‘The major factor causing the revolution was the disillusionment of the masses. It was also the major problem confronting the new regime.’ Discuss this view, providing evidence to support your answer.
Para 1 - dissilusionment threatened
- strikes in July 1918
- peasant rebellions
- Kronstadt
Para 2 - this dissilusionment is what shaped the government’s policies, because they knew it was a major problem
- War Communism to silence workers
- NEP to silence peasant rebellions
Para 3 - however, the continued opposition the regime faced from those who did not in the first place support Communism constituted the biggest problem and contributed to the dissilusionment of the masses with the new regime
- Civil War devastated country
- War Communism = imperative by conditions of war time
- Red Terror also impacted by Civil War conditions
Lenin’s theme for the tenth Party Congress in March 1921 was unity. What were the divisions and problems in the new society? Use evidence to support your answer
Para 1 - external opposition from Whites/bourgeoisie
- Civil War, brutalisation
- economic downfall
Para 2 - dissilusionment of those who supported/revolutionary parties
- workers – War Communism to supress
- peasants
- soldiers
Para 3 - internal party divisions
- bureaucratisation, Worker’s opposition
- opposition to the use of Terror
- new elite
Discuss the extent to which crises and compromise endangered the new order. Provide evidence to support your answer.
1) Communist, centralized economy
- War Communism Yes
- but led to economic destruction
- NEP introduced, No
2) Empowerment of the proletariat (‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’)
- Decree on Workers’ Control Yes
- War Communism militarized workplace No
- Army reforms restored tsarist practices No
- new elite created No
3) Make the state wither away
- built up bureaucracy
- Workers’ Opposition condemned this
Lenin’s new government was strong politically but weak economically. To what extent to you agree with this statement? Use evidence to support your answer.
Para 1 - strong politically through the use of terror
- Civil War (restrictions on soldier freedom allowed win)
- Red Terror, Kronstadt
Para 2 - strong economically in terms of using the economy as a political weapon
- War Communism as political
- NEP as political
Para 3 - weak both politically and economically in terms of shaping society according to its original ideals
- politically - bureaucratisation, lack of worker freedom/power, soviets
- economically - people’s livelihood not much improved, capitalist
enin was simply a Tsar by another name. He was an autocrat who used power, violence and terror to create his new regime.’ Discuss this view, providing evidence to support your answer.
Initially driven by ideals, but soon became about power like Tsar
Volkogonov: “…Lenin wanted earthly happiness for the people, at least those he called ‘the proletariat’. But he regarded it as normal to build this ‘happiness’ on blood, coercion and the denial of freedom”.
Para 1 - used economic means
- state capitalism
- WC
- NEP
Para 2 - used violent means
- repression of bourgeoisie
- repression in civil war
- repression of peasants and soldiers
Para 3 - used political means
- Land Decreee, Marriage Law, Worker’s control
- rescinded for power
- on party unity
- soviets sidelines
Discuss how the Bolsheviks responded to political crises.
Para 1 - economically
- WC
- NEP
Para 2 - militarily/terror
- Civil War through red army
- repression of political opposition, Kronstadt
Para 3 - politically
- sidelining soviets to accept B-L
- on party unity
Explain how the Bolsheviks dealt with the divisions and problems experienced in the new society
Economic
- War Communism - NEP Military - Red Terror - Kronstadt - army reform = defeat Whites Political - Trotsky propaganda, deserters return - Decree on Party Unity
Discuss how the Bolsheviks established their dictatorship
Political
- inter-party talks for multi-party government abandoned - Soviet Exxecutive takes precedence - state-building and state destruction - closure of CA Military - reform of the Red Army, defeat Whites - Red Terror Economic - War Communism in response to strikes - NEP in response to peasant revolts
Discuss the extent to which the Bolshevik regime’s responses to crises shaped Russian society in the years following the 1917 Revolution.
The crises faced by the regime merely accentuated the dictatorial nature implicit in its ideology from the beginning. The Bolshevik’s belief in historical determinism meant that they justified the means to combat these crises, but these means eventually formed the repressive nature of the new society.
Para 1 - one-party dictatorship
Crisis: Civil War, Kronstadt
Ideological: supressed soviets before war, restricted freedom of speech
Para 2 - workers repressed
Crisis: Civil War, economic pressures
Ideological: dictatorship of the party
Para 3 - bureaucracy new ruling class
Crisis: Civil War, lack of bureaucracy following collapse
Ideological: N/A
Discuss the extent to which difficulties threatened the formation of the new society.
Difficulties faced by the Bolsheviks both barred them from achieving some of their initial goals and shaped the way in which the new society functioned.
Para 1 - economic difficulties
- WC failure = NEP
- Russia’s economic conditions/nature of communism made achievement of these difficult
Para 2 - military difficulties
- Civil War
- Brest-Litovsk
- forced to impose military order, brutality
Para 3 - divisions difficulties, cont opposition
- need to stay in power made ‘soviet republic’ difficult
Discuss the extent to which the new order was distracted from its original aims by economic crisis. Provide evidence to support your answer.
1) Communist, centralized economy
- War Communism failure
- NEP introduced
- also Civil War and a way to handle political crisis
2) Empowerment of the proletariat (‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’)
- Decree on Workers’ Control
- War Communism militarized workplace (attempt to combat economic crisis)
- also military crisis Army reforms restored tsarist practices
- also political crisis, opposition faced
3) Make the state wither away/republic of soviets
- economic crisis - built up bureaucracy
- Workers’ Opposition condemned this
- also political crisis, faced opposition from soviets
Discuss the extent to which the new society achieved its aims of securing the rights and freedoms of the people.
Use evidence to support your response.
Para 1 - universal franchise (soviet republic)
- not achieved, eroded from the outset
Para 2 - civic rights
- achieved to some extent, education increased, more women power, freedom of speech, assembly and association not
Para 3 - worker’s control
- not achieved, increasingly bureaucratised, militarised workplace under WC
Discuss the extent to which the new society was successful in fulfi lling the ideals of the Revolution.
1) Communist, centralized economy
- War Communism Yes
- but led to economic destruction
- NEP introduced, No
1) Empowerment of the proletariat ('Dictatorship of the Proletariat')
- Decree on Workers' Control Yes
- War Communism militarized workplace No
- Army reforms restored tsarist practices No
- new elite created No
2) Make the state wither away
- built up bureaucracy
- Workers' Opposition condemned this
Discuss the extent to which revolutionary leaders may have modified their ideals in creating the new society.
1) Communist, centralized economy
- War Communism failure
- NEP introduced
- also Civil War and a way to handle political crisis
2) Empowerment of the proletariat (‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’)
- Decree on Workers’ Control
- War Communism militarized workplace (attempt to combat economic crisis)
- also military crisis Army reforms restored tsarist practices
- also political crisis, opposition faced
3) Make the state wither away/republic of soviets
- economic crisis - built up bureaucracy
- Workers’ Opposition condemned this
- also political crisis, faced opposition from soviets
The New Economic Policy was an absolute compromise of Bolshevik ideals and illustrated Lenin’s desire to maintain power for power’s sake. Do you agree with this view of the Bolshevik revolutionaries” Use evidence to support your answer.
Para 1 - was not a compromise of the ideal of improving the livelihood of the people and worldwide communism, building up state in long term
Para 2 - compromised economic basis of communism, socialist republic
Para 3 - was motivated by desire to consolidate power in order to build a communist state
Lenin: ‘Let us retreat and construct everything in a new and solid manner; otherwise we shall be beaten.’
“In his guidance of the uprising, Lenin’s genius as a leader of the masses, a wise and fearless strategist, who clearly saw what direction the revolution would take, was strikingly revealed”. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Lenin adapted his policies according to the difficulties he faced in order to consolidate and retain his power.
Para 1 - compromise on worker’s power front (not a “leader of the masses”)
- War Communism
Para 2 - compromise on economics
- WC gave way to NEP
Para 3 - didn’t forsee growth of bureaucracy
- wanted to make state wither away
- instead bureaucracy controls, not communists
“Instead of being a destructive force… the Bolsheviks were the only party in Russia with a constructive programme and the power to impose it on the country.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use evidence to support your answer. (Source unknown)
Para 1 - had a way to increase livelihood of people
Para 2 - but this involved destruction
Para 3 - did impose it on the country, but also driven from below (red terror)
Discuss the extent to which signifi cant change occurred in the way people lived in the new society. Provide evidence to support your answer.
Proletariat and soldiers
- Decree on Workers' Control Yes - War Communism No - Order 228 No Bourgeoisie - Red Terror - abolition of private property - some remained in Red Army Bolshevik party members - new elite - bureaucracy grew
One historian claims the Bolshevik Revolution was a ‘people’s tragedy’.
To what extent can this claim be justified?
Use evidence to support your answer.
Proletariat and soldiers
- Decree on Workers’ Control
- War Communism
- Order 228 No
- education, women’s rights
Bourgeoisie
- Red Terror
- abolition of private property
- some remained in Red Army
Bolshevik party members
- new elite
- bureaucracy grew
The revolutionaries of 1917 promised ‘power to the working class’, but instead the revolution brought only terror to the people of Russia.
To what extent do you agree with this assessment of the Revolution in Russia from 1917 to 1924? Provide evidence to support your answer.
Para 1 - didn’t bring power to the working class, but some improvements
Para 2 - brought terror to most classes (bourgeoisie, workers, peasants)
Para 3 - brought power to the bureaucracy
How successful was the Russian Revolution in liberating the Russian people and improving their living conditions from November 1917 to 1924?
Proletariat and soldiers
- Decree on Workers’ Control
- War Communism
- Order 228 No
- education, women’s rights
- somewhat mor liberated, living conditions largely the same
Bourgeoisie
- Red Terror
- abolition of private property
- some remained in Red Army
- didn’t liberate, living conditions worsened
Bolshevik party members
- new elite
- bureaucracy grew
- liberated, improved livelihood
Historian Richard Pipes argued that ‘terror may have served Communism but it corroded its soul’. To what extent was this true in the new society? Use evidence to support your answer
Para 1 - terror was implicit in Communism from the beginning
Para 2 - however, it became directed not only at ‘class enemies’, but everyone who opposed the party
- soviets repressed
- workers repressed
- soldiers repressed
- peasants repressed
Para 3 - therefore it served not Communism, but the power of the party
- allowed them to win Civil War
- Kronstadt was for the power of the party, not to preserve communism
- NEP
“Communism… did not come to Russia as a result of a popular uprising: it was imposed on her from above by a small minority hiding behind democratic slogans”. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use evidence to support your answer
Para 1 - real societal revolution that embraced the slogans of the Bolsheviks
Para 2 - Communism didn’t come to Russia at all
Para 3 - instead the power of the party promulgated
Terror was implicit in Communism from the beginning.
Para 1 - terror implicit re: bourgeoisie
Para 2 - terror implicit because historical determinism=: ahead lay total victory or doom, means justify end
Para 3: popular nature of the terror also drove
The Bolsheviks failed because their ideals were unattainable
1) Communist, centralized economy
- War Communism
- but led to economic destruction
- NEP introduced
2) Empowerment of the proletariat (‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’)
Not unattainable, but given up in the pursuit of power
- Decree on Workers’ Control Yes
- War Communism militarized workplace No
- Army reforms restored tsarist practices No
- new elite created No
3) Make the state wither away
Unattainable to some extent, but harmed more by the conditions of wartime and the bolshevik’s own persecution of soviets
- built up bureaucracy
- Workers’ Opposition condemned this
Discuss the extent to which the new order achieved political change. Provide evidence to support your answer.
Para 1 - soviets didn’t happen
Para 2 - one-party rule reinforced by terror
Para 3 - bureaucracy/new elite built up
Discuss the extent to which the new society was rigid and authoritarian.
Provide evidence to support your answer.
Para 1 - initially liberal towards those it had promised liberation
Para 2 - initially authoritarian towards class enemies, as needed
Para 3 - began to target those it had promised liberation in order to retain power
Discuss how opposition/the Civil War to the Bolsheviks contributed to the new society
1) Politically - Civil War formed ruling attitudes of Bolsheviks, militarised, use of violence
- Red Terror - paranoia - Kronstadt seen as foreign capitalist intervention 2) Economically - War Communism - Economic stagnation - Oppositions from peasants led to NEP -- new class of 'nep-men' 3) Societally - Civil War shaped Russian population/society - brutalised - decrease in Bolshevik members
