Foreign policy under Lenin Flashcards
What were the motives for allied country to intervene in Russia?
- In 1918, it was to keep Russia fighting in world war I to prevent/delay the move of German troops to the west
- To protect the vast dump of armaments that were shipped to Russia by the allies
- Anti-bolshevism
- Continued due to the separate moves of the allied governments
What spies were sent over?
- America sent over 3 spies including John Reed
- Britain also sent 3 including Arthur Ransom, who had left wing sympathies, and Sidney Reilly, an intelligence agent
Troops from which countries were sent to north Russia alongside British troops and navy officers?
French, Australian, Italian and Canadian as well as 11,000 Estonian troops in the war of independence
What other troops were at Vladivostok and the far east?
- 2000 Chinese troops
- British and Japanese via a warship in January 1918
What troops were in Southern Russia?
- Ukrainian
- French troops to support the white army
- British navy
- Turkish troops in the Caucasus
Who controlled sections of the Trans-Siberian railway?
Czech legion
What services did the USA provide?
The largest intervention with 11,000 troops at Vladivostok in August 1918 and 4500 in North Russia as President Wilson was not convinced of their purpose so they were pulled out in June 1919 but some remained in Vladivostok until 1920
What happened in Britain?
- Britain adopted a smash Bolshevism policy but unsure whether to support Kolchak or Denikin as Anti-Bolshevik leaders
- Socialists and trade unionists in Britain wanted a hand’s off Russia policy in 1919 and 1920 so the government settled for a contradictory policy of no interreference in Russia but aiding white armies where possible
What happened in March 1918?
After the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, British forces were sent to Murmansk starting a naval blockade of trade and shipping
What happened in November 1918?
In a three day battle on the Archangel’sk front, Baku was occupied by British forces and other allied forces landed in the black sea
What happened in February 1919?
Arrival of German forces in Latvia to oppose the red army
What happened in March 1919?
President Wilson sent William C Bullitt on a secret mission to discuss compromise peace whilst Lenin was preoccupied with anti-Bolshevik victories in the civil war and the impact of a trade blockade. Lenin reluctantly agreed to the peace offer but France, Britain and even Wilson didn’t accept it
What happened in August 1919?
British naval assault on Soviet battle fleet at Petrograd
What happened in January 1920?
Allied government call off the blockade
What happened in March 1920?
Defeated white armies were evacuated by British warships
What happened in November 1920?
The British government authorised a trade agreement and the recognition of the Bolshevik state
What were the main problems with the defeat of the allies?
- Little up - date knowledge of the speed of the events
- Misleading reports from individuals that led to wishful thinking
- The individuality of approaches that were small-scale through minor skirmishes
How did Bolsheviks perceive allied attacks?
They fought off a major capitalist and imperialist assault
What is the Comintern?
An international socialist organisation to promote Marxism and the spreading of the proletariat revolution from Russia to the world through Marxist ideology
What happened during the first founding congress of the comintern?
- It was held in Moscow in May 1919
- Not all who were invited attended but there 50 delegates from Russia, USA, Australia and Japan
- The chairman was Zinoviev but Lenin held the dominating influence
- Despite the civil war and foreign intervention, the was great optimist for the spread of revolution as the sparticist uprising by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in Berlin in December 1918 (but it was brutally supressed by German militias in January 1919) since the conditions were right
- This was supported by Karl Radek who believed in the inevitability of world revolution as soviet-style republics were established in Hungary and Bavaria
When were the international cominterns?
1st - 1864 -1876
2nd - 1889 - 1916
3rd - 1919 - 1943
What happened during the second comintern congress?
- It took place in Petrograd in July to August 1920 which was dominated by debates over Lenin’s 21 conditions defining the relationships between communist parties and the bourgeoise - democratic socialist parties
- European delegations broke away as a result
- As the red army were on the verge of capturing Warsaw, it dashed hopes of a victory in Poland would e a springboard for communism across Europe
- Ultimate victory in the civil war still provided some hope for world revolution
What happened during the third comintern congress?
- It was the summer of 1921, there was a realisation that world revolution was not as close as communist uprisings and regimes had been crushed only moderate socialist states who renounced revolution were established such as the bourgeois - democratic Weimar republic where moderates SPD took control who compromised with middle class liberals
- This caused a shift within Russia to focus on internal problems rather than world revolution but still saw it as an important symbol through its aims
What were the origins of the Russo-polish war?
- Poland was a large issue after World War I as the former tsarist territories were not defined as Russia was not represented in the Paris peace conference such as Versailles
- Fighting against separatism was a key aspect of the civil war as conflict broke out in the Baltic states, Ukraine and Georgia
- The Polish head of state, General Josef Pilsudski had dreams of expanding Poland’s borders into Belarus and Western Ukraine
- In 1918 and 1919, Poland had fought a complicated war against Ukrainian nationalists that led to skirmishes with the red army
- In addition to suppressing independence movements, Poland was seen as a geographical bridge for world revolution
What happened during the Russo-Polish war?
- In April 1920, Pilsudski made an alliance with Ukrainian military leader, Symon Petliura as they made the Bolsheviks their common enemy and launched an offensive towards Kiev
- Kiev was occupied in May 1920 but it lacked impact as the Bolsheviks had a string of white army victories and pushed world revolution over compromise peace which defined Lenin in 1919
- The red army launched a powerful counter attack that caused the Poles to abandon Kiev and retreat to Warsaw
- By August, the Polish army were at the point of catastrophic defeat however Pilsudski mounted a desperate defensive known as the miracle on the Vistula
- Warsaw was saved ending the war by October but terms were formally agreed in the treaty of Riga in march 1921
What happened in 1919?
- With Germany, Russia was excluded from the league of nations that prevented war and collective security however by Stalin’s seizure of power, it was a choice
- Mutual suspicions remained as world revolution hadn’t happened but Bolshevism was to remain leading to limited coexistence such as trade agreements
What was the relationship with Armand Hammer in 1921?
He made a deal with Lenin to supply pens and pencils to eradicate illiteracy and brought Hammer film production company into Russia as Armand made millions
What did Chicherin do with relations with Germany?
- In 1921, as deputy commissar for foreign affairs began discussions with Germans as Lenin wanted to begin trade agreements with them as the outlaw states
- In 1922, he was invited to the important international economic conference held in Genoa increasing Russia’s importance in international affairs and gaining connections to Russia
- In April 1922, the treaty of Rapallo contained articles:
1+2) Agreed to waive claims for compensation after World War I
3) The reopening of formal diplomatic relations
4+5) Mutual goodwill in commercial and economic relations - In July 1922, a secret agreement was signed authorising the German army to carry out training and military exercises in the USSR
What happened during the Zinoviev letter?
- The ace of spies led by right-wing Sidney Reilly wrote a forged letter by Zinoviev to influence British public opinion against the labour party in the run up to the 1924 general elections
- The letter was consistent with what Zinoviev believed and said in public
- The labour vote was not affected due to the letter but increased tensions through manipulation however Chicherin as it as removing diplomatic isolation as they were recognised but yet still seen as the enemy to Britain so really increased it
