Foreign relations 1918-1924

Question 1

What was the Comintern?

Answer 1

an international communist organisation that advocated world communism. (1919)
eg attempted revolution in germany 1919

Question 2

Had lenin achieved his foreign policy aims by 1924?

Answer 2

• Lenin was pragmatic in his approach towards improving foreign relations only after it became clear there would be no worldwide revolution - so did not achieve all of is aims

yes
- fullfilled decree on peace with brest-litovsk
- established the comintern
- 1921 anglo-soviet agreement
- 1922 treaty of rapallo

no
- comintern lacked sucess
- failure of russo-polish war
- 1924 zinoviev letter soured relationship with GB

Question 3

1921 anglo-soviet agreement

Answer 3

enabled greater trade and commerce between the two countries also agreed to not interfere with one another’s internal politics

Question 4

1922 treaty of rapallo

Answer 4

• after being excluded from the league of nations and treaty of versailles was an important step in promoting international trade and improving the soviet economy .
• also had a number of secret clauses where germany could train troops in soviet territory

Question 5

impact of russo-polish war

Answer 5

• was seen as an important bridge to revolution in Germany but only resulted in the red army being pushed out of Poland .
• resulted in Lenin realising that there would be no worldwide revolution and that’s when he became more focused on Russia itself - realising that he would have to cooperate and work with the foreign capitalists.

Question 6

‘In the years 1918 to 1924 Communist Russia was isolated in Europe’

FOR

Answer 6

• communist revolution of 1917 and treaty of brest-litovsk - different ideaology that was threatening to the capitalist west and russia abandoned their war-time allies outcasting them from the rest of europe
• comintern activities - comintern set up to openly encourage ‘worldwide revolution’ in other countries eg spartacist uprising 1919 and suspision around zinoviev letter 1924
• communist russia was not officially recognised by other european nations and was not included in international organisations eg league of nations. foreign intervention in civil war

Question 7

‘In the years 1918 to 1924 Communist Russia was isolated in Europe’

AGAINST
3

Answer 7

• treaty of rapallo - with other european outcast germany, opened russia up to diplomatic and economic benefits improving trade
• Anglo-soviet trade agreement - 1921 enabling greater trade - was threatened by comintern activities
• lenin was reluctantly forced to work with capitalist powers after the failure of the russo-polish war in 1920, even tho it went against the principle of worldwide revolution and marked the shift from optomism to pressimism from lenin