Impact of Civil war on the government and on the Party

Question 1

Brought greater centralisation and Party control

Answer 1

1919 the Politburo was set up (made up usually of 7-9 men).
This smelled body and the Party Central Committee became 2 bodies for shaping and ordering the carrying out of policies.
The Sovnarkom met less frequently in the 1920s

Question 2

Local Soviets

Answer 2

Could now only be made up of Party members

Question 3

1921 Congress

Answer 3

Lenin introduced a ban on factions (1921).
- any decision made by the Central Committee of the Party had to be accepted by the Whole Party. If not accepted, a member could be expelled.
This meant it was very difficult to criticise Party decisions anywhere within the Party structure.

Question 4

The Party’s administration

Answer 4

Now becoming very complex.
In 1922, a new post of General Secretary set up to co-ordinate the Party.
The post was filled by Stalin- member of the Politburo, Ogburo (turned Politburo policies into practise) and member of the Secretariat.

This gave much more power to Stalin.

Question 5

Nomenklatura system introduced

Answer 5

1923.
Appointments to posts now dependent on the agreement of the Party’s Central Committee.
This was intended ti ensure trustworthy people were in key positions (rewarded with privileges such as superior housing in return for ensuring central directives obeyed without question.

This was the creation of a new Party élite.

Question 6

How did what Lenin spoke of contrast to reality

Answer 6

Lenin spoke of ‘democratic centralism’

- the reality was the hold of the one-party state was tightened