L06 - Document - Three Lenin Documents Flashcards
What question were European journalists asking about the events in St. Petersburg?
They were questioning whether the events constituted a “revolt” or a “revolution.”
What significance did Lenin attribute to the events in St. Petersburg?
Lenin viewed the events as revolutionary, marking a turning point in Russian history.
What made foreign newspapers struggle to define the events in St. Petersburg?
They found it difficult to classify the events as either revolts or riots, often mixing terms.
How did Lenin describe the relationship between the autocracy and the people after Bloody Sunday?
He declared peace between the two as unthinkable, signaling the inevitability of revolution.
What was the stance of European conservatives on the events?
Even the most conservative observers acknowledged a shift in Russian history but admired the power of Russian autocracy.
How did Lenin characterize the development of the Russian working-class movement?
He described it as evolving into a national uprising.
How did Lenin view the government’s handling of the protests?
He believed the government provoked bloody reprisals under favorable conditions for itself.
What strategy did the government allegedly employ during Bloody Sunday?
They expected peaceful, disorganized, and backward workers, making it easy for soldiers to suppress them.
What outcomes did the government anticipate from the crackdown?
They sought to teach the proletariat a “wholesome lesson” and justify harsh repressions.
What duality did Lenin highlight in the events of Bloody Sunday?
The coexistence of naïve faith in the Tsar and fierce armed resistance against Tsarist rule.
How did Lenin describe the transformation brought by Bloody Sunday?
It marked the death of peasants’ faith in the Tsar and the birth of a revolutionary proletariat.
How did European bourgeois newspapers summarize the change in Russia?
They noted that Russia on January 10th was fundamentally different from Russia on January 8th.
What was Father Gapon’s role in the movement?
He led a peaceful march with a petition to the Tsar but later called for revolution.
How did Lenin interpret Father Gapon’s statement?
He viewed it as the voice of millions of workers and peasants rejecting their naïve belief in the Tsar.
What did Father Gapon’s message to workers signify after Bloody Sunday?
It symbolized the disillusionment with the Tsar and a call for workers to fight for freedom.
What figures did the government provide for casualties, and why were they doubted?
The government reported 96 killed and 330 wounded, but journalists compiled a list of 4,600 killed or wounded.
Why was there uncertainty about the number of casualties?
Accurate counting was impossible, and government figures were deemed unreliable.
How did workers mock the Tsarist military’s actions?
They criticized officers for being more effective at fighting Russian people than the Japanese.
How did Lenin summarize the shift in Russian society after Bloody Sunday?
He highlighted the emergence of a revolutionary urban proletariat and the end of blind faith in the Tsar.
What did Father Gapon declare after Bloody Sunday?
“Today a river of blood divides [the Tsar] from the Russian people.”
What was Lenin’s view on the war under the new government of Lvov and company?
He deemed it a predatory imperialist war due to the capitalist nature of the government and opposed any concession to “revolutionary defensism.”
Under what conditions could the proletariat consent to a revolutionary war?
Power must pass to the proletariat and poorest peasants, all territorial annexations must be renounced in deed, and there must be a complete break from capitalist interests.
What was the specific feature of Russia’s revolutionary situation in 1917?
Russia was transitioning from the first stage of revolution (placing power in bourgeois hands) to the second stage (placing power in the hands of the proletariat and poorest peasants).
How did Lenin propose to address the awakening political consciousness of the masses?
By adapting Party work to the special conditions and needs of unprecedentedly large masses of politically awakened proletarians.
How should the Party engage with the Soviets of Workers’ Deputies while in the minority?
By systematically explaining the errors of the Soviets’ tactics and advocating for the transfer of state power to the Soviets.
What was Lenin’s stance towards the Provisional Government?
He advocated no support, exposing its false promises and imperialist nature.
What form of government did Lenin oppose and why?
He opposed a parliamentary republic, calling it a retrograde step from the Soviets of Workers’ Deputies.
What institutional reforms did Lenin propose?
Abolition of the police, army, and bureaucracy; making all officials elective and displaceable; limiting salaries to the average worker’s wage.
What emphasis did Lenin place on the agrarian programme?
Shifting focus to Soviets of Agricultural Labourers’ Deputies, confiscating landed estates, nationalizing land, and organizing Soviets of Poor Peasants’ Deputies.
What immediate action did Lenin propose for the banking system?
Union of all banks into a single national bank controlled by the Soviet of Workers’ Deputies.
Did Lenin call for immediate socialism? If not, what was his plan?
No; he called for bringing social production and distribution under Soviet control as an immediate task.
What Party tasks did Lenin outline?
Immediate convocation of a Party congress, alteration of the Party Programme (especially on imperialism and war), and a change of the Party’s name.
hat was Lenin’s vision for a new International?
Creation of a revolutionary International opposed to social-chauvinists and centrists.
What did Lenin propose regarding state power and the Soviets?
“The Soviets of Workers’ Deputies is the only possible form of revolutionary government.”
What did Lenin emphasize about the experience of the masses?
“The people must overcome their mistakes by experience.”
Why was the decree on the struggle against counter-revolution and sabotage issued?
To combat efforts by the bourgeoisie, landholders, and wealthy classes to undermine the revolution, including bribery, organizing pogroms, and sabotaging government efforts.
What specific actions of sabotage were mentioned?
Strikes by higher officials, bank clerks, and interference in food supply organizations, threatening millions with famine.
What was the official name of the new commission?
The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission to Fight Counter-Revolution and Sabotage (CHEKA).
To whom was the CHEKA attached?
The Soviet of People’s Commissars.
What were the three main duties assigned to the CHEKA?
1.Persecuting and breaking up acts of counter-revolution and sabotage.
2.Bringing counter-revolutionaries and saboteurs before the Revolutionary Tribunal and devising plans to fight them.
3.Conducting preliminary investigations sufficient to disrupt counter-revolutionary acts.
Into how many sections was the CHEKA divided?
Three sections:
1.The Information Section.
2.The Organizational Section, responsible for organizing the fight against counter-revolution nationwide.
3.The Fighting Section.
What responsibilities did the Organizational Section have?
Organizing the fight against counter-revolution across Russia, including establishing branches.
What measures were outlined for dealing with counter-revolutionaries?
-Confiscation of property.
-Confinement.
-Deprivation of food cards.
-Publication of the names of enemies of the people.
What groups and activities were the CHEKA tasked to monitor?
The press, saboteurs, strikers, and the Right Social-Revolutionaries.
How did Lenin describe the role of the bourgeoisie in counter-revolution?
“The bourgeoisie is having recourse to the vilest crimes, bribing society’s lowest elements and supplying liquor to these outcasts with the purpose of bringing on pogroms.”
What did Lenin identify as a key threat to the state?
“Sabotage has spread even to the food supply organisations and millions of people are threatened with famine.”
