L6 Summer Exam

Question 1

Decree on peace

Answer 1

outlined measures for Russia’s withdrawal from the First World War without “payment of indemnities or annexations”. This decree aimed to secure the support of many soldiers on the disintegrating Russian front.

Question 2

Decree on land

Answer 2

outlined measures by which the peasants were to divide up rural land among themselves. It advocated the forceful dissolution of many wealthy estates by peasant forces. Such measures no doubt contributed to an increase in Bolshevik support amongst the peasantry, but were counterproductive in that the Russian war front disintegrated as soldiers (who were formerly peasants) returned to secure land for themselves.

Question 3

Workers decree

Answer 3

outlined measures for minimum wage, limitations on workers’ hours, and the running of factories by elected workers’ committees. This consolidated Bolshevik support amongst the working classes in the cities, where they had taken power.

Question 4

Red terror

Answer 4

The Red Terror was a Bolshevik-ordered campaign of intimidation, arrests, violence and executions. It began in mid-1918 following an assassination attempt on Vladimir Lenin and was carried out chiefly by the Cheka, the Bolshevik secret police. The Red Terror was a determined campaign that sought to eliminate opposition, political dissent and threats to Bolshevik power.

Question 5

Red terror fanatical leader

Answer 5

Felix Dzerzhinsky

Question 6

Victims of red terror

Answer 6

tsarists, liberals, non-Bolshevik socialists, members of the clergy, kulaks (affluent peasants), foreigners and political dissidents of all stripes.

Question 7

(Former) tsar Nicholas and families assassination

Answer 7

July 1918

Question 8

What is war communism

Answer 8

War Communism was the name given to the economic system that existed in Russia from 1918 to 1921. Brought about from the damage done by the civil war to the economy

Question 9

War communism main features

Answer 9

The policy’s chief features were the expropriation of private business and the nationalization of industry throughout Soviet Russia and the forced requisition of surplus grain and other food products from the peasantry by the state.

Question 10

War communism challenges

Answer 10

These measures negatively affected both agricultural and industrial production. With no incentives to grow surplus grain (since it would just be confiscated), the peasants’ production of it and other crops plummeted, with the result that starvation came to threaten many city dwellers.

the real wages of urban workers had declined by an estimated two-thirds in just three years. Uncontrolled inflation rendered paper currency worthless, and so the government had to resort to the exchange and distribution of goods and services without the use of money.

Question 11

War communism challenges (pt.2 Kronstadt rebellion)

Answer 11

By early 1921 public discontent with the state of the economy had spread from the countryside to the cities, resulting in numerous strikes and protests that culminated in March of that year in the Kronshtadt Rebellion. In response, the Bolsheviks had to adopt the New Economic Policy and thus temporarily abandon their attempts to achieve a socialist economic system by government decree.

Question 12

NEP challenges and pros

Answer 12

introduced a mixed economy which allowed private individuals to own small and medium sized enterprises,[2] while the state continued to control large industries, banks and foreign trade.[3] In addition, the NEP abolished grain requisitioning. Pretty much more capitalist

Question 13

Stalin rise to power 1.

Answer 13

.held key positions in the party
.1922 becomes Secretary General so he could appoint ranks and powers of patronage
.from the Lenin enrolment in 1924 Stalin allowed 128,000 people to join the party, majority of which supported him he allowed them to join so he could promote them from within and gain more support. He justified the new members by saying they needed working class support.

Question 14

Srtp 2 (ideological debates)

Answer 14

.NEP caused a split some saw it as too capitalist, Lenin said it was just temporary, past 1925 the scissor crisis was in effect.
.left wanted to ‘squeeze the peasants’ for rapid industrialisation
.right wanted to tax the peasants with NEP in effect and have gradual industrialisation.
. Stalin was inconsistent, opposed the left once it was eliminated he turned on the right

Question 15

Scissor crisis

Answer 15

NEP caused the price of food and crops to drop dramatically but the price of industry to sky rocket. This was bad because it slowed down industrialisation.

Question 16

Srtp 3 (permanent rev or socialism in 1 country)

Answer 16

.USSR was the only communist country, Russo-polish war stopped communism spreading west.
.left: wanted permanent rev. This meant spreading revolution. Their belief was once other countries joined they could support ussr since it was believed to be unsustainable by itself.

.right:believed in socialism in one country, thought world revolution was unlikely, aimed to strengthen ussr as a workers state to rival the west.

Stalin: supported socialism in 1 country because it could also undermine trotsky in 1924 as unpatriotic.

Question 17

Srtp 4 (outcome of power struggle)

Answer 17

.By end of 29 Stalin was at the top due to many supporters and political manoeuvring.
. Left: all expelled kamenev and z were allowed to rejoin in 28. Trotsky was murder in 40 by Stalin’s orders.
Right: allowed to stay in party if they admitted mistakes.
Show trials: left and right all executed after show trials are held against them in the late 30s

Question 18

Key dates

Answer 18

Jan 24: he tricks Trotsky 
May 24: he splits the left
Over 25: socialism in one country is popular he gains support
27: left all expelled
28: he turns on the right
29: total power

Question 19

Collectivisation explained

Answer 19

. Solo farming was un-socialist
. The grain procurement crisis of 27-28 accelerated collectivisation
. Poor harvests so needed more food. Price of food was low so low incentive to sell excess
. Stalin became convinced the kulaks were hoarding supplies
. The plan in first 5 year was for 15% of farms to be collectivised
. Central committee sent 5000 workers to promote the farms