Lenin Flashcards
February Revolution
1917
Fundamental Laws
1906 ‘supreme autocratic power lay with the tsars’
article 87
1906 tsar had power to govern by decree
Growth in criticisms of tsarism due to
political debate in zemstva, greater intelligentsia and growth of education
Stolypin introduces martial law
1906-11 repressive government, okhrana
Lena Goldfields massacre
1912- okhrana as agents provocateurs, killed many miners demanding better pay/conditions
Tsar failed to make political reforms
during WWI. Closed down Duma, gave power to Tsarina and Rasputin, big mistake
propaganda undermines regime eg Pravda
40,000 copies sold per day by 1914
Nicholas was weak and narrow minded and incompetent
alexandra and rasputin 1915, army dissatisfied with him
Peasants problems (before 1917)
poverty, land, famines, stolypin’s reforms helped kulaks
Workers problems (before 1917)
long hours, low pay, conditions, inflation
WWI impact
morale, economy (no trade, railways, shipping), tsar looked incompetent
Feb 1917 revolution course
International women’s day, riots, provisional government, mensheviks set up soviet, Nicholas abdicates
February Dual Power
1917 Prov gov and soviets- power lay with soviets, PG didn;t solve peace land and bread
Lenin’s April Thesis
April 1917 addressed peace land and bread, opposed war
Kerensky’s July Days
June/July 1917 armed offesives against PG
Kornilov affair
August 1917 armed Bolsheviks to defeat Kornilov. Bolsheviks were the heroes
Bolsheviks had majority in soviets
Septmeber 1917
October revolution
October 1917, Lenin persuaded revolution took over key buildings, kerensky failed to counter, Council of People’s commissars announced Lenin= Chairman
Bolshevik support increase June to December 1917
164%
Red Terror
all non-bolshevik papers closed, Cheka could arrest without trial, 50,000 killed inc. tsar and family
Constituent assembly
Jan 1918 Bolsheviks only won 175 seats, SRs 370, Lenin surrounding building with Red Guards and closed the assembly
Decree on Land and Workers control
November 1917 land to peasants adn workers control over factories
War Communism
July 1918 state control over economy, food rationed, led to famine as peasants refused to grow food 1921 5 million dead
Decree on nationalisation
June 1918 govt took control of all factories
Kronstadt Revolt
March 1921 sailors mutinied, crushed by Trotksy
New Economic Policy
1921 allowed several aspects of capitalism to return, small businesses privatised. 7 years of stability, but nepmen and kulaks etc. got rich
Decree against factionalism
1921 no factions could be formed
Trotsky a ‘dynamo of the militarised state’
Krasso
Trotsky’s valuable contributions
Chairman of Military Revolutionary Committee, planned Oct Rev, stormed winter palace, great orator, suppressed Kronstadt, victory in civil war
but opposed NEP and failed to defend against political attacks.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
1918, harsh terms signed with Germany to get them out of the war, lost 25% population, 70% of coal and iron, 27% of best farmland
Comintern
1919 dominated by Lenin
Anglo-Soviet Trade Agreement
1921
Civil War
1918-21 Whites were disorganised, lacked cooperation and a leader, split up geographically, unpopular in Russia
Reds Won because united, held heartland, one dynamic leader, used red terror, preferred by peasants
USSR Formed
1923 run by a dictatorship of the communist party
Lenin’s Death
January 1924
