Lenin And Bolsheviks Flashcards
1
Q
October Revolution 6
A
1917
2
Q
Civil War and War Communism
A
1917 - 21
3
Q
Constituent Assembly
A
1918
4
Q
Russo-Polish war
A
1920
5
Q
Kronstadt rising
A
1921
6
Q
NEP
A
1921 - 7
7
Q
Pork Mutiny
A
1922
8
Q
Constitution created the USSR
A
1924
9
Q
What was War Communism?
A
Centralisation
State capitalism and grain requisitioning
Red army needed all food for war
Causes starvation and Famine
10
Q
What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
A
Treaty that caused Germany to leave Russia
11
Q
What is the Kronstadt rising known as and why?
A
The Lighting strike that lit up reality
Sailors were allies to the Bolsheviks and had helped them gain power
12
Q
Describe the NEP
A
Decentralisation
Return to private ownership
Restore exchange between villages and towns
13
Q
What were the effects of NEP?
A
Nepmen
Scissor crisis
NOT COMMUNIST - Showed capitalist theories could work
14
Q
What was the scissor crisis?
A
Post NEP
Supply of food increased at a rate exceeding domestic demand, resulting in a fall of prices
15
Q
What was the Pork Mutiny?
A
Attempt of a Communist uprising in Finland
Collection of Red Guards crossed into Finland
283 workers and members of their families joined the battalion and were armed and given money
Marched back to Soviet Union but slipped away
Fail
16
Q
Cheka established
A
December 1917
17
Q
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
A
1918
18
Q
Constitution created the RSFSR
A
1918
19
Q
Famine and economic collapse
A
1921
20
Q
How many died of famine between 1918 and 1921?
A
8 million
21
Q
Lenins death
A
1924
22
Q
When was the struggle for power after Lenin?
A
1922-9
23
Q
When did Lenin write was is to be done?
A
1901
Published in 1902
24
Q
Three main parts to Bolshevik gov.
A
Politburo - small elite group responsible for policy
Orgburo - organised political affairs
Sovnarkom - council of peoples commissars
25
What are the Politburo and Orgburo a part of?
Central executive committee
26
Institution to control Lenins structure
Party Central committee
27
When did Lenin set out his revised version of Marxism?
1902 pamphlet 'what is to be done?'
Social changes of Marxism could be sped up and a central committee led by professionals could govern in the interest of workers until they were ready to take control
28
Why did the Bolsheviks system appear to be democratic?
Members of the Sovnarkov were the product of a chain of elections from rural and urban Soviets
However Soviets dominated by Bolsheviks
29
New criminal code
1921
30
Outline the new criminal code
Legalised the use if terror to deter crime
31
'decree on land' 1917
Sanctioned the requisition of private land by peasants but stated the division and redistribution could only be carried out by Soviets
32
'decree on peace' 1917
Called for an immediate truce and peaceful settlement
| Lade the grounds for the armistice on 2nd December 1917
33
Impact on Nationalities under Lenin
Bolsheviks regime
Treat if Brest Litovsk
1918 constitution
1924 legitimising the 1922 creation of the USSR
34
What happened at the second all-Russian Congress of Soviets
25th October 1917
Mensheviks and right wing SRs left
Bolsheviks in charge
35
The 'petrograd revolution'
October Revolution was only in petrograd
Bolsheviks had to spread auothoritity so created more Soviets in towns and cities
Unrest contributed to the civil war
36
Events of the Third All-Russian Congress of Soviets
Sanctioned the closure of the C. A
| Proclaimed the establishment of the RSFSR
37
Nationalities freedoms under Lenin
Lenin decreed in November 1917 territories were free to leave Russia
Many declared themselves independent
Contributed to Civil War
38
Political opposition to Lenin
Union for the defence of the motherland and liberty
Three armed revokuts January 1918
Muders of the German ambassador july 1918
Socialists, Mensheviks and SRs joined
39
Foreign opposition under Lenin
London called for direct military action against the Bolsheviks
However Lenin published secret treaties by the tsar and France sent 7m troops to help
40
Lenin quote about wanting food to go to workers
Lenin demanded the 'ruthless and terroristic struggle against the peasant and tiger bourgeoisie who are holding back surplus'
5m died of disorder
41
Reasons for civil war
```
Collapse of empire
Food requisitioning
Political opposition
Desire for civil waf
Breakdown of law and order
Allied opposition
```
42
Opposition during civil war
Whites - tsarists
Foreign opposition - allied powers sent armies destroy the Bolsheviks after anger if dropping out of ww1
Czech legion - 40000 Czech prisoners mutinied and took control of the trains Siberua railway
43
White armies
Denikin
Yudenich
Kolchak
Leaders disorganised and armies often fell apart
44
Impacts of the treaty if Brest Litovsk
Handover of:
1/3 of agricultural land
1/3 of railway track
1/3 of Soviet republics (55m people)
2/3 of coal mines and half of heavy industry
Nearly all available oil and most cotton production
45
Why did Bolsheviks win the civil war?
Geographical factors - Whites scattered
Leadership - Trotsky string and Whites second rate
Support - Bolsheviks had the peasants support
46
Key consequences of the civil war
Internal political opponents defeated
Victory showed the red army how to run a successful gov - discipline and loyalty
NEP
Centralisation of power
47
Drought and famine due to War Communism
1921
5m died of starvation
Cannibalism
48
NEP
Decentralisation of small-scale enterprises and a return to private ownership
Restore exchange between village and town
Removal of restrictions
Encouraged foreign trade
Lenin a pragmatist? (willing to give up elements of his belief to suit the time)
49
Effects of war Communism
Money became worthless
People leaving cities due to food Shortages
Black markets
Bolsheviks rule worse than tsars?
50
Decree of nationalism
June 1918
| Brought all industries under Central control
51
Evidence of economy not working under Lenin
1916-1929 cities in the North lost 33% of their population to the countryside
Number of those working in factories and mines dropped by 50%
1913-1920 there was an 87% drop in the number of a red given over to cotton production
52
Work output of war Communism
In all areas, the economic strength of Russia fell below the 1914 level
Small factories on 1920 producing just 43% of the 1913 total
Coal production was at 27% of 1913 figure in 1920
Average productivity of worker was 44% less than 1913 figure by 1920
53
Compare Alexander ii and Lenin
Willing to sacrifice elements of ideology to suit the country
54
Education under Lenin
Antoli Lunachovsky = commisaor for education
Education free and compulsory for all until 17
Proletkult organisation - arts education - more diverse
United labour school - progressive teaching methods
55
Literature and theatre under Lenin
Silver age
All Russian association if proletarian writers
Propigabda
Fellow travelers = non communist writers, closely watched
56
Famine 1921
Requisition, drought and severe winters
| Ukraine food production fell by 20%
57
Russo-polish war
1920
Civil war creates prospect of Poland loosing freedoms but defeat of red army in 1920 prevented that - October 1921 treaty of Rigo
Polish independence confirmed and it was agreed that Ukraine and Western Belarussia would come under Polish authority
58
Ukraine under Lenin
Independence after ww1
| Taken back during Civil War
59
Finland under Lenin
Finland independent but under Russian control
Treaty of Tortu Finland gained land
1923 Finnish Communists established a socialist Republic - heightened tensions
60
Features of War Communism
```
State Capitalism
Grain requisitioning
Nationalisation of larger enterprises and state monopoly on markets
Partial militarization of labour
Requisitioning of agricultural produce
```
61
Views of War Communism
Requisitioning of grain killed 5 million people = hated system
Hated losing freedom bc of state monopolies
62
Features of NEP
De-nationalisation and return to private ownership
Removal of restrictions on sale of private goods/services
End to requisitioning
63
Was the NEP successful?
Short term success = industrial output up
| However, emergence if NEP-menz scuzzie criss as supply increase over demand, neo bryrayes communist ideals
64
Impact of ww1
Treaty of Brest Litovsk = high price for Russia - territories gained independence
Russia lost 1/3 of all agricultural land
Railway track and the Soviets Republics population
2/3rds coal mines
1/2 heavy industry products
Nearly all oil and cotton textile production
65
Consequences if treatt of Brest-Litovsk
Departure if Bukharin and left SRs from the Soviet gov.
| Bolsheviks in full control
66
Freedom of expression under Bolsheviks
More freedom
Needed support from intellectuals
However, the Secret police kept close supervision in leading intellectuals and some were executed without trial e.g Gumelev
67
Literacy under Lenin
By 1927, 51% of pop were literate vs 35% in 1907
68
Propigabda under Lenin
Cinemas used especially
69
Lenin and religion
Marxist view that it was the 'opium of the masses'
| Priests targeted by Cheka and shot
70
What did Lenin say about the arts?
'the purpose of art and literature is to serve the people'
71
Constitutions under Lenin
1918 - created the RSFSR
| 1922 - treaty added yhr Republics of Ukraine, Belarussia and Transcaucasia to the RSFSR
72
Organisation of gov.
The all Russian Congress of Soviets and the Central Committee.
Politburo (policy) and Orgburo (party affairs)
Sonarkom = commisars with specific governmental responsibilities (like ministers)
73
Failure of NEP
Nepmen
| Scizzor crisis
74
Impact of treaty of Brest Litovsk on Nationalities
Given independence e.g Poland
75
Lenin and Ukraine
Retaken by red army during Civil War
76
Lenin and Poland
Attempts to retaken Poland in the Russo-polish war
77
Lenin and Finland
Pork mutiny: red guards invaded Finland and looted property before persuading Finnish workers (with guns and money) to join their Soviet battalion
