Lenin - methods of control

Question 1

MEDIA - what was Lenin’s view on the use of media?

Answer 1

Lenin saw media as vital to advancing the revolution and keeping the communists in power

Question 2

MEDIA - what was the Nov 1917 decree on press?

Answer 2

It looked the government to close down newspapers and control the press

Question 3

MEDIA - what was the Jan 1918 tribunal of the press?

Answer 3

It was created to censor press and ROSTA was to provide all news

Question 4

MEDIA - how many papers had been closed by 1921

Answer 4

2000

Question 5

MEDIA - what did war communism allow?

Answer 5

It allowed the government to control papers

Question 6

MEDIA - what was Pravda and when did it become popular?

Answer 6

The soviet news paper and it became popular in the 1920’s

Question 7

MEDIA - what did Lenin believe about cinema?

Answer 7

Lenin believed that it was important in pleasing the people and promoting the government. He commissioned films such as Battleship Potemkin, glorifying soviet heroes

Question 8

MEDIA - what was Glavlit?

Answer 8

Introduced in 1922 it involved the GPU censoring books, art and purging libraries

Question 9

MEDIA - Why were Avante-guarde artists supported by Lenin?

Answer 9

They rebelled against the Bourgeoise culture of fine art and wanted the everyday man to be able to be included in the art culture celebrated technology and machinery. They also shared Lenins goal of communicating with the masses.

Question 10

PROPEGANDA - when did they begin to use images of Lenin?

Answer 10

The first photo of Lenin was published in 1918 and from then on his face was used in propeganda

Question 11

PROPEGANDA - what boosted Lenin’s cult of personality in 1918?

Answer 11

Lenin survived an assassination attempt. His survival was seen as miraculous and it intensified his personality cult.

Question 12

PROPEGANDA - what did Lenin think of his personality cult?

Answer 12

He disliked it. He said it went against Marxist ideology as Marx said that no individual should be glorified to such an extent above others as it went against the goal of communism.

Question 13

PROPEGANDA - why did Lenin allow his personality cult to continue?

Answer 13

He saw the need for a face of communism and the revolution. Other communist leaders stressed the importance of a kind and generous leader.

Question 14

PROPEGANDA - how did the government collaborate with Avante-guarde artists?

Answer 14

They made propeganda posters and photomontages featuring Lenin

Question 15

PROPEGANDA - what was agite-prop?

Answer 15

Introduced by Lenin and Trotsky in 1920 it involved trains travelling around the country performing plays featuring a forceful political message

Question 16

RELIGION - what did Marx believe about religion?

Answer 16

He said it was the opium of the people and that communism would remove the delusions of religion

Question 17

RELIGION - why was Lenin critical of the Russian Orthodox Church?

Answer 17

It had been closely linked to the Tsar and he saw it as an ally of Tsarism

Question 18

RELIGION - why was communism suspicious of religion?

Answer 18

1. It sometimes had values that went against those of communism
2. Religious groups were independent of the communist party and so harder to control

Question 19

RELIGION - what was the Oct 1917 land decree?

Answer 19

It allowed peasants to take over church owned land

Question 20

RELIGION - what was the 1918 decree concerning the separation of state and church, and schools and church?

Answer 20

The church lost its privileged position in society, including its subsidies, religious education etc.

Question 21

RELIGION - what was declared in the 1922 soviet constitution?

Answer 21

Guaranteed freedom of conscience for all soviet people

Question 22

RELIGION - what did the politburo issue a secret order to the Cheka about?

Answer 22

They issued a secret order to the Cheka sanctioning the execution of Orthodox priests

Question 23

RELIGION - what terror was used on Catholic priests?

Answer 23

Initially they were not killed, just deported as they were a minority group and not linked to the tsar. However during the civil war they were killed.

Question 24

RELIGION - what role did the church and terror play in the 1921 famine?

Answer 24

The government seized church property and blamed the church for causing the famine

Question 25

RELIGION - why was Islam not persecuted?

Answer 25

1. There was no official link between Tsarism and Islam | 2. The Wafqs continued to fund local schools and communities

Question 26

RELIGION - how did the communist approach to religion change in the 1920's?

Answer 26

The use of terror stopped and they attempted more subtle techniques such as the living church, designed to divide and conquer

Question 27

RELIGION - what was the living church?

Answer 27

An attempt by the government to divide and conquer the church. It claimed to be a new version of the Orthodox Church. Controlled by the people, decentralised and less corrupt

Question 28

RELIGION - what was the issue with public debates with the church?

Answer 28

The debates were popular but the church ended up bringing up arguments against communism so they were stopped in 1925

Question 29

RELIGION - to what extent was the living church a success?

Answer 29

It did work, except that it did not diminish church growth or faith in the 1920's

Question 30

RELIGION - why did the communists oppose Islam in the 1920's?

Answer 30

1. It went against the rights and equality of women | 2. It controlled a lot of people in the outermost regions of Russia which the communists were keen to control themselves

Question 31

RELIGION - how did soviet authorities attack Islam?

Answer 31

- closed mosques - discouraged pilgrims - attacked Islamic shrines - discouraged women from wearing the veil - opened anti-Islamic museums

Question 32

CULTURE - what was Proletkult?

Answer 32

The proletarian culture movement that gave people access to studios and art supplies etc.

Question 33

CULTURE - what did Lunacharsky do?

Answer 33

He pioneered Protekult as a movement and promoted the creation of proletarian art. He was appointed the people's commissar of enlightenment in the aftermath of the October Revolution.

Question 34

CULTURE - how many members did Proletkult have by 1920?

Answer 34

84,000 members in 300 studios. It published a monthly magazine of proletarian artists.

Question 35

CULTURE - what did Bukharin do for Proletkult?

Answer 35

Proletkult was free from communist party control and Bukharin used his position as editor of Pravda to support the organisation.

Question 36

CULTURE - what did Lenin feel about Proletkult?

Answer 36

He believed that art shouldn't highlight one area of society but should be universal. For this reason he disliked the Proletkult and wanted people to learn form bourgeoise art that had created a universal culture.

Question 37

CULTURE - what happened to the Proletkult in 1920?

Answer 37

Lenin believed it was a danger to the revolution and so insisted that it merged with the commissariat of education. This was votes on but dissenting artists were criticised by the soviet press. Funding was then diverted to more traditional arts such as ballet.

Question 38

TERROR - what were Lenin's initial feelings on terror?

Answer 38

Lenin was always willing to use terror as a temporary measure to ensure the duration of the revolution. He took this ideology from both Marx and the French Revolution

Question 39

TERROR - when was the Cheka set up and why?

Answer 39

In December 1917 and it was designed to seek out counter revolutionaries

Question 40

TERROR - who was head of the Cheka under Lenin?

Answer 40

Felix Dzerzhinsky served as its head from 1917 to 1926

Question 41

TERROR - what was the responsibility of the Cheka during the civil war?

Answer 41

Maintaining communist rule in areas already held by the communists

Question 42

TERROR - what did the Cheka do to the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 42

Along with the red army they closed it down in 1918 - an example of the Cheka attacking socialists as well as capitalists

Question 43

TERROR - what was the Cheka's relationship with the law?

Answer 43

They did not enforce the law and they were not bound by it

Question 44

TERROR - what were some of the Cheka's roles in the civil war?

Answer 44

- helped to requisition grain - closed down opposition newspapers - imprisoned and tortured people - used extreme violence against enemies of communism - ran concentration camps - stopped private trading

Question 45

TERROR - what happened to the use of terror under the NEP?

Answer 45

It was reduced to a much lower level but was still present

Question 46

TERROR - what did the Cheka do in terms of surveillance?

Answer 46

- monitored the press - carried out surveillance on ex tsarist officers in the red army - supervised the deportation of academics - supervise general public opinion - intercept mail - surveillance reports were sent directly to the central committee

Question 47

TERROR - why did Lenin order political trials in 1922?

Answer 47

He was insecure about the future of communism with the failures of the NEP

Question 48

TERROR - what happened in the political trials of 1922?

Answer 48

Socialist Revolutionary leaders were put on trial and accused of sabotage and treason. All were found guilty and sentenced to death. They were imprisoned and not executed until the great terror under Stalin

Question 49

TERROR - who did the GPU unofficially target under the NEP?

Answer 49

- it imprisoned those who had become too rich - it harassed women dressed in western styles - it persecuted young people who listened to jazz music It persecuted priests