Lenin's Control— 1917-24 Flashcards
What were the aims of the Bolsheviks?
To get rid of the upper and middle classes who exploited the peasants under the capitalist system that had developed with the Industrial Revolution
Replace with socialism— a government representing the workers wold improve the living and working conditions of the people
Eventually communism established— people would have control over their own lives
What happened during the October Revolution?
(Bolshevik Party used as the vanguard of the Revolution.)
Well planned, well executed uprising.
Later portrayed as mass uprising, despite only having 300,000 members (small): heroic storming of winter palace
BUT
Reality: only troops left guarding the palace we’re the Women’s Death Battalion, opened the gates
Who opposed the Bolsheviks in 1917?
RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP— not enough support to lead popular revolution.
-Other left wing groups (SRs, Mensheviks)
-Right groups (tsarist supporters)
Liberal groups (worried middle class) Marxism = challenge to rich and privileged old order
-Nationalist groups within Russian Empire (Ukrainians, Poles, Finns), chance to assert independence
Why was the Constituent Assembly a turning point for democracy in Russia?
SRs and Mensheviks hopes that the calling of the parliament in Jan 1918 would be a chance to regain the initiative. All but some SRs (kept for a bit for practical reasons) told no cooperation
DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED- (good for SRs, peasantry love them)
Bolsheviks: 175 seats, over 9m votes
SRs: largest: 410 seats, 21m votes— threat!
Dissolved assembly, replaced with All-Russian Congress of Soviets. — DEMOCRACY ENDS
How did the Bolsheviks destroy other political parties?
- removed vote from “bourgeois classes”: employers, priests, stripped of reservoir of support
- Mensheviks & SRs found it hard to publish newspapers due to Bolshevik restrictions
- left-wing SRs, given a role within gov 1917 and 1918, lost all influence when they walked out of gov (3/1918) in protest at Bolshevik decision to pull out of WWI
- 3/1918 Bolshevik Party renames Communist Party, by 1921 all other parties effectively banned
- 4/1921- Lenin- “The place for the Mensheviks and the SRs is in prison”: first 3 mo this of 1921- 5,000 Mensheviks arrested. Further waves of arrests of SRs and Menshevik supporters later in 1921 and 1922, but ceased to exist as organised parties
What were the consequences of the signing of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk in 1918?
Russia lost control over the Baltic States of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, Finland, Ukraine, parts of Caucasus region.
National humiliation for conservatives, esp military officers who served in tsars army— need to overthrow Bolsheviks n reject Treaty.
Spur to Whites as treaty offers the promise of foreign help: allied powers of Britain, France, USA, Japan anxious to keep Russia in WWI, provide money arms and troops to who would ensure Russia rejoin fight.
WAR SAPPED ENERGY AND RESOURCES w LITTLE CHANCE OF MILITARY SUCCESS. CONCENTRATE ON CONSOLIDATING POWER.
Who were the sides in the Russian Civil War?
WHITES: opposed to Bolsheviks, largely conservative groups in Russia who didn’t want old social order changed. Leaders— military leaders, generals from Tsarist armed forces. Other opposition too.
REDS: Bolsheviks and their supporters, industrial workers and many peasants, Bolsheviks seen as best guarantors of gains from Revolution
How did the Bolsheviks win the civil war?
BETTER ORGANISATION
Bleak at beginning: surrounded, limited to central core based on Moscow stretching to Petrograd.
Military strategy more coherent (thank Trotsky- Commissar for War early 1918- made into effective war machine)
Conscription: 5m soldiers by end of war.
War communism: resources organised and deployed effectively— large scale nationalisation, requisitioning.
AUTHORITARIAN, CENTRALLY CONTROLLED
active support too, esp from workers; peasants, too, though didn’t like all elements, liked 1917 Land Decree
Why did the whites lose the civil war?
Amalgam of different groups united only by their desire to get rid of the Bolsheviks. Divisions: co-operation limited, not helped by long front they fought on. Corruption and inefficiency meant WWI allied help was not put to good effect.
What were the key results of the civil war?
- Bolshevik State highly centralised due to war demands. Quick decision making/ resource direction.
- extensive use of terror against political opponents. Tone for development of party after civil war
- supporters of Bolsheviks: formative experience, affected deeply. Militaristic values in population enforced. Not buckle under pressure, not think twice about force, terror.
Why was the Tenth Party Congress (1921) significant in establishing power at the top of the Communist Party?
300,000 end of 1917 —> over 730,000 by 1921 : threat to party stability, so firm line taken against dissent to ensure conformity.
Lenin put forward “On Party Unity”: ban on factions, attempt to impose view of leadership on party, or EXPULSION!!! 😱😭
Political tightening of leadership came at time of continuing Bolshevik anxiety about hold over Russia: 1922 Kronstadt Mutiny, Tambov Rising— didn’t take position for granted
What happened during the Kronstadt Mutiny?
The mutiny of sailors stationed at Kronstadt naval base against the imposition of orders on the local Soviet from the Bolshevik government.
Slogan: “Soviets without Bolsheviks”
Mutiny brutally crushed by Red Army BUT affair severe shock to regime: soldiers previously been strong supporters of Bolshevik Revolution.
What happened during the Tambov Rising?
Peasant uprising in the Tambov region of central Russia, sparked off by arrival of Bolshevik units to requisition grain for use in the cities and the army.
Largely spontaneous uprising at first BUT peasants able to build on their strength by forming a Green Army and establishing control over a large area: 50,000 Bolshevik troops needed to put down the revolt
What were the key features of the state structure?
(In theory, before civil war & before Bolsheviks used control over sovnarkom positions to issue rubber stamped orders)
Soviets, trade unions, factory committees brought under Bolshevik control and sidelined.
SOVNARKOM- Council of People’s Commissars, cabinet of top government ministers, in theory responsible for making key decisions & giving gov orders. About 20 members, elected by CEC. small group, quick decisions, met daily during civil war.
CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE— larger group elected by the Congress of Soviets. Oversee work of hoc and its administration
ALL-RUSSIAN CONGRESS OF SOVIETS— supreme law making body of the state. All laws issued by sovnarkom had to be approved by Congress. Highly representative, members elected by local Soviets, “useful work”.
BELOW— provincial and city Soviets made from local soviet reps. Conducted administration of gov at local level.
How was the Party structured?
(By early 1920s, real power shifted to party itself, state became administrators, meeting less frequently, deputies sent, secret police responsible to politburo.)
(mirrored state)
POLITBURO- 7 to 9 leasing members of Party, chosen by Central Committee to make key decisions affecting policy. Took over from larger Central Committee (unmanageable when making important decisions). Met daily under Lenin, more important than sovnarkom. Zinoviev, Kamanev, Trotsky, Stalin.
CENTRAL COMMITTEE- 30-40 members chosen by party congress to represent its members. Supposed to make key decisions on policy but power increasingly delegates to polit after 1919
PARTY CONGRESS- body made up of reps of local party branches. Discussed general programme of party, fierce debates at 9th and 10th Party congresses 1920/21. Van on factions stifled debate n role declines. Met nearly under Lenin from 1917 till 1926
LOCAL PARTY BRANCHES- each headed by party secretary, who could be v powerful, esp in key cities/ provinces. Kamanev Petrograd, Zinoviev Moscow; power bases in struggle.
