Lenin's Leadership Flashcards
When was the Civil War and who was involved?
1918-1922 w/ Reds (Bolsheviks) vs everyone else (Whites: SRs, Mensheviks, Kadets, Octobrists and Greens: other nationalities)
Why was everyone angry? (5)
Where was the bread?
Constituent Assembly was dissolved
Land was taken from nobles (Decree on Land)
Alienated nationalists (Decree on Peace)
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk losses
Which countries join the Whites (3) and why do they do this?
Britain, France & USA as they feared the spread of communism
What side was the Czech Legion on?
Czech supported Russia in WW1 but opposed them in the Civil War due to mistrust and suspicion
Initially, who was winning and in 1919, who was winning?
Initially, the Whites then the Reds
Which Generals attacked where?
General Yudenich - NW and Petrograd
General Deniken - S
Admiral Kolchak - E
Did more people die from war or hunger?
Hunger
What were the strengths of the Reds? (4)
Unified, resourceful, controlled central Russia, good leadership
What were the weaknesses of the Whites? (5)
Unorganised (scattered everywhere), uncoordinated (didn’t know if they were fighting for tsarism or republicanism), poor leadership, no loyalty hence high levels of corruption
When was War Communism introduced and when did it end?
1918-1921
What policies did War Communism include? (3)
Rationing of food, surplus food has to be given to the government and factories of more than 10 workers were nationalised
What was the Vesenkha and what did they do?
Supreme Economic Council and sent requisition squads seized food if rules were not complied with
What was the result of War Communism and how many died?
There was a famine in 1920-21 where 7 mil died
Which types of people were considered enemies to the Cheka? (3)
Priests, Cossacks and factory owners
By early 1921, how many Kronstadt soldiers destroyed their party cards after realising the situation back home?
5000
What did the sailors form?
A provisional revolutionary committee
When did the Red Army and Kronstadt fight?
8 Mar 1917
What percentage of Bolsheviks died in the attack?
80%
When did the crews surrendered?
17 Mar 1921
How many people made it safe?
8000
How many people were shot?
12,000 - 15,000. Rest sent to gulags.
When was NEP introduced and why?
1921 and decided to persuade for grain, rather than use force
Why was it criticised and how did Lenin try to hide this?
It opposed Bolshevism and more capitalism and Lenin tried to say it was temporary
What policies were introduced in NEP? (4)
Fixed amount of grain had to be given, surplus had to be sold for profit and if you produced more, you pay less tax, electrification
Now which factories were state-owned and what new currency was introduced?
Factories with less than 20 and the rouble was introduced
Who were Nepmen?
Private traders who took produce into cities to sell
What type of people did critics despise?
Kulaks
By how much did electricity, steel and clothes increase?
Electricity increased from 520 to 2925 kWh, steel increased by 12, clothes increased by 16
What country did Russia make a deal with in 1921 and for what?
Britain, exchanging Western goods for oil and wheat
What was the scissor crisis?
Since there was so much food, there was price drop in it. But since there were less industrial goods, the prices soared for it
What was the Zhenotdel?
The women’s department led by Kollontai
What had changed for women? (3)
Divorce was much easier, abortion was legalised, they and paid maternity leave
What changes were made among education? (5)
9 hrs of free education, Pioneers for younger children, Komsomol for 15 - early 20s, more practical education, teachers had less authority (forbidden to set hw)
What things were used to spread communist ideas? (3)
Cinema, art and street festivals.
Why was the Proletkino set up?
To present propaganda films
When did Lenin have his strokes? (3)
May 1922
Dec 1922
Mar 1923
When did Lenin die?
Jan 1924
Under Lenin’s leadership, who made all the major decisions?
The Politburo consisting of 7:
Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin
Nikolai Bukharin
Lev Kamanev
Gregory Zinoviev
Alexei Rykov
Mikhail Tomsky
Why did the Tsar have to be executed?
There were still tsarists around and this just caused greater risk for the Reds during the civil war
What things did Trotsky do for the war? (3)
Restored conscription
Promoted soldiers
Had strict military discipline
When was the Politburo set up and how often did they meet up?
1919, daily
How were the Kronstadt used as propaganda?
They were spoken about negatively for support
What did the Kronstadt Mutiny show about the state of Russia?
Even their most loyal supporters are turning against them
How did peasants resist against War Communism?
They grew less animals
How many kulaks died in the famine from 1920 to 1921?
7 million
What was formed to press charges on the result of this famine?
Worker’s Opposition
Grain decreased between 1918 and 1921 from 80 tonnes to….
80 tonnes to 37.6 tonnes
What fraction of marriages had ended by 1927?
2/3
How did employment for women change when men returned from the war?
It worsened.
What was the Proletkult and what did it involve?
It was a proletariat cultural movement involving things like poetry circles and exhibitions
What was Socialist Realism?
The showcase of only a positive side of Russia through art
What could writing not contain?
Counter revolutionary topics
