Lenin To Stalin Flashcards
What were some of the problems when Lenin came to power?
Economy deteriorated rapidly - Lennie returned to labour discipline and one person management
Bankers civil servants and other managers disrupted the bolsheviks
What did the bolsheviks believe would happen after the decree on peace?
Other countries in Europe would follow means and war collapse into a series of civil wars where working class would create social revolutions
When was Trotsky dispatched to negotiate a peace settlement with Germany?
December 1917 - Brest-Litovsk
What did Lenin believe about peace in the world war?
It was essential for survival of regime- no army to fight the Germans and feared the Germans would throw the bolsheviks out as they advanced
Why were Bukharin and the left communists against peace?
Stick to their ideology and wanted to turn war into a revolutionary war to create European socialist revolution
What was the vote in the Bolshevik central committee over the war issue?
9 to 7 to accept Trotsky policy of “neither war nor peace”
Lenin lacked support
What did Lenin have to do to get the bolsheviks to agree to the peace treaty?
Threaten to resign
When was the treaty of Brest-litovsk signed?
3 March 1918
What was the treaty of Brest Litovsk seen as throughout Russia?
A shameful peace
No leading Bolshevik was prepared to put their name to it
Totally resigned as foreign commissar
What was lost in the treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Half the human, industrial and agricultural resources of Nicholas 2s empire
-aggravated severe grain shortages in cities
What did the treaty of Brest-Litovsk encourage?
Patriotic Russians to join anti-Bolshevik forces and make civil war
How dd the Left SRs react to the treaty of Brest Litovksk?
Resigned from Sovnarkom in protest
What was Mawdsleys view on the Brest Litovsk to Lenin?
Never again would such a major issue be fought out in public, never again would Lenin be so deeply challenged
Give some figures the russia lost in the treaty of Brest-Litovsk
62 million people (1/6th pop)
27% farm land
26% railway
74% iron ore and coal resources
In what countries did the Germans set up semi independent governments in as a result of the treaty of BL?
Belarus
Ukraine
Georgia
What countries became independent republics as per the treaty of BL?
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
What did the Germans do in Finland?
Finland been ruled by tsars since 1809
In 1918 Germans helped Finns defeat Bolshevik uprising and ensured Finland remained independent in treaty of BL
How did the civil war break out?
In May 1918 after revolt by Czech former war prisoners
What were the reds?
The bolsheviks - as it became clear white success meant restoration of ruling class and landowners reds gained more support Peasants hated landlords more than bolsheviks
What were the whites?
Senior officers in tsarist army - divided and uncoordinated
Former tsarists and liberals as SRs
Only think in common all anti Bolshevik
Deeply divided
What was uncommon within the white armies?
They would fight each other
Admiral Kolchak overthrew Komuch in Nov 1918 in military coup
What were the greens?
Peasant armies made up of deserters from whites or reds. Some fought for bolsheviks some against
More concerned wit protecting own area from damage caused by armie s
What was the most famous of the green armies?
Nestor Makhno
An anarchist in Ukraine - skilled guerilla leader who fought all but became ally of bolsheviks . Ukrainians were fighting for their independence
Name three significant white armies
Denikins in South Russia
Kolchaks in Siberia
Yudenichs in North West
When was Petrograd and Moscow threatened by the white armies?
October 1919
Trotsky exploited red control of railways to beat them back
What ended the civil war?
When Wrangel (successor of Denikin) the last surviving white general was defeated in Crimean in Nov 1920
What did Bolshevik propaganda portray them as in the civil war?
Defending the revolution against the whites
What was the whites most serious weakness?
Lack of political programme to appeal to the peasants
What were the advantages of the reds?
Held central area and conscript army outnumbered whites
Single unified command structure under Trotsky
Trotsky had charisma
Peasant support - Lenin had legitimised their right to land
Foreign intervention to help whites made bolsheviks the defenders of Russia
What were the whites disadvantages?
Scattered over Russia Communications and co ordination bad Made up of different groups unable to agreements Indiscipline and corruption Lacked political programme
How many miles did trotskys special war train cover?
65000 miles from front to front
What did Lenin start to help save the economy in 1918?
War communism
What was set up in may 1918 to do with the economy?
Food supplies dictatorship - beginning of grain requisitioning - red guards and soldiers forcibly took grain
What were the sections of war communism?
Grain requisitioning Labour discipline Rationing Nationalisation of industry Banning of private trade
What happened in labour discipline?
Fines for lateness and absenteeism
Internal passports introduced to prevent fleeing to countryside
Piece-work rates brought back and bonuses
When was the decree on nationalism?
June 1918
Did nationalisation of industry help increase production?
No
What developed as a result of the banning on private trade?
Black market
Describe the rationing system introduced during war communism
Class based
Red army soldiers and labour forces given priority
Burzhooi/middle classes got smalllest rations barely enough to live off
What was the economic situation in May 1918?
Acutely shortage of raw materials so industrial output shrank
Souring inflation- value of rouble collapsed
Paper money worthless and peasants refused to supply cities - nothing given in exchange
Food shortages and food riots
Workers fled from cities in search of food so workforce shortage
How much did urban workers spend on food in May 1918?
3/4 of income
What percentage of prostitutes in Moscow were from burzhooi classes in May 1918?
42%
What was war communism to lenin?
An extension of class warfare and the “internal front” of the revolution - way of wiping out bourgeois attitudes
What launched the Chekas red terror?
An assassination attempt on Lenin in 30 Aug 1918
Who was one f the most significant victims of the red terror?
Star Nicholas and his family and servants - shit 17 July 1918 in the Urals
What do official records put the figure of deaths at hands of Cheka 1918-20? And what is the estimated real figure?
13000
500 000
What wa are purpose of the terror?
Terrify all hostile social groups
What percentage of Moscow prisons did children make up 1920?
5%
By 1921 how many employees did the Cheka have?
143000
What was the problem with the red terror?
No one was sure who the counter revolutionaries were
What was set up to house troublesome peasants, dissident workers and bourgeoisie saboteurs?
Concentration and labour camps
According to Cheka sources how many desperate risings in Russia were ther in Feb 1921?
118
What was Russia like in 1921?
Economy in ruins Transport system on point of collapse Factories couldn't get materials needed and most industry had ceased production Famine Thousands died from disease - cholera
What was the main threat to the communist government in 1921?
The peasants - now civil war over and whites defeated the focused efforts on fighting grain requisitioning
What was the most serious peasant revolt against grain requisitioning?
Tambov uprising august 1920 to June 1921 led by Antonov in
What did the red army use in the Tambov region to quell peasant revolts?
Poison gas
What brought respected strikes in cities in 1920-21
Sever winter
What was cut by one third in several cities including Moscow 22 Jan 1921?
The bread ration
What did the city to the bread ration cause?
Food demonstrations to be broken up by Cheka and special troops because ordinary soldiers refused to fire upon the crowds
What were urban workers angry about?
Food shortages
Militarised factories - workers could be imprisoned or shot if production targets not met
Unions no real power just instruments of control
What was imposed on Moscow and st P in 1921?
Martial law
Who mutinied against the bolsheviks in march 1921?
Kronstadt sailors
What did the Kronstadt sailors hop to achieve intbeir mutiny?
General revolt against bolsheviks
End to terror dictatorship grain requisitioning and one party rule
What caused serious arguments within the party at end 1920?
Debate over decreasing power of trade unions
What was significant about the Kronstadt uprising?
The rebels were the same sailors who had fought for the revolution despite lenin condemning them as a “white plot”
What was established from 1923 onwards?
The nomenklatura system
What was the nomenklatura system?
List of 5500 designated party and government posts drawn up - holders of these posts only appointed by central party bodies - tightened one party state those who wanted promotion had to be loyal
What happened to Lenin from mid 1921?
His health declined and he suffered a huge stroke in May 1922 that limited his activity
What did Lenin accuse Stalin of?
Great Russian chauvinism and bullying tactics
What left Lenin without the power of speech?
Another stroke in march 1923
What was Lenin worried about towards the end of his life?
Extent of party bureaucracy and stalins increasing power
What was the bedrock of the soviet system right through to its demise?
Lenins key principles
What did Trotsky write to preobrazhensky in 1928?
You know better than I do that had lenin not managed to come to Petrograd in April 1917 the October revolution would not have taken place
When did the cult of Lenin begin?
Just after the attempt on his life in 1918
How did the cult of Lenin surface?
Eulogies appeared in Bolshevik press giving him Christ like qualitites as he was unafraid to sacrifice his life for the revolution
How many segments was Lenins brain sliced into after his death and why?
30000 so scientists in the future could discover the secrets of his genius
In the power struggle after lenins death how did all the contenders justify their positions?
Referencing Lenin and arguing that they diverged from Lenin
By 1922 what were the results of the NEP?
Food in the markets in cities and trade in shops, shops cafes and restuarants reopened
By 1923 how much had cereal production risen by since 1920?
23%
In the Autumn 1923 what happened to food prices?
they began to drop but price of industrial goods still rose as they were in short supply
What did Trotsky dub the industrial goods problem?
The Scissor Crisis - the imbalance between industrial goods and food made the peasants reluctant to supply food - ended April
How did the govt fix the Scissor Crisis?
started to take peasant tax in cash rather than in kind to encourage peasants to sell produce
How did Trotsky feel about the Scissors Crisis?
wanted to move to rapid industrialisation from NEP and favoured a permanent scissors crisis to squeeze more grain out of peasants to pay for it
What was the name of the private traders who began to appear in this revival?
Nepmen
How much of the retail trade did Nepmen handle by 1923?
3/4
What did Nepmen do?
Scoured villages buying up produce to sell in the markets in cities, also travelled round workshops picking up equipment to sell
When was the heyday for the Nepmen?
First 3 years of NEP - corruption rife and rewards high, it was a get rich quick society - prostitution and crime flourishes
What did the Moscow municipal govt make most of its income on in the first three years of the NEP?
taxes on gambling clubs
How does peasant production of grain in the NEP years compare with 1913 Russia?
1913- exported 13million tonnes
Best years of NEP - never exceeded 3 million tonnes
In 1926-27 what percent of 1913 levels were imports and exports?
imports - 38%
exports - 33%
How many Kronkstadt sailors were killed in the rebellion?
10 000 - in the following weeks 2500 shot by Cheka execution squads
What was clear to Lenin after the challenges of 1921?
Concessions to the peasants and some measure of economic liberalisation was essential for the regime to survive
War communism was not working
What was brought in to deal with the 1921 crisi?
NEP
What was the key element of the NEP?
Abolished grain requisitioning
What replaced grain requisitioning?
A “tax in kind” peasants had to give a fixed proportion of their grain to the state but this was much less than previously and they could sell surplus on the market
What else did the NEP do?
Small businesses and private trading back
Ban on private trade removed
Rationing abolished
State retained control of large scale heavy industries such as transport and banks - industry organised into trusts
How did the party view the NEP?
A betrayal and against Bolshevik ideology
Especially lifting the ban on private trade
What persuaded the doubters that they had to follow the NEP?
The kronkstadt revolt - they realised splits in the party would result in ten losing power all together so they fell in line behind Lenin
What accompanied the economic concessions of the NEP?
Tightening of political control - ban on factions passed
When was the first cleansing to rid the unhealthy elements of the party?
May 1918 _ expulsion of idlers hooligans adventurers drunkards and thieves
By mid 1919 what happened to party meme era hip?
It was half the total claimed before due to cleansing
How many party members were purged or left the party in 1921?
220 000
How many Mensheviks were arrested in 1921 for counter revolutionary activities?
5000
In 1921 what was the show trial?
Socialist revolutionaries - 34 leaders condemned as terrorists and 11 executed
What was the Cheka renamed in 1922?
GPU (main political administration)
What continued to be applied after 1922 as an instrument of social policy?
Arbitrary imprisonment and the death penalty
What was evidence that there wasn’t ideological backtracking in the NEP years?
GPU periodically harassed the Nepmen and the attack on religion
When was pre publication censorship introduced?
1922 - everything has to be submitted to Glavlit before publication
When did the communist dictatorship emerge?
1922
When was the politburo created?
1919
What is the politburo?
Inner ruling group of seven people at top of communist party
Key decision making body
What was the reasons for the grain not reaching the market?
Agriculture backwards relying on isufficent methods
Peasant landholdings smaller than pre 1917 as large estates divided up - on small land plots people eat most of what they produce
Gap in prices between grain and peasant desired manufactured goods
Relationship between peasants and govt deteriorated
How many inefficient wooden ploughs were still in use in 1927?
Over 5 million
What did the government do to solve the grain problem?
Clamped down on private traders but peasants starting feedin grain to their animals as meat prices was higher than grain prices
What did the large state controlled trusts constantly do?
Cut their workforce to make a profit
How did the NEP affect urban workers?
Wages remain low
Unemployment rises steeply
Seemed like the peasants were doing well at their expense
Objected to power of single managers
What happened to real wages in 1928?
They only just passed their pre war levels
By 1926 what percent of the employed population was unemployed?
14% significantly higher than pre war
What remained a problem for workers during the NEP?
Housing - in Smolensk 1929 many workers with six or seven families lived in one room
What was a result of the turmoil of war and civil war?
Thousands of parentless and rootless young people formed gangs and roamed the streets
What pushed stain to act decisively over the grain?
Amount of grain procured by state at end of 1927 was 3/4 1926
What did Stalin do in Jan 1928?
Went to Urals and western Siberia on requisitioning campaign - substantial resistance to his actions
What was Stalin made after the October revolution?
From editor of Pravda to commissar of nationalities
What helped Stalin in his advancements through the Bolshevik party?
Sverdlov in march 1919 died of Spanish flu - he was organiser and now Stalin took his job and got closer to Lenin
What was Stalin out in charge of in May 1919?
The orgburo which controlled aspects of party organisation
When was Stalin appointed general secretary?
1922
What was a big advantage to Stalin?
He was the only person to be a member of all three of the party’s executive bodies
What gave Trotsky an advantage?
His organisation and drive during the civil war led them to victory and gave him a strong base in the army
What worked against Trotsky?
His arrogance and aloofness which didn’t win him any friends
From 1923 he suffered from attacks of an undiagnosed fever so he missed crucial votes and debates
Who is zinoviev?
Old Bolshevik active I te party as early as 1903
Initiated cult of lenin
Widely disliked and over ambitious
Opposed armed uprising in October and fell out with lenin
Made party secretary in Leningrad
1919 chairman of comintern
1921 full member of politburo
Who was kamenev?
Active Bolshevik since 1905 Close collaborator with lenin Excellent editor of Pravda Opposed April thesis Opposed lenin with zinoviev Party secretary in moscow Comissar for foreign trade Not a natural leader
Who was bukharin?
Younger generation of bolsheviks Important theorist No major leader had opposed lenin more often but his personal relations with l were very good Editor of Pravda 1918-1929 Full member politburo 1922 Not good organiser but fierce arguer
Who was rykov?
Chairman of vesenkha 1918
Succeeded lenin as chairman of sovnarkom having been deputy since 1921
Authoritave and outspoken
Talented administrator but was a drinker
