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History - Russia > Lenins new society > Flashcards

Lenins new society Flashcards

1
Q

Problems of the Provisional Government and the action they took:
Government

A

PROBLEM:The Petrograd Soviet was very powerful – it built up a nation-wide network of Soviets which took their orders from it.
Order Number 1 forbade soldiers and workers to obey the provisional Government unless the Soviet agreed (ie the govt. was powerless to act unless the Soviet agreed.

ACTION:The Provisional Government did nothing to try to end the power of the Soviets.

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2
Q

Problems of the Provisional Government and the action they took:
Terrible conditions

A

Inflation and hunger got worse because the war didn’t end. (ie the people stayed angry.)

The Provisional Government didn’t manage to end the food shortages or inflation.

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3
Q

Problems of the Provisional Government and the action they took:
Peasants

A

Started taking the nobles land. (ie anarchy in the countryside.)

The Provisional Government sent troops to take back the land. This made the peasants very angry

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4
Q

Problems of the Provisional Government and the action they took:
War

A

The Provisional Government tried to continue the war. It attacked Austria in June 1917, but after initial successes, the Germans moved in and the Russians were defeated. Soldiers deserted. There was a naval mutiny. (ie the war was a disaster.)

The Provisional Government set up ‘death squads’ to execute deserters. This made things worse – by October 1917, soldiers were deserting, going home, killing the landlords, and taking land.

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5
Q

Problems of the Provisional Government and the action they took:
Bolsheviks

A

Lenin returned and published his plans for Russia: the ‘April Theses’ (‘Peace, Bread, Land’; ‘all power to the Soviets’; state ownership of factories and banks).
They tried to take over the government by rioting in the ‘July Days’. (ie government under attack)

The Provisional Government allowed freedom of speech and the press, and released political prisoners. After the July Days, the Provisional Government arrested the leaders, but let the Bolshevik Party continue. This HELPED the Bolsheviks.

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6
Q

Problems of the Provisional Government and the action they took:
Kornilov

A

Kornilov tried a right-wing/ pro-Tsar army coup in August 1917. (ie government under attack)

The Provisional Government had no control of the army and had to ask the Bolsheviks to help it. This made the government seem weak AND made the Bolsheviks popular (they took control of the Soviets).

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7
Q

Assessment of Lenin:

A
  1. He was a great revolutionary thinker.
  2. He persevered – for years he led the Bolsheviks from exile in Switzerland.
  3. He was an opportunist – in 1917 he persuaded the Germans to give him money to go back to Russia and organise a revolution.
  4. He was a figurehead – he returned to St Petersburg in 1917 (at the Finland Station) and immediately became the Bolshevik leader. His slogan ‘Peace, Bread, Land’ won thousands of supporters.
  5. He was the master strategist -worked behind the scenes
  6. He was ruthless – he formed the Assembly in 1917, but when it returned a majority of Social Revolutionaries he simply abolished it and declared the ‘dictatorship of the Proletariat’ and the one-party state. When there was opposition, he created the Cheka. When there was Civil War he brought in War Communism and shot strikers.
  7. Built up support for the Bolsheviks with the April Theses
  8. Insisted the time was right in November, when others doubted him
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8
Q

Trotsky

A

Joined the Bolsheviks in 1917 (history of revolutionary activity since 1900)ii.Leader of Petrograd Soviet

.Organised the revolution –directed it within Petrograd – made it happen

Inspirational public speaker - addressed many meetings in the weeks leading to the revolution

.The public face of Bolshevism

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9
Q

The July days

A

July 1917- another planned uprising occurred in Petrograd

  • This was the peoples reacting to the war - to bread shortages, rationing and a lack of reforms.
  • July uprising - smaller than March, but people were chanting Bolshevik slogans.
  • PG - discredited Lenin by claiming he was a German agent and sent in the troops.
  • The rebellions collapsed as people turned away from the Bolsheviks.
  • Trotsky and other leaders were arrested. Lenin escaped and went into hiding.
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10
Q

Provisional Government and Kornilov Revolt

A
  • PG now led by Alexander Kerensky - only member who had been both in the Duma and the Petrograd Soviet.
  • Kornilov an anti-Revolution general is in command of the army - 28 August - Kornilov acted.
  • Disturbed by unrest in towns and countryside, Kornilov advanced on Petrograd.
  • Kerensky asked Bolsheviks for help, armed the Bolshevik Red Guards and sent them to stop him.
  • Kornilov’s troops refuse to fire on their brother soldiers and workers in the Red Guard.
  • The revolt collapses.
  • The Bolsheviks were now seen as the saviours of Russia.
  • 31 August - Petrograd Soviet election - Bolsheviks won the most seats.
  • Many people now believed that the Bolsheviks were the party of the people.
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11
Q

November revolution

A
  • Lenin had secretly returned from exile in Finland.
  • The Provisional Government could not control the growing violence in the cities - German troops advancing and were almost in Petrograd.
  • Lenin argues there needs to be a second revolution - other leading Bolsheviks not as sure.
  • Lenin gets his way - Trotsky as leader of Petrograd Soviet plans what will happen.
  • 6th/7th November: the Bolsheviks took control of key points in Petrograd. The winter Palace is stormed and members of the PG arrested.
  • 8th November: Lenin announces revolution is over and Bolsheviks are in control.
  • Lenin announces for a new constituent assembly would take place in November.
  • A new group - SOVNARKOM - the Council of Peoples Commissars would rule until then by decree.
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12
Q

Why did the Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917 succeed?

Perhaps Seven Powers Gave Lenin An Opportunity

A
  1. Provisional Government problems
    They succeeded because the Provisional Government was weak and unpopular. When it was attacked, nobody was prepared to defend it. Failed to disarm the Red Guard after they defeated Kornilov, they failed to judge the threat correctly - did not think the Bolsheviks were danger.
  2. Slogans
    The Bolsheviks had good slogans such as ‘Peace, Bread, Land’ and ‘All Power to the Soviets’. The arguments of other parties were too complicated for people to understand. This meant that they got the public’s support.
  3. Pravda
    The party ran its own propaganda machine, including the newspaper Pravda (‘Truth’), which got their ideas across.
  4. German money
    The Germans financed the Bolsheviks because they knew that Lenin wanted to take Russia out of the war. This gave them the money to mount their publicity campaigns
  5. Lenin
    A brilliant leader – a professional revolutionary with an iron will, ruthless, brilliant speaker, a good planner with ONE aim – to overthrow the government. The Bolsheviks were well-led. Lenin insisted the revolution was only bolshevik led - and not shared with several parties - planned and prepared for it from movement of his return for Russia.
  6. Army
    A private Bolshevik army (the Red Guards), dedicated to the revolution, was set up and trained under Leon Trotsky. It gave the Bolsheviks the military power to win.
  7. Organisation
    The Bolsheviks were brilliantly organised. A central committee (controlled by Lenin and other leading Bolsheviks) sent orders to the soviets, who gave orders to the factories. Membership grew to 2 million in 3 months. Unlike the Provisional Government, the Bolsheviks demanded total obedience from their members, so they were well-disciplined.
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13
Q

Imposing control

A
  • Peace decree - demanded all nations negotiate peace at once. (Lenin was determined to pull Russia out of the war).
  • Land decree - all land owned by the Tsar/church/landowners was taken and given to the peasantry. This immediately made the Bolsheviks popular with the Peasants!
  • The workers decree - gave the workers control over the factories and an 8 hour day.
  • Other decrees strengthened bolshevik control - closing down non-bolshevik nespapers, setting up secret police (CHEKA)
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14
Q

The constituent assembly

A
  • Lenin had agreed to the elections for the constituent assembly to go ahead.
  • The bolsheviks failed to win a majority of seats - bolsheviks gained 175 seats but the social revolutionary party gained 370.
  • The SRs were the biggest party.
  • Lenin sent in the Red Guard and closed the assembly down.
  • This made him many enemies.
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15
Q

Brest-Litovsk treaty

A
  • Lenin wanted to pull Russia out of the war - the Germans demanded a high price.
  • 22nd December 1917 - treaty of Brest Litovsk signed.
  • Russia gave Germany 80% of its coalmines,50% of its industry, 26% of its railways, 26% of its people, and 27% of its farmland.
  • This infuriated many bolsheviks - Lenin had to sign it because he new that they could not afford to fight a civil war and the world war.
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16
Q

Who were the whites?

A

The Whites consisted of:

  • Kerensky and his troops
  • Kornilov and the Volunteer Army who wanted the Tsar to return
  • Russia’s WWI allies - Britain, France, Japan, USA
  • Kolchak, Deniken and Yudenich - White army commanders
  • Czech legion - 40,000 Czech soldiers who had been in the Tsar’s army
  • SRs/Mensheviks and basically anyone who wanted to get rid of the bolsheviks.
17
Q

Impact of the civil war

A
  • Russia was devastated by the civil war - the country had been at war since 1914.
  • Shortages of food and fuel.
  • Tsar and family murdered.
  • Army casualties.
  • Loss of workers in town.
  • Damaged land, property, road and rail links and telegraph lines.
  • Civilian casualties.
  • Skilled workers/professionals had left the country to live and work somewhere safer.
  • Bolsheviks lost support. War Communism and Red Terror alienated people.
  • No peace, land or bread!
  • The civil war had given the Bolsheviks experience of ruling - but on military lines. They were now used to giving and and enforcing orders with violence if necessary.
  • High levels of State control were imposed.
  • Executions were used.
  • The Army and the Cheka were used to control political opposition.
  • The war was cruel, brutal and ruthless - the ordinary people suffered the most.
18
Q

Events of the Civil War 1918–1921

A
  • The war lasted 3 years.
  • White armies led by Generals Yudenich and Denikin attacked Russia from the west, Admiral Kolchak from the east.
  • The Tsar and his family were put to death.
  • The Red Army defeated Kolchak in 1919 – after this the British, American and French armies went home.
  • The civil war caused shortages, famine and disease - millions died. There were many cruel atrocities.
  • The last White army in Russia was defeated in the Crimea in 1920.
  • The Red Army invaded Poland in 1921, but was defeated and driven back.
  • In 1922 The Tenth Party Congress declared the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
19
Q

Why The Bolsheviks Won The War

A
  1. Whites
    were disunited and thousands of miles apart, so Trotsky could fight them one by one.
  2. Trotsky
    was a brilliant war leader and strategist, so the Red Army had good tactics.
  3. Belief
    Many Russians were Communists, who believed they were fighting for a better world. Others fought for them because they hated foreign (British, American and French) armies invading Russia. This made the Bolshevik soldiers fervent and enthusiastic.
  4. War Communism
    The Bolsheviks nationalised the factories, and introduced military discipline. Strikes were made illegal. Food was rationed. Peasants were forced to give food to the government. This gave the Bolshevik armies the supplies they needed.
  5. Terror
    The Cheka murdered any Whites they found – more than 7000 people were executed, and Red Army generals were kept loyal by taking their families hostage – so the Bolsheviks were united.
  6. Wherewithal
    The Bolsheviks had control of the main cities of Moscow and Petrograd (with their factories), control of the railways (vital), an army of 300,000 men, very strict army discipline, and internal lines of communication – giving them the advantage in the war.
20
Q

War Communism

A

The Bolsheviks’ enemies tried to destroy the government, so in 1918-1921 the new government had to fight a Civil War. During the war, especially severe rules were introduced, called ‘War Communism’:

  • Larger factories taken over by the government.
  • Military discipline in factories and strikers shot.
  • Peasants had to give all surplus food to the government or be shot

–Strict rationing was introduced.

= very harsh tyranny. In the famine 1920 -1921, 7 million died of starvation and were reports of cannibalism

21
Q

Terror

A

The Bolsheviks created a totalitarian state:

  • The CHEKA (secret police) arrested, tortured and killed all opponents.
  • The Tsar and his family were killed
  • All newspapers were censored.
  • Lenin called this ‘the dictatorship of the proletariat’ (a dictatorship was needed until Russia was changed into a Communist country)

= terror/ no political freedom

22
Q

1921 - turning point

A
  • This was a year of crisis - by 1920 far production was 37% of 1913 levels
  • Food shortages turned into famine
  • Industries were producing NO consumer goods - riots and strikes were erupting in the cities
  • The economy had collapsed and the Bolsheviks were hated
23
Q

Causes of the NEP (Kronstadt mutiny)

A
  • In 1921, the sailors at the Kronstadt Naval Base mutinied.
  • They demanded free speech, free elections, free trade unions and an end to war communism. Trotsky’s Red Army put the mutiny down with great losses.
  • The mutiny scared the Bolsheviks, because the Kronstadt sailors had been their greatest supporters!
  • Lenin said later that the rebellion was ‘like a flash of lightning which threw more of a glare upon reality than anything else.’ So he abandoned the policy of War Communism and brought in the NEP
24
Q

The New Economic Policy

A

National freedoms
a. Lenin allowed freedom to national and Muslim cultures.

Experts
Coal, iron, steel and railways stayed nationalised, but the Bolsheviks brought in experts, on high wages, to increase production.

Private enterprise
a. Small factories were handed back to their owners.

b. New traders (called ‘nepmen’) were allowed to set up small private businesses.
c. At the same time - where War Communism had forced the peasants to hand over ALL their surplus grain - Lenin let them sell their surplus, and pay a tax instead. Some hard-working peasants became rich (the ‘Kulaks’).

25
Q

Results of the NEP

A
  1. Some of the Politburo (the inner cabinet of the government) opposed the NEP because it allowed capitalism.
  2. However, the NEP did something to restore prosperity - although production levels only passed the 1914 level in 1928.
  3. Many people were happier with the better standards of living
26
Q

Causes of the Civil War

A
  1. Challenge to the Bolsheviks:
    The Bolsheviks had seized power by a coup d’état. After 1918, their political opponents fought back:
  2. Czech Legion
    In 1918 some Czech prisoners of war who were being taken across Russia mutinied, took control of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and attacked towards Moscow.
  3. World Opposition to World Revolution
    The Bolsheviks set up the Comintern, led by Zinoviev. It said it would cause communist revolutions all over the world.

So foreign countries (also angry because Russia had dropped out of World War I) sent armies to destroy the Bolsheviks – British, American and French armies attacked from Archangel, Ukraine, and Vladivostock.

27
Q

Was Lenin a great leader?

NO

A
  • He seized power with a small band of revolutionaries without the support of most of the people – this led to dictatorship
  • He refused to share power especially with the SRs who had won the elections to the Constituent Assembly
  • He used ruthless methods and terror to stay in power
  • He was prepared to see millions of people suffer for his ideals
  • He stopped other people from expressing their opinions
  • He made the Communist party an organization for carrying out orders – no disagreement was allowed

History - Russia (3 decks)

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