Politics

Question 1

Constituent Assembly

Answer 1

• 5-6 Jan 1918
• Promise made by Bolsheviks
• Bols. Won 24% of seats (won proletariat vote)
• SRs won 52%
• Lenin argued some SR votes go to Bols. Because the left SRs support the Bols.
• Martial Law declared in Petrograd by Sovnarkom
• Protests in favour of CA dispersed by machine gun
• Mens. and SRs disapprove CEC approving Lenin’s Declaration that CA should uphold all reforms passed by Sovnarkom
• Bols. walked out and Red Guards force the others out
• Return to find Tauride Palace locked and notice that the CA is dissolved
• Little to no public opposition to dissolution

Question 2

Expulsion of Political Enemies

Answer 2

• June 14 1918: Mensheviks expelled from CEC under suspicion of ‘counter-revolutionary activity’.
• July 9: Left SRs expelled.
• Complete control of country politically

Question 3

Assassination Attempt on Lenin

Answer 3

• 30 Aug 1918: Lenin shot twice by Fanya Kaplan
• Threat to stability
  Significance:
• Kaplan believed to be a member of the SRs à SR’s become official enemies of Revolution ­
• Increase of Terror against political opponents
• Kaplan executed Sept 3 1918
• Leads to his death in 1927

Question 4

The Sovnarkom

Answer 4

• Council of People’s Commissars
• Each Commissar had a portfolio
• Josef Stalin: Commissar of Nationalities
• Alexandra Kollontai: Commissar of Social Welfare
• Accepts Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Question 5

The Early Decrees

Answer 5

• 26 Oct 1917: Decree on Land (peasants given right to seize land from gentry and redistribute. Peasants had been doing this since Feb 1917 so it looked like Bols. Were supporting peasants)
• 26 Dec 1917: Decree on Peace (proposes immediate withdrawal from WW1. Didn’t happen until March 1918)
• 27 Oct 1917: Decree on Press (bans rival publications)
• 2 Nov 1917: Decree on National Independence
• Dec 1917: Decree on Women’s Rights (marriage and divorce reform. Equal property rights)
• Result was to ease social tension