Russia 4: Consolidation of Power

Question 1

Communist Government 1917

Answer 1

• 15 Bolsheviks
• 1922 became USSR (Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia and Transcaucasus)
• Lenine made the Cheka under Dzerzhisky
• 1918 alone executed 50k opponents of Bolsheviks

Question 2

Consolidation

Lenin’s Decrees

Answer 2

1. Peace - all countries should seek peace, called for armistic with Germany (Unrealistic)
2. Land - Nov 1917 owning land made illegal, gave 500m acres to peasants
3. Nationalities - ethnic minorities free, meant to prevent revolt
4. Workers’ rights - 8 hour day and max 48hour week, pensions, unemployment insurance

Question 3

Consolidation

Other measures

Answer 3

• Food supply to cities prioritised
• Church - Decree of Freedom of Conscience took away church’s priviledge, lost all land and power
• Women - Women declared = to men, divorce and abortion legalised
• Censorship - Non Bolshevik papers banned and cheka repressed protestors

Question 4

Constituent assembly: Elections and results

Answer 4

• Nov 1917 elections held for Constituent assembly
• Forced into it by Railway Workers threatining to strike
• SRs much more popular
• 175 Bolsheviks and 410 SRs

Question 5

Consituent Assembly: Response

Answer 5

• Met in Jan 1918
• CPC (15 Bolsheviks) proposed that CA passed all their decrees
• This was rejected by majority of 100
• Lenin sent in the red guard and dissolved the Assembly
• Ban on all opposition parties
• No more democratic elections until 1991

Question 6

BL

Terms of Brest-Litovsk

Answer 6

• Dec 1917
• Russia lost: Ukraine, Poland, Baltic territories, Caucauses and Finland
• Russia had to pay 300million gold rubles

Question 7

BL

Effects of Brest Litovsk

Answer 7

• 62million people lost (1/6 of pop)
• 27% of farmland
• 26% of railways
• 74% of iron and coal ore

Question 8

BL

Response to Brest Litovsk

Answer 8

• Seen as shameful
• Food shortages worsened
• July 1918 1mil people left Petrograd and workers reduced 60%
• Major cause of Civil War