russia and the soviet union 1905-24 Flashcards
who were the Romanov’s
the family that had ruled russia for 300 years by 1905
who was tsar in 1905
tsar nicholas II
was nicholas II suited to being tsar
no, he was devoted to his family, but weak, indecisive and no attention to detail with no strong ideas of his own
what is an autocrat
a ruler who has absolute power over a country
what is the divine right of kings
the idea that the tsar had a divine right to rule russia, their position and power had been given to them by God and should only be passed through the family
why did russian people not criticise the tsar in 1905
they did not want to be arrested for opposition to the tsar, or to be thought of as not loyal
why were peasants discontent in 1905
they wanted more land, they were overtaxed and in desperate poverty.
why were industrial workers discontent in 1905
terrible working and living conditions, low pay, unemployment
why were radicals discontent in 1905
they wanted the peasants or workers to take power for themselves
why were other nationalities discontent in 1905
parts of the empire wanted to be independent and free from russian oppression
why were the middle classes discontent in 1905
they wanted a say in how russia was governed
why were the police state discontent in 1905
no one could feel free because the police were always watching
how much of the russian population were peasants
around 85%
when did russia start industrialising
1890’s
what were working and living conditions in the early 1910’s like
dangerous long hours low pay strict discipline housing shortages led to very poor living conditions for workers with widespread disease
what was most of russia’s middle class political beliefs
liberals
what did the middle class want to replace the tsarist regime with in 1905
a constitution that guaranteed rights to everyone, under a fair legal system
a census in 1897 recorded how many people in the russian empuire and how many of them were russian?
it recorded 125 million people,
44% russian
what was russification
the pressure to speak russian and adopt russian culture
when was the tsars grandfather (Alexander II) assassinated
1881
what does SR stand for
socialist revolutionaries
liberal definition
a person who believes in freedom from too much control by the state. freedom of speech and the right to vote are important to liberal values
radicals definition (adj)
having ideas that are very new and different, and against what most people think or believe
constitution definition
a written document that sets out how a country is governed
socialist definition
a person who thinks the state should own important industries and share the wealth created by these industries among everyone
what is the RSDP
russian social democratic party
when was the RSDP formed
1898
what did the RSDP follow
the ideas of Karl Marx
who was Karl Marx
a german revolutionary socialist
what were the two groups comprising the RSDP
the mensheviks and the bolsheviks
who was the bolsheviks lead by
Vladimir Ulyanov / Lenin
what was the Okhrana
the tsar’s secret division of the police force
when was the russo-japanese war
1904-1905
what part of china did russia want control over that lead to the russo-japanese war
manchuria
why did russia want control over manchuria
it had valuable resources like coal and silver and a port that did NOT freeze over in winter unlike russian ports
why did japan defeat russia in 1905
russia had old fashioned military tactics on land and at sea and so were easily beaten
when was bloody sunday
sunday 9th january 1905
where was bloody sunday
st petersberg
what was bloody sunday
a large crowd of protestors bringing a petition to the tsar
who led bloody sunday
father gapon
who did bloody sunday consist of
factory workers and their families
how many people signed the petition brought to the tsar on bloody sunday
150,000 people
what did the bloody sunday petition campaign for
an 8 hour working day
the right to organise trade unions
a constitution to guarantee the above rights and other freedoms in law
was the protest march of bloody sunday peaceful
yes
what did the protestors shout at soldiers on bloody sunday
abuse including insults about military failures in manchuria
how did the soldiers respond to the abuse shouted at them by protestors on bloody sunday
they fired two rounds of warning shots,
the regimes elite troops charged into. the crowd, attacking with their whips and then with swords,
soldiers fired into the crowd
how many protestors were killed and wounded on bloody sunday
200 killed
hundreds injured.
what did russian sailors face
tough discipline and tough conditions
quartermaster def
a loweranking officer with responsibility for steering the ship and signalling other ships
executive officer def
the second - in command after the captain
quartermaster of the battleship potemkin
a socalist called matyushenko
what was the black sea fleet
the main part of russias navy
when did the potemkins cooks report that the meat was full of maggots
14th june 1905
what did the potemkins executive officer threaten to do to men who didnt eat the meat
shoot them.
what set off the potemkin mutiny
one of the leading mutineers did not eat the meat and was shot
what happened at the potemkin mutiny
sailors grabbed the officers who shot the mutineer and threw him in the water and then shot him. the sailors then attacked the rest of the officers, killing and locking them up. a socalist peoples commitee took control.
where did the mutineers sail the battleship potemkin
odessa
what did nicohlas ii do about the demonstrations in odesa
ordered army to stop them whcih they did by shooting over 1000 citizens
what happened to the mutineers of the battleship potmekin
they failed to spread themutiny around the rest of the black sea fleet and they were forced to sail around the black sea avoiding recapture adnd looking for supplies. they were given asylum after sinking the ship.
peasant riots in response in the 1905 revolution
rioting against landlords
3000 manor houses burnt down
communes
industrial worker responses in the 1905 revolution
400,000 strikes in january 1905
general strike 20th september to 5th october 1905
who participated in the general strike in 20th sept to 20th oct 1905
important industry workers, like railway. it was then linked with the middle classes who wanted political reform
what was the st petersberg soviet
sept-dec 1905.
council of workers to help organise the general strike. shut down by government
showed potential resistance and what the people could do
what was in the october manifesto
new civil rights: freedom of speech, religion, right to form political parties and right to form trade unions
duma
new laws would have to be approved by elected reps of the people
were people happy at the october manifestio
delighted liberal mdidle classes but did nothing for the working classes or peasants or soldiers.
repression in 1905
workers and peasants strike kept under control by loyal army
extreme violence used by government
attempts at demonstrations caused casulties by tsarist troops
newspapers and trade unions closed
trials and executions and banishments
this unrest continued until 1905
why did nicohlas ii survive the 1905 revolution
concessions: october manifesto
disunited opposition
the military stayed loyal to the tsar
delegate def
someone who has been elected to vote or take decisions for a group or representatives
veto def
the right to reject a decision made by parliment, like a decision for a new law
dissolve def
when a parliment is dissolved, it mean that parliment is ended and a new one has to be elected
powers of the tsar over the first duma (first russian state duma)
the state council could block anything passed by the duma. members chosen by the tsar (BIAS)
tsar had authority over armed services, foreign policy, veto anything, could dissolve duma, and when duma wasnt there could pass anything
only tsar could change the fundamental laws
when were the fundamental laws
april 1906
when was the october manifesto
october 1905
first duma time
april to july 1905
second duma time
februrary to june 1907
third duma time
november 1907 to june 1912
fourth duma time
november 1912 to februrary 1917
political orinetation of the union of the russian people
ultra-conservatives
political orientation of the russian social democratic party
extreme left wing
political orientation of the constitutional democrats (Kadets) and the octobrists
middle ground
kadets were slightly more…
liberal
octobrists were slightly more…
conservative
first duma
dominated by kadets and trudoviks.
very radical
10 weeks before it was dissolved which increased liberal opposition
second duma
222 SR’s
showed revolutionary parties how their aims would not be met through elections
third and fourth dumas
more conservative deputies to be elected
liberals shocked at the massive majority of conservatives. showed the unwillingness of the gov to give up any power
third duma lasted full term
fourth duma contained even more right wing nationalist parties
stolypins land reforms/wager on the strong
let indiviual peasant leave the commune and set up their own farms. then russia would be a country of indiviual farmult farms and less profit sharing means farmers migh t use more modern farming methods.
did the wager on the strong work
it encouraged peasant migration to siberia. in 12 years, 3.5 million peasants moved to siberia.
farmers stll treated it like they were in a commune
what caused the lena goldfields strike
terrible working conditions for gold miners
rotten horsemeat was the food
this led to a strike which spread through the goldfields.
stike workers arrested this turned into a mass protest of workers.
how many killed in lena goldfields massacre
200-500 and hundreds more wounded
did the lena goldfields strke increase the number of strikes
yes there were nearly 2000 more after
ally def
a country that agrees to help another country
mobilisation def
gathering together, organising and equipping an army and moving it towards the enemy
when serbia and austrian tensions grew in the first world war who did russia support
serbia
when serbia and austrian tensions grew in the first world war who did germany support
austria
short term effect of world war one in russia
public felt patriotic and taxes were raised (with support of duma) to pay for the war. tsar popularity increased. russias army largest in the wart in 1914
what led to the growing discontent at the first world war in russia
germany used efficent railway system and won tannenberg. russia lost 122,000 men and huge amounts of supplies. more defeats.
long term effect of world war one in russia
sadness at loss of so many russian men. not enough weapons and supplies for army. soldiers didnt have warm clothes or enough food. voluntary organisations set up to help get food to them.
when did nicohlas ii decide to take control of the russian army and navy
1915
should nicholas ii have taken control fo the military
no he had no experience and any downfalls meant he was blamed entirely.
economic effects of ww1
17 billion roubles
prohibition - no more money coming in, so national debt increased
coal mining industries under german territory
military demanded a ban on frain exports so they could use it.
not enough labour as everyone at war
social effects of world war one
not enough food
inflation increased faster than wages
gender imbalance
number of jobs fell sharply as factories lost their markets.
why was the fourth duma suspended in august 1914
so the government could concentrate on winning the war
how was the progressive bloc formed
members of the duma demanded the tsar’s failing government should be replaced by duma deputies in a ministry of national confidence. the tsar refused so around half the duma deputies formed the progressive bloc
when did the duma resume after being suspended for the war
november 1916
regent def
the person appointed to govern the country because the ruler is away, ill or too young to rule
why did the tsarina contribute to the february revolution in 1917
she was dedicated to autocracy and refused to deal with the duma
she was german
she became obssessed with rasputin
who was rasputin
a siberian peasant-monk with “mystic healing powers”.
who was prince alexis
the tsar and tsarina’s son
what disease did prince alexis have
haemophilia
why did rasputin make the royal family look bad
there were rumours of him and the tsarina having an affair
it made it look like the tsarina was intentionally trying to lose the war
gave the appearance that he was the real ruler of the russian empire
when was rasputin murdered
december 1916
what religion were most russians at the time
orthodox christians
when was the international womens day protests
23 February 1917
when do troops open fire on protestors in 1917
26 February 1917
when does the petrograd soviet issue order number one
27 Februrary 1917
when did tsar nicohlas ii abdicate
2 March 1917
when is the provisional government established
2 March 1917
why was there a shortage of food and fuel in 1917
the severe winter of 1916-17
what were the series of protests in early 1917 for
to protest against the tsars rule
long term causes of the februaray revolution
the tsar had given up very little of his autocratic powers in practice,
and the fear of revolution had made russia even more of a police state than before.
industrial workers had terrible working conditions
peasants struggled in conditions of terrible poverty
many nationalities wanted independence from the tsar
short term causes of the februrary revolution
contempt for tsarina the army's mutiny against the tsar's rule unusually mild winter weather demonstrations in support of the duma the international womens day protests industral unrest strikes announcement of bread rationing food shortages in petrograd the tsar being away from petrograd
why were there food shortges 1916-17
railway transport focussed on getting supplies to the front
why did peasants sell less grain 1916-17
there was less to buy with the money they made
were people angry at the failures of the army 1916-17
unsuccessful leadership of russian armies, blamed directly on tsar
what were the international womens day protests 1917 against
food shortages.
on international womens day 1917 who did the strikers join
industrial workers striking
how many people marched through the streets of petrograd between the 23rd and 25th of februrary
250,000
how could protestors gather outside in 1916-17
unusually mild winter weather.
why did tsar nicohlas ii leave on 22 feb 1917
to return to army headquarters in mogilev.
what did the tsar order on the 25th februrary 1917
the police and soldeiers to enter petrograd and end the unrest
why was the tsars order on 25th feb 1917 important
the army had to decide whether to join the protests or stick with the tsar
how many people died on the 26th feb 1917
- some called it a second bloody sunday
which regiment were shocked that the petrograd regiment had shot 50 troops
the pavlovsky regiment. they refused to obey orders to fire on demonstators. this was a mutiny
when did the army join the protestors in 1917
27-28 feb
what did the army and protestors break into
petrograds main weapon store. they took over 40,000 rifiles and 30,000 revolvers
how many protestors were there combined in feb 1917
150,000 soldiers + 250,000 mutineers = 400,000
what WAS the tsars plans on hearing the reports of the mutiny in petrograd on the 27th February
he ordered general Ivanov to take the troops to the capital and enforce order. he also decided to travel to petrograd himself (unadvised to do so). however some of Ivanov’s troops were showing signs of mutiny and so the army leaders were worried that bringing more troops to petrograd would result in a larger mutiny - revolution, so russia would not be able to fight in the war.
who came to pskov on the 2nd march
senior army officers and members of the duma
why did senior army officers and members of the duma come to pskov on the 2nd march
to urge nicohlas ii to abdicate
what happened when tsar nicohlas ii abdicated
michael refused the throne and russia became a republic in spring 1917.
who led the PG first
prince lvov
give three parties formed at the power vaccuum in 1917
petrograd soviet of workers’ and soldiers’ deputies
provisional committee (12 duma deputies)
provisional gov
what was the idea/plan for the PG
it would run russia until democratic elections could take place for a constiutent assembly within 6 months.
eight principles of the PG
political prisoners or exiles to be freed or allowed to return
freedom of speech, press and to hold meetings
no class, religious or nationality discrimination
preparations for the election of the constituent assembly to write a constution
all police organisations to be replaced by an elected people’s militia
local governments to be elected
military units that took part in the revolution should not be disbanded or sent to the front to fight.
off duty soldiers to have the same rights as civilians.
weaknesses and challenges of the PG
dual control
order number one of petrograd soviet
no one elected PG unlike PS and made up of duma deputied elected under tsarism
what was dual control
where the PG had to share power with the petrograd soviet
what was the petrograd soviets order number one
they had the final say on military matters.
mistakes of the PG
continuing WW1
delaying elections
delaying reforms
allowing more freedom
why did the PG continue WW1
to rely on allied countries to invest in it’s recovery, which they might not if they left the war. but many russians wanted out of the war
why did the PG delay elections
although always intending on doing them, could not organise it and delaying it made it look like they were deliberately trying to stay in power
why did the PG delay reforms
they beleived whatever land reform took place should be orgnanised and decided and carried out by the constituent assembly
what was bad about the PG allowing more freedom
freedom of speech meant people could openly criticize the PG
when was alexander keresenky appointed minister of war
may 1917
aim of the june offensive
a victory would win support for the PG and and boost army confidence.
what happened in the june offensive
the russian front collapsed and the army was pushed back thousands of kilometres
other mistakes of the PG
failure to improve economy or solve shortages
continuing to fight the june offensive
lack of decisive leadership
why was the impact of the petrograd soviet limited
worreid about tsarist forces trying to take back russia
run by mensheviks and marxists who believed in a socalist revolution for russia, but required a bourgeois phase, aka the PG.
russia already had many problems to deal with, so it kept away from the duma to not get blamed for the things going wrong in russia
impact of petrograd soviet
didnt challenge PG directly but used power to influence policies
order number 1
lenin got control of the PS and this was very important for the october revolution of 1917
how did lenin know about the februrary revolution
through reports sent to him whilst he was in exile
why did the germans permit lenin to travel back to rusia
they wanted him to argue to get russia out of the first world war (as they were enemies) and so put him in a sealed train so that he could not interact with german socalists
leading bolsheviks as lenin returned from exile
kamnev and stalin
what did kamnev and stalin think and who did they agree with
mensheviks over how russia was far away from a socalist revolution and now they should defend the feb rev from a counter revolution
what did lenin want to bring to russia
a marxist revolution
what was in the april theses
ending all cooperation with the PG and any other party helping them
a campaign to end the war
the nationalisation of all land
education of workers and peasants so they could see all power must go to the soviets
industry to be controlled by the soviets
what encouraged other bolsheviks to follow lenin’s lead
his determination and personality; slogans and speeches
what percent of representatives for the all-russian congress of soviets was bolshevik
13%
what percent of representatives for the all-russian congress of soviets was menshevik and SR
66%
why did Bolshevik support grow through the summer of 1917
by june 1917 bolshevik newspapaers were widespread criticizing the PG
april theses provided a clear strong message.
bolsheviks were successcul in recriting armed workers’ militas (red guards).
germans secretly paid the bolsheciks money in the hopes lenin would pull russia out of the war
why did workers support the bolsheviks
he explained that bolsheviks would do this for the proletariat and they thought that the party would help them take control of factories for themselves.
when did the PG introduce bread rationing
march 1917
reasons for the july days
continuing shortages of food
complete failure of the june offensive
effective bolshevik propoganda
why did the june offensive take place
in the hopes a victory would win support and boost army morale.
did the june offensive succeed
no the russian army was pushed back hundreds of kilometres. the june offensive showed that russian military could not rely on their soldiers
who started the july days
anarchist revolutionaries that convinced soldiers to join an anti-government demonstration
did the bolsheviks oppose the july days
initally but then encouraged suporters ot join in. lenin thought they could overthrow the PG.
when was the july days
3rd - 7th july 1917
did the PS support the july days
no the soviet leadership met with the leaders of the PG and agreed to work together. a thunderstorm on the 4th july dispersed the crowds and and on the 5th july the government brought troops back from the front and asked them to surround bolshevik HQ. hundreds of bolsheviks were arrested, including trotsky, and lenoin was forced to flee to finland.
who did kerensky appoint as commander in chief for the russian army
general kornilov
what did general kornilov want kerensky to do
introduce martial law and break the power of the soviets
what was the response to kornilov’s request
kerensky saw this as a challenge to his leadership an dismissed him. the russian middle class strongly criticized this idea because they were worried about the workers seizing their homes, businesses and belongings.
what did kornilov do after being dismissed
he sent troops to petrograd on the 24th august with a plan of shutting down the petrograd soviet and restoring order in the city
what was done in preparation when kornilov was travelling with his troops to petrograd
soldiers and workers began to prepare the city.
kerensky allowed the bolshecils to arm their supporters to defend the city and the PS
the bolsheviks used red guard units to do so.
at the same time, railway workers blocked kornilov’s route into petrograd. the bolsheviks convinced kornilov’s troops to stop their march and desert their officers.
why is the kornilov revolt seen as a turning point in the russian revolution
boosted support for bolsheviks
weakened reputation of kerensky and the PG, losing some of its crucial support.
why was the kornilov revolt beneficial to the bolsheviks
they could present themselves as heroes/saving petrograd/defending the revolution.
how many supporters did the bolsheviks gain from january 1917 to october 1917
316 000
consequences of the kornilov revolt in relation to the bolsheviks
red guards added military power
40,000 bolshevik supporters kept hold of their weapons after the kornilov revolt had ended.
army discipline collapsed
hundreds of officers murdered
tens of thousands of soldiers deserted and returned to their villages
rioting and seizing land from peasants
key stages/event of the bolshevik takeover of power
- lenin returns to russia
- military revolutionary committee set up
- kerensky tries to stop the bolsheviks
- the bolsheviks seize control
key stage one: lenin returns to russia
lenin and the bolsheiks could see the PG was close to collapse. on 10 october, lenin secretly returned to petrograd from finland. lenin puts forward the case for an armed takeover of power.
key stage two: the military revolutionary committee is set up
rumours spread that the bolsheviks were planning an armed takeover, so kerensky tried to send bolshevik-influenced army units out of petrograd. the PS claimed that kerensky was planning a counter-attack and it set up the MRC to bring together all the soviet supporting soldiers in petrograd. by 21 october, most of petrograd’s regiments had promised loyalty to the MRC
key stage three: kerensky tries to stop the bolsheviks
kerensky orders crackdown on bolshecils, closing newspapers, blocking river crossings and calling for the arrest of the MRC.
lenin and trotsky call this a counter revolution.
trotsky (head of PS) used the MRC to take control of bridges, army HQ and telegraph office. meanwhile, Kerensky had to travel around petrograd by car, looking for any soldiers who would defend the provisional government from the bolsheviks.
key stage four: the bolsheviks sieze control
the red guards seized more key areas on the 24-25 of october. (almost no opposition)
over the next two days bolshevik soldiers climb through windows of winter palace and arrest remaining PG members. other parties claimed the bolseheviks had acted without their agreement and risked setting off a civil war that would ruin russia and socalism.
many left the PS in protest.
council of perople’s commissiars
when did lenin form the council of people’s commissiars
26th october 1917
why were the bolsheviks successful at seizing power in october 1917?
role of lenin
role of trotsky
failures of the PG
why was the role of lenin influential in the seizing of power in october 1917
he thought differently, changing the parties view and his strong personality shaped the outcome of events. (e.g. before his return from switzerland, the bolsheviks and other socalist parties thought they should support the PG because russia wasnt ready for a socalist revoluton)
lenins april theseses and slogans
lenin convinced and persuaded bolsheviks now was the time to take force, and also developed successful strategy
why were the failures of the PG influential in the seizing of power in october 1917
kornilov revolt weakened kerensky
army and navy had lost all discipline and the PG couldnt count on them (to maintain law and order)
peasants were seizing land everywhere and the PG could not stop this, causing loss of support from landowners.
advance of german armt into russia, so plans were made to move the capital to moscow, which the bolsheviks claimed was a plan to surrender petrograd to germans.
why was the role of trotsky influential in the seizing of power in october 1917
organised Bolshevik takeover of power in petrograd following lenins strategy. his clever tactics contrasted to the bolshevik attempt to takeover power in moscow which was badly organised and fighting continued for days.
trotsky a hero among revolutionary socalists because of his role in the 1905 revoltion. brilliant speeches.
president of PS gave bolshevijks control of the MRC which made it easier to get the petrograd military’s suppport.
trotsky set up the takeover so it looked like a soviet takeover, not just a bolshevik takeover.
impact of kerensky’s promise of elections for the constituent assembly in november 1917 on lenin
the bolsheviks didnt think they could win as russia’s huge peasant population liked the SR’s, so lenin had to act before november.
which areas were included in the RSFSR
petrograd, moscow and the region inbetween.
why was there a problem with the bolshevik promise of immediate elections for the ocnstituent assembly
most peasants still supported the SR’s.
but if they didnt hold elections, they would lose support.
what were the bolshevik views on the constituent assembly elections when in power
to work together in a new constituent assembly.
lenin did not agree.
problems with the bolsheviks peace promise
costly peace deal with germany
problems with the bolshevik land promise
it was SR’s who would benefit from a stronger peasantry in russia, bolsheviks were a party of industrial workers and belived in state run farms
problems with the bolshevik bread promise
they needed to take food from the peasants for the workers to end city food shortages but this would be difficult if peasants had all the land
problems with the all power to the soviets promise
when the bolshevik party took control it was only supposed to run post revolutionary russia for a short time, until the workers and the peasants were ready to run the country for themselves through soviets. but to deliver on this would mean the bolsheviks giving up control of russia.
future of the bolsheviks
one party, not a democracy.
instead of all power to soviets, bolsheviks held onto power tightly, and just as authoritarian as tsarist autocracy.
instead of temporary, they ruled for several decades.
instead.
four soviet socalist republics created by bolsheviks
one for russia, one for ukraine, one for belorussia and one for transcaucasia. = USSR
what was the Sovnarkom
a newly created body to govern russia created by lenin
who controlled the Sovnarkom
bolsheviks
1917 decrees
decree on peace
decree on land
decree on workers rights
decree on nationalities
decree on peace
all countries in war to seek peace
armistice for russian troops
decree on land
land taken away from wealthy landowners and now belonged to peasants.
in december, church land was also nationalised
decree on workers rights
8 hour working day
unemployment insurance for those unable to work
decree on workers control
workers committeees now ran their own factories
decree on nationalities
all different people of the old russian empire could have their own governments.
but these remaine under bolshevik control
when were the 1917 decrees
immediately after the takeover, November - December 1917
other measures (except decrees) of the council of the people’s commissars
marriage and divorce bacame civil matters
women declared equal to men and could now own property
ranks and saluting in the army were abolished with titles and class distinctions.
opposition press banned and cheka set up
results of the constituent assembly elections
SR’s won 53% of the votes, and bolsheviks got just under half. they did well in cities and ordinary soldiers. but most peasants voted for SR’s.
bolshevik response to 1917 elections
they rejected the results of the elections
when was the first meeting of the constituent assembly
5th january 1918
what happened at the first meeting of the constituent assembly
the council of peoples commissiars w made a proposal for the assembly to pass of all the key decrees. it was rejected and it realised theat granting all power to the soviets would make the consitituent assembly irrelevant
lenin’s response/reaction to the first meeting of the constituent assembly
he claimed this proved they did not represent the will of the people. the constituent assembly was opposing the will of the soviets. the bolshevik delgates walked out of the assembly in protest.
what happened in the second attempt at a meeting of the constituent assembly
lenin brought in red guards to refuse to let it open. shortly after, all political parties but bolsheviks were banned.
where was the conference held to discusss russia leaving the war
german HQ brest-litovesk
who was put in charge of negotiations of the treatly brest-litovsk
trotsky
why did negotiations of the treaty of brest-litovsk continue for 2 months
trotsky was sure a german revolution was about to happen so delayedit
what did trotsky announce when there was no german revolution
russia would not continue fighting and would not pay any compensation or land. trotsky thought the german army would ebe exhausted and would not be able to continue fighting. this was not true and germany ended the armistice to continue their invasion of russia. moscow made capital city
did lenin want peace with germany
yes and he demanded trotsky get it at whatever the price. he also knew the bolsheviks could not win the revolution and a war at the same time, and he wanted to win the revolution
what would happen if the germans beat the russians in the war
the bolsehviks and their revolution would be finished
why did the germans set extremely harsh conditions for russia leaving the war
they knew how desperately russia wanted to leave
what were the conditions of the treaty brest-litovsk
lose huge area of its former western territory. including: 26% of population 50% of industry 300 million gold roubles
how much of russia’s population did they lose due to the treaty
26%
how much of industry did russia lose due to the treaty
50%
how much farmland did russia lose due to the treaty
27%
perception of the treaty throughout russia
shameful way to leave war
russia far weaker than previously
urban-rural migration to grow food
how many people had moved to the countryside by june 1918
1 million peopl
why were conservatives convinced to stop the bolsheviks in 1918
to save russia from further humiliation and defeat
how were the bolsheviks split by the treaty
those who wanted a socalist revolution complained bitterly that all the treaty did was help russia to survive as an imperialist power.
lenin believed the bolsheviks had no choice.
which groups opposed the bolsheviks in the civil war
monarchists
upper and middle classes
supporters of the constituent assembly
other nationalities
why did monarchists oppose the bolsheviks
wanted the tsar back in power
why did upper and middle classes oppose the bolsheviks
in danger of losing everything
why did supporters of the constituent assembly oppose the bolsheviks
hated the new dictatorships of the bolsheviks
who were the reds
the bolsheviks
who were the whites
a collection of different groups who wanted to get rid of the bolsheviks
characteristics of the reds
ruthless
disciplined
organised
trotsky was totally devoted to winning as commisisar for war
what was the bolshevik army called
the red army
what was the red guard made up of
several thousand volunteers who were given a rifle and a little military training.
what was the red army made up of
recruited officers from the tsars old army
each one was supervised by bolshevik political commissiar
officers were told that their families would suffer is they betrayed the red army in any way.
political commissiars often executed any soldier who did not attack when ordered to, or deserted.
when was compulsory military service introduced
may 1918 in areas controlled by the bolsheviks
how many men were in the red army in 1921
5.4 million in the red army
characteristics of the whites
all different groups fighting to defeat the reds
give groups included in the whites
SR’s
constituent assembly
ultra conservatives
army officers angered by the treaty of brest-litovsk
regions fighting the reds
siberia
estonia
the south
samara, south-central russia
characteristics of the greens
peasants who joined together to fight for their local areas.
rare to advance forward (just defended)
involvement of other countries in the civil war
britian sent supplies worth a hundred million pounds to the whites.
japan sent 70,000 troops to try and take land during unrest.
usa sent some troops to stop japan doing this
50,000 men from the czech republic and slovenia (czech legion) took control of large stretches of the trans-siberian railway
what was the key event one of the civil war
treaty of brest-litovsk, 3rd march 1918
what was the key event two of the civil war
trotsky becomes war commissar, 13th march 1918
what was the key event three of the civil war
involvement of the czech legion, may 1918
what was the key event four of the civil war
execution of the royal family, 17th july 1918
what was the key event five of the civil war
fanya kaplan shoots lenin, 30th august 1918
treaty of brest-litovsk, key event one
united opposition to the bolsehviks both in russia and in other countries.
germany could now concentrate troops on the western front, increasing the likelihood of their win. this meant other countries in the war backed up the whites.
trotsku becomes war commissar, key event two
he organised the red army, ensured discipline and he kept army morale high
involvement of the czech legion, key event three
the czech legion was leaving when trotsky requested their weapons. they refused, and took control of the trans-siberian railway with the SR’s. increased threadt due to experience of the SR’s
execution of the royal family, key event four
when the white forces (joined by the czech legion) arrived dclose, the bolsheviks shot nicholas, his wige and children, and four servants. many members of the whites watned tsarist monarchy back, and nicohlas could have brought in a lot of support (so the bolsheviks killed him)
where were nicohlas and his family being held before their execution
yekaterinburg
fanya kaplan shoots lenin, key event five
fanya kaplan was a radical socalist revolutionary who wanted to assassinate lenin as a traitor to the revolution for shutting down the consituent assembly. she shot him 3 times, only wounding him seriously. this led to the red terror.
what was the red terror
where the bolsheviks used their secret police, the cheka, to arrest suspected opponents and execute them without trial. once the red army had taken control of an area from the whites, the cheka would often go around frightening the people living there to make sure they supported the reds.
what was key event six of the civil war
eastern europe russia offensive, 18th november 1918
what was key event seven of the civil war
yudenich and denikin advance on petrograd and moscow, october 1919
eastern europe offensive, key event six
the red army could force some of the white army (led by admiral Kolchak) to retreat, while it was 800km away from moscow
yudenich and denikin advance on petrograd and moscow, key event seven
general yudenich’s white forces were nearly at petrograd but were driven back to estonia by the reds. the southern army of general denikin came 520km to moscow but were driven back by an execellent counter attack organised by trotsky. this was the closest the whites had gotten to winning the war.
what was key event eight of the civil war
tambov uprisings, august 1920
what was key event nine of the civil war
battle perekop, 7-15 november 1920
tambov uprisings, key event eight
when the bolsehviks increased grain tax, a series of uprisings took place in tambov. it lead to the creation of a green peasant army. 70,000 peasants were defending their region from the reds by feb 1921. once the whites had been defeated, the reds sent 10,000 troops into the area and used poison gas to kill peasants hiding in forests.
battle of perekop, key event nine
the red army defeated the white army led by general wrangel in the final battle of the civil war. the bolsheviks won.
why did most people expect the whites to win in 1918
they were led by russia’s most experienced military leaders, and had plenty of foreign support. the bolsehviks only controlled a small area of russia and had no foreign support.
significance of the lack of the whites having an overall leader
white attacks unorganised so easier to fight against.
not all fighting for the same thing (monarchist whites wanted tsarism and SR white wanted the constituent assembly)
some leaders didn’t like eachother much
made ensuring discipline and keeping morale high hard
significance of the poor reputation of the whites
many whites wanted to reverse the bolshevik revolution, which included getting their land back from peasants, so they received very little peasant support.. therefore they had to use brutal force against the reds, decreasing their reputation even more.
significance of the locations of white forces
they were all based on the outer areas of russia, attacking towards the centre. industries were in the centre, railwau network led to the centre and largest population was in the centre. this meant getting supplies, new recruits, and efficient communication and coordination was much harder.
significance of the size of the whites
much smaller than red army (as the reds could easily recruit peasants to remain in their regions and defend from attack) as the whites had to ask the peasants to leave their regions and march to the centre to attack. peasants were very reluctant to do this
maximum number of red soldiers
250,000
how many men did reds have by 1921
5 million
how many fronts were the reds fighting in 1920
16 different fronts
strength for reds through leon trotsky
strict discipline
boosted army morale by constant travel in famous train
organised reds
strength for reds through central location
easy access to industries
easy access to railway network (easy transportation of supplies and transport troops)
only had to travel relatively short distances to get to each front
easy recruitment as already in a high population density
strength of propaganda for reds
striking images and powerful slogans increased support
e.g. red propoganda said the whites would take away peasant land
what did lenin do while trotsky led the red army
focused on tackling the enormous economic problems in russia, especially food shortages and falling industrial production. lenin brought in war communism
impact of the red terror
fear and opposition to bolsheviks
how many people were killed by the cheka between 1918 and 1920
300,000
when did the cheka kill people
when the red army captured an area from the white, they sent in the cheka to punish (execute) anyone they thought helped the whites.
when the bolsheviks put the state in charge of the economy what did they control
the state decided what to produce (not private business owners)
the state decided how much needed to come from farmers (not the farmers choosing how much to make)
the state decided how supplies would be divide and shared so that the bolsheviks had what they needed to win the war.
why did lenin introduce war communism
so that the russian economy could meet the needs of the russian military and industrial workers. the red army had to be supplied with food, clothing and weapons to win the civil war, so required workers to work harder and factories to be run more efficently.
what was the position of the peasants under war communism
could not sell their crops
grain requisition
peasants were left a little for their own needs.
consequence of war communism of peasants
they started hiding their grain and food, even though anyone suspecting of hoarding food was shot
what did war communism introduce in cities to do with food
food rationing, with soldiers and workers getting more food than others
what was the supreme economic council
a new central planning organisation that was introduced in december 1917. it decided what the economy needed and set targets. workers soviets no longer made decisions for their factories.
which factories were antionalised and given produciton targets by the government
factories with more than 10 people
who was put under gov control and what was banned
workers and strikes.
what was labour conscription
everyone old enough to work was forced to work. they could be moved from one city to another.
industries were producing what % of what they were in 2013
60%
after the treaty, how much land had the bolsheviks lost
40% of industrial areas of the old russian empire.
transport network position in 1917 when the bolsheviks took control
disrupted, and raw materials were not getting to factories.
bank position in 1917 when the bolsheviks took control
not lending any money to factories.
how did the bolsheviks try to persuade workers to work harder
firstly, persuasion and proporganda. when this didnt work, they brought in stricter disicpline of moving workers around (forbidding them to leave that sector of work) and labour conscription where anyone over the age of 16-50 could be forced to work for the state (manual labour usually in factories or railways). they were overworked and were in harsh conditions.
reasons for the increase in food shortages after 1917
loss of farmland from the treaty
whites were controlling a number of important farming areas
what did the bolsheciks promise the peasants during grain requisiton
they promised compensation to peasants in the future.
how much garin was being collected by the red army by 1918
less than 1 milion tonnes of grain from the peasants in a year.
how much garin was being collected by the red army by 1920
6 million tonnes. still was not enough.
ideological reasons for war communism
the bolsheviks thought this was how the state should be run.
what did the bolsheviks replace money with
tokens, with which workers exchanged for food and clothing.
what happened as a result of requistioning
the peasants were left with too little to eat and sometimes not enough seeds to plant next years crops.
why were there revolts sometimes whole region due to requestioning
hoarding grain was met with increasing levels of violence (to meet requestioning targets)
why did many peasants decide to kill their animals
to avid them being requestioning
how did bolsheviks justify the conflicts during war communism
they blamed rich peasants who were resisting requestioning brigades. the kulaks were seen as anti revolution capitalists and the peasants were seen as supporters.
why did so many workers migrate back to family villages
the severity of food shortages increased
how many people left moscow from 1918-20
half of moscows population
how much food did the black market suppky during war communism
70%
had the kronstadt naval base unit been supportive of the revolution in russia
yes. it guarded petrograd.
what did the kronstadt naval base do during the rvolution
murderedtsarist officers, set up a soviet, took part in the july days, joined the red guard and defended petrograd from kornilov, and then agian from the PG. they were among the troops lenin used to shut down the constituent assembly and had been called hereos of the revolution.
what were the kronstadt sailors and other workers angry about
workers food shortages and lack of freedom
bolshevilk bureaucrats had more food than workers and enjoyed comfortable homes.
how many red army guards were used to storm the kronstadt naval base
50,000 red army soldiers while it was still possible to attack across the gulf of finland.
how mant sailors escaped across the ice to finland during the kronstadt naval base
8000
how many kronstadt sailors were executed for rebelling
500
significance of the kronstadt naval mutiny
growth in bolshevik oppostition. war communism ad to be abandoned in order for russia to not be at risk.
how many people were affected by the famines in the volga regions in 1921, and how many dying
20 million with 5 million dying
political crisis in 1920
the bolsheviks could not blame the whites anymore for causing trouble so protests occured, with 3/4 of petrograd factories on strike, the imprisonment or execution of workers who missed production targets, and great unrest due to food requestioning.
what did the kronstadt mutiny force lenin to recognise
the war communism that lenin hoped would turn russia into a communist state was failing, and it was destroying any trust that the Bolsheviks had gained.
when did lenin propose to end war communism
10th party congress in march 1921
what changed with the NEP
free market reintroduced. peasants could sell their produce at the price they wanted, however had to [pay a 10% tax.
grain requestition ended
any banks and businesses with fewere than 20 workers could again be privately owened and run to make a profit.
foreign experts were brought in to improve the running of factories.
any russians could open a shop and sell or hire goods for a profit. those who did so became known as nepmen.
effect of the NEP (agriculture)
agricultural production increased rapidly - peasants grew a lot more food. they still had to produce a fixed amount of food for the gov but could sell anything left over.
what were many peasants paying tax in instead of grain
cash, making them more keen to earn profit
effect of the NEP (production)
free trade allowed for people to trade again, so peasants and traders started to move food crops to sell in towns and cities. rationing abolished which increased eagerness for money
what was the new currency in 1922
chervonets
effect of the NEP (industry)
lot of demand for simple manufactured products like clothes and shoes, many traders went directly from factories to countryside and industrial growth increased.
effect of the NEP (foreign governments)
some foreign governments thought the end of the end of war communism meant that the soviet union’s experiment with communism was over, and so a number of them made trade deals with the soviet union in order to encourage them to capitalism and consequently boosted their finances
what was the scissor crisis 1923
when so much food was produced that food prices fell. however industrial production was still slowly developing and this meant that the price for manufactured good remained high.
effect of the scissors crisis 1923
peasants were less eager to sell their crops as they had to sell low and buy manufactured goods high. this meant that the gov became concerned that there would soon not be enough grain from peasant farmers to feed people in the cities.
what did the gov do to decrease the scissors crisis 1923
they took steps to lower industrial prices.
was the NEP good for peasants
yes especially for those with the most amount of money as they could take adv of it and make lots of profit. gradually, peasant revolts ended (partly due to regions being overwhelmed with red army)
who were nepmen
traders who had made profits from the food shortages and manufactured products by travelling to where prices were highest.
what recovered due to the NEP
shops, restuarants, cafes, banks, hotels, theatres
why did most bolsheviks initially go along with the NEP
the economic and political crisis was so bad it was needed. lenin said it was short term.
why was the NEP worrying
was not in line with communist theory
looked like a return to capitalism
NEP favoured the peasants over prioritising workers to keep food prices low.
made the most successful peasant farmers even richer than the rest of the peasant population.
how was the NEP not in line with communist theory
it ended state control of industry and agricultre, more banks, private trade and money
how did the NEP look like a return to capitalism
some people got very rich and some became much poorer
how did the NEP appear to favour peasants
it let peasants charge as high prices as they could (which increased peasant monetary gain but meant workers went unprioritised and had to pay high prices)
how did the NEP increase inequality
made successful peasant farmers very rich and others even poorer. at the same time living conditions for workers did not improve, and it seemed to be recreating new classes of rich and poor in the countryside and in the city.
when did lenin die
1924
why had lenin been ill for the last 2 years of hislife
he suffered a stroke in may 1922 and then again in december 1922, then anther in march 1923 which lead him to be unable to speak.
what contributed to lenins death
stress of leadershio
workaholic personality
fanua kaplan’s assasination attempt 1918
was lenin rembered well
yes. petrograd became leningrad and people worshipped him.”lenin is with us” became a slogan.
achievements of lenin - april theses
changed aims of bolsheviks
clear aims gave more support
achievements of lenin - treaty of brest-litovsk
lenin demanded peace
helped bolsheviks hold onto power
achievements of lenin - single party rule
refused to share any political power with anyone else..
soviet union became a dictatorship after lenin
achievements of lenin - war communism
although unpopular, helped bolsheviks to win civil war
achievements of lenin - marxism/leninism
lenin rethought marxism so it fitted russia’s situation.
before lenin, russian marxists thought socalism was years in the future
achievements of lenin - october revolution
lenin masterminded this
without lenin, the bolsheviks would not have seized power.
achievements of lenin - NEP
lenin got the party to retreat from communism.
war communism could have gotten the bolsheviks thrown out of power
who founded the bolsheviks
lenin
what happened when lenin died
there was a leadership struggle over who should lead now, but there was no doubt it should be communism, showing lenin’s powerful persuasion.
tsarist rule in russia: repression
The oakhrana kept watch.
Censorship of books and newspapers
Many exiled to siberia if they didnt work with the regime.
Revolutionaries executed.
Stolypin used extreme violence to get control back over the country. Special army courts tried anyone suspected of causing trouble with no lawyers. Over a thousand people executed by these courts in one year.
tsarist rule in russia: autocratic power and divine right of kings
Autocratic power and divine rights of kings:
Autocracy
No controls
Tsar chose ministers from aristocracy and from senior church leaders.
Tsar in command of the armed services.
All the army and navy swore loyalty to the tsar and the royal family.
bloody sunday: first stage
The petition and being led there (first stage):
Father Gapon
Sunday 9th january 1905
150,000 people signed the petition
Called for: 8 hour working day, right to organise trade unions, and a constitution to gurantee these freedoms and others in law.
bloody sunday: second stage
the response of the troops:
Demonstrators shouted abuse, including insults about military failures in manchuria.
The soldiers fired two rounds of warning shots.
The Mounted Cossacks (elite troops) rode into crowds, attacking with whips and then with swords.
the potemkin mutiny: intial mutiny
Tough discipline and poor conditions, upper classes (officers) had complete control.
Suffering from confidence after an embarrassing defeat by japan.
Matyushenko (quartermaster) planned to lead a mutiny of the black sea fleet.
On the 14th june 1905, potemkin’s cooks reported that the meat was full of maggots. The ships doctor said it was acceptable. Then the potemkins officers threatened to shoot the men who did not eat it. He shot one of the leading mutineers. Other sailors grabbed him and threw him into the water and shot him. Then they attacked the rest, killing and capturing, and a socalists peoples committee took over.
the potemkin mutiny: response and mutinies in odessa
The mutineers sailed to odessa, where strikes and protests had been taking place for several weeks. There were demonstrations in support of the mutiny, and large crowds attended the funerals of the killed sailors. Riots spread. The tsar ordered the army in odessa to stop the riots, and 1000 were killed.
1905 revolution: peasants
Peasants rioted against landlords, often burning down their manor houses (3000 burnt down betwen 1905-07) and sometimes killing landlords and their families. Peasants created communes.
1905: industrial workers
Many strikes. More than 400,000 striked in January 1905 alone.
General strike: 20th sept to 2nd october 1905. workers from the most important industries, including the railway, joined. This linked the workers with the liberal classes, who wanted political reform. The protests united russians against oppression, and it became a national strike.
oct manifesto: middle classes
New civil rights; freedom of speech, religion, to form political parties and to form trade unions.
Duma, with representatives elected in a general election.
Any new laws would have to be approved by the state duma.
oct manifesto: peasants
Could form trade unions
Half the state council’s members were chosen by the tsar.
Could dissolve duma
No major changes as only the tsar could change the fundamental laws.
