Russia Topic 6 - Foreign Relations (1918-1924) Flashcards
What are the reasons for foreign intervention?
- in 1918 the main motive was to keep Russia fighting in World War I to prevent or delay the mass transfer of German verses from the eastern front of the west
- A lesser motive was to protect the vast dumps of ornaments and materials that would be shipped to Russia by allies
- After the German armistice in November 1918 the motive no longer applied but intervention continued because of the wishes apart anti-bolshevik forces
What was the impact of foreign intervention?
- foreign interventions did not bring down Bolshevik regime because they were on a small scale with little coordination between them is such little/limited direct military action that reduced the chances
- most Allied troops remained in their bases and only fought minor skirmishes
- bolshevik survival was secured by the military success of the red Army under Trotsky and general Tuchachevsky and the disorganisation and internal feuds amongst anti-bolsheviks
- It poisoned Russian relations with the west
When was the Russo-Polish war
1919–1920
what were the causes of the Russo-Polish war?
- The recreation of an independent Poland was a major commitment but contains lost territory from tsarist Russia
- Defined in the borders of the new Poland = very difficult – not representative at any of the Paris peace conferences
- New Bolshevik regime = fighting against separatism and new national state was a key aspect of the Civil War
- Treaty of brest-litovsk = Russia renounced its claims to Poland
- Poland was seen as a bridge to the west
Key events of the Russo – Polish war
August 1920 = Polish army retreat to Warsaw and humiliated but Pilsudski mounted a desperate defence of Warsaw in the battle known as the ‘miracle of the Vistula’ causing the red army to be driven back
March 1921 = treaty of Riga signed
When and what was the miracle of the vistula?
1920
Poland’s capital city, Warsaw stands on the banks of Vistula. It was certain that Warsaw would be lost after the great advance westwards by the red Army but a counter offensive led by General Josef Pilsudski won a decisive victory and this became memorable in Polish history.
what was the impact of the Russo-Polish war?
in March 1921 the treaty of riga was signed. This included:
- Establish the border between Poland and Russia. Poland had control of a Ukraine and Belarus (Belorussia) which divided ethnic groups
- cause the setback for Bolshevik and the transition to socialism and spread of communism
- The bolsheviks couldn’t use to get to Germany
- Whilst was saved and settled into settlement
what is comintern?
an international socialist organisation promoting Marxism and spreading the ‘proletariat revolution’ from Russia to the world = communist international
What does Comintern include?
– Spreading propaganda
– Preparing for Civil War
– Infiltrating trade unions
When was comintern created?
march 1919
what happened in the first comintern conference?
In March 1919 Moscow, there was great optimism about the prospects for the spread of the revolution despite the ongoing Civil War. The chairman was Zinoviev
what happened in the second comintern conference?
- in July – August 1920 Petrograd, victory was assumed in the Civil War and it was the height of the Russo – Polish war
– It was dominated by debate of Lenin’s ‘21 conditions’ defining the relationship between communist parties and ‘bourgeoisie-democratic’ socialist parties. Some European delegations broke away as a result.
what happened in the third comintern conference?
summer 1921, realisation that the world Revolution was not as close as hoped. The Spartacist uprising failed in Germany. The comintern became totally Russian – dominated.
What was the Spartacist uprising in Germany?
communist revolutionaries in Germany launched an uprising in Berlin in December 1918 after the chief of Berlin was fired. Strikes were caused and the telegraph and newspapers were taken over The revolt was brutally crushed by armed German militias in January 1919. The leaders of the uprising where Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht who were both murdered.
When was the treaty of Rapallo signed?
16th April 1922
Who was involved in the treaty of Rapallo?
Germany and Russia
what are the basic terms of the treaty of rapallo?
– Abandoned brest-litovsk
– Collaborate to do things
– waive claims for compensation
– Reopening of formal diplomatic relations
– Mutual goodwill in commercial and economic relations
What was significant about the treaty of Rapalo?
Russia = first international recognition of Bolsheviks as the Russian government
Germany = could do joint training with Russia
How did each side benefit from the treaty of Rapalo?
Russia = worked with German engineers and had access to the west (trading an economic support)
Germany = could’ve access to tanks and planes banned from treaty of Versailles (military training)
Why was the treaty of Rapalo controversial?
it helped Germany bypass the treaty of Versailles and help communism expand westwards
Why was the treaty of Rapalo controversial?
it helped Germany bypass the treaty of Versailles and help communism expand westwards
When was the treaty of Berlin signed?
1926
What did the treaty of Berlin provide for Russia?
Greater protection
when and why was the Soviet Union excluded from the league of Nations?
1919
they were communists.
What was the result of the exclusion of the league of Nations?
lenin what is interested in opening trade with Germany and George Chicherin agreed as Germany was also excluded from the league of Nations
what was Lenin’s peace offer?
In March 1919, Lenin offered an end to the imperialist war as he was worried about the blockade of trade and shipping with Russia. The USA went to make peace but France and Britain refused and the peace plan lapsed.
What happened on December 28, 1922?
formation of the USSR
( union of soviet socialist republics )
When was Russia recognised as the USSR?
– Britain/italy = 1924
– China/japan = 1925
– Spain/USA = 1933
– Belgium = 1935
Who was Zinoviev?
– Head of propaganda
– Comintern chairman
what was the Zinoviev letter?
– a forged letter with instructions from the Comintern to the British Communist Party instructing spreading propaganda in the army
- it was published in the daily mail in Britain just before the 1924 general election. This was done to influence the public opinion against the labour party
- Allegedly, the letter was a forgery concocted by a group of conspirators but the letter wasn’t entirely untrue as many arguments were beliefs of zinoviev
What was the impact of the letter scandal?
– Affected diplomatic relations between Britain and the Soviet union – strengthen the diplomatic isolation of Russia
- affected Britain, but small as the Labour Party vote was not undermined by the fallout from the affair
– The conservative suspended dealing with the Soviet union to increase popularity
- Macdonalds where reputation plummeted
what was Lenin’s rule by 1924?
economically = he restored the economic state through the NEP after the impacts of state capitalism and communism. However, many felt betrayed from the principles of the revolution and that there any P was temporary.
Foreign interventions =
– Communism couldn’t spread as quickly as I hoped
- Treaty of Rapallo (Germany)
- Treaty of Riga (Poland)
– Dealing suspended with Great Britain
Socially = society hadn’t progressed as far down the route to socialism as many supporters had hoped.
Politically = centralised one-party state developed
