Russia Year 13 - A Level Flashcards
Points on Ideology to end WW1…
(Possible tradeoffs with Marxism?)
(Compromises in ideology)
- Split within Bols as relinquising land would mean effort sacrificed, however, not ending the war would squander chances of revolution.
- Marxist assumptions entail how Bols revolution would spread across Europe, e.g. Germany.
- (Dec 1917) Trotsky reluctantly starts peace talks with Germany, as he knows this would mean German victory! -> Causing land to be relinquished.
- (Mar 1918) Lenin signs Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, showcasing his pragmatic side.
Some reasons why the Bolshevik Revolution occured…
(Oct 1917)
- Ongoing issues, e.g. poverty, famine, social issues, economic issues etc.
- WW1 + Lenin’s April Theses following his return (Apr 1917), his return was sponsored by the Kaiser, and he would then be exiled in July following the July Days (Jul 1917), (seeing the tsar on house arrest and the Bols participating).
- (Jun 1917) June Offensive fails to break Austro-Hungarian lines, perhaps due to insufficient ammo.
- (Aug 1917) Kornilov Coup release jailed Bols to combat Kornilov Coup belligerents.
(58k Baltic soliders, 100k garrison etc).
What is Bolshevik democracy?
To rule in the interests of the people.
Social impacts of the Civil War (1918-1920)
Reds v Whites and Greens participate.
- 10m died, and 1.7m in WW1.
- Factories + bakeries closed and shops boarded up…
- (Jan 1920) Ukrainian city Nikolaev lose all its central boulevards.
- People burned their belongings in winter to keep warm.
- Diseases such as cholera killed thousands yearly, e.g. cholera, influenza etc.
- Avg worker consumed under 2k kcal, under half the recommended intake.
- 7m children homeless.
- Poor sanitary conditions.
Impact of the Civil War (1918-1920) on government + party…
- Power shifts from annual congresses to the Politburo (Soviet to Communist)
- Govt. have to make choices suited to Politburo.
- Local soviets only had Party members.
- (1921) Lenin bans factions and any Central Committee decision had to be agreed on by whole party.
- Lenin’s NEP helped to consolidate the party.
- (1922) ‘General Secretary’ role made to control its workings.
- Stalin made General Secretary, (least respected party member).
(You had to belong to a Communist Party!) + Party’s the Politburo.
What was the Nomenklatura?
- (1922) Nomenklatura est. and this was the bureaucracy.
- 5.5k key party posts made to appear more reputable.
- This was a new party elite!
Impacts of the Civil War on national minorities + 1922 constitution
Civil War (1918-1920)
- Govt. allowed self-determination across their empire, as they don’t have resources to stamp down authority…
- Empire nations permitted national culture/native languages.
When was the USSR formed?
(Plus additional info)
- (Dec 1922) USSR formed, forming a new constitution.
- Lenin’s compromise was a federation of states under strict control, not direct control!
- Republics of govt. seen as regional Sovnarkom branches, open to manipulation.
Difference between Leninism and Marxism?
- Leninism entailed violence in order to seize power
- The Cheka est. meant that Lenin would need to hold back counter-revolutionaries.
What were gulags?
- Used during tsarist regime.
- For criminals and political opponents.
- (Summer 1918) Tsar dies and Bols. experiment with labour camps.
- (By 1923) 200 prisoners on Solovski Islands.
Some causes of the Civil War (1918-1920):
- Lenin assassination attempt (summer 1918)
- Capitalists feared communism.
- (May 1918) Bols attempt to arrest Czech Legion members as they passed through the Trans-Siberian railway + (1918) Czech Legion members have 45k soldiers.
Some of reasons for Red’s Civil War victory:
- Bols have better communication than Whites.
- Cheka + Trotsky heavily supervised Red Army.
- (Oct 1918) Bols have 430k men, 61 rifle divisions and 12 cavalry divisions.
- War Communism meant Central Committee heavily centralise all sectors.
- Whites’ leaders Kolchak and Denikan lacked experience to lead. + They had to deal with Greens, who opposed all authority and were anarchists.
- Bols had high centralisation + organisation + (By 1920) 5.4m in govt. bureaucracy.
Civil War impacts (1918-1920)
- Reds lose 632k men + 531k from disease.
- Lenin’ NEP (1921) allowed private ownership, small-scale manufacturing and ended grain requisitioning.
- Later, Politburo, Nomenklatura etc.
Stalin in Georgia…
- Stalin crushed the Georgians want for independence by the force of arms (1922)
Some Politburo members…
Kamenev, Zinoviev, Bukharin, Trotsky and Stalin.
- Central Committee elected by Politburo.
Factors that enabled Bols to est. a dictatorship
(By 1922-1923)
- Est. of Politburo and Nomenklatura
- USSR formation
- Social impacts Civil War
- Gulags
- Reds’ performance in Civil War
What was a trade-off between Lenin’s idea and Marxism regarding a communist one-party state?
(By 1921-22)
- Lenin wanted to consolidate a one-party state in Russia, where the means were not really there, and Marxism stated that a country had to initally be a capitalist country.
What did ‘War Communism’ entail?
- (Spring 1918) Lenin introduced food requisitioning
- (May 1918) Food supplies policy set up to ensure grain was delivered to the State, and the Cheka heavily overlooked this, making it successful.
- Private trade prohibited.
- However, made more issues than it solved.
- Bartering economy est.
-> (By 1921) Industry output fell to 20% of its pre-war output.
-> Reports of cannabilism.
-> Dieseases such as cholera and dysentary were rife.
Demands for economic change with stats/events
(Prior to Reds one-party state)
- (Aug 1920) Tambov Revolt saw 70k peasents form a revolt, which would spread, (happened after a poor harvest and almost no reserves).
- Bread rations fell to 1/3 in several cities.
- (Jan 1921) Martial law est. and Cheka crush any demonstrations.
- ## (Mar 1921) Kronstadt rebellion saw 30k soldiers at a Russian naval base revolt against the State, and the Cheka and Reds crush this rebellion, (15k rebels imprisoned).
What entailed Lenin’s NEP in 1921?
(Announced at the 10th Party Congress in Aug 1921)
- Rationing and grain requisitioning ended
- Nepmen est. and they profitted from prduce and consumer items (they controlled 75% of retail trade by 1923). + (From 1923) Govt. capped industrial prices + Money taxes replaced peasants’ quotas.
- Private trade permitted.
(Some Marxist theory compromised)
Lenin’s state capitalism…
(Prior to NEP)
- (Oct 1917) October revolution and Lenin’s Decree on Land abolished private land ownership.
- (Dec 1917) Veshenka est. to supervise and control economic progress, but Lenin was sceptical about the demands he faced. (regarding nationalisation).
- However, the Petrograd cittizens in (Feb 1918) were living on 50g bread rations daily.
- 5/6 of industry gone, the Civil War saw production almost completely halt!
Concept of the ‘classless’ society/class warfare:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
Impact is defined as the extent of change
Burzhui - ‘Enemies of the revolution’, who were subject to harsh treatment, e.g. reduced food rations.
(Post 1917) - All class-ranks dissolved + manual labour forced on bourgeoise/nobility and large houses requisitioned.
- NEP brought relief from class warfare.
- ‘Socialist man’ created - social responsibility for the State, community taking precedence over individual.
Concept of the ‘classless’ society/class warfare:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
(Proletarianisation)
- Proletarianisation entails how the State would go about creating the ‘socialist man’.
- (1st spell) ‘Worker power’
- (2nd spell) Tighter labour discipline meant freedoms never returned, (Every worker had an output quota, meaning they had to meet a certain output).
- (1921) Living conditions + working condtions made worse
- (Post 1921) Consequences for failing to meet quota (Just 8% Moscow workers missed their target!)
Effects on women:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
- (Nov 1917) Women permitted to own property.
- Civil marriage recognised and church influence removed.
- Divorce made easier and less costly, with free contraceptive advice offered.
- (1920) Abortion legalised to combat high death rates from illegal abortion.
- (1926) New family code gave women in common law marriages, same right as those who went through the civil ceremony.
- (1928) Wedding rings banned.
- Women allowed and expected to work, and get paid.