Russian Revolution: How were the Bolsheviks able to consolidate their power up to 1921? Flashcards
Immediate difficulties
-rocketing inflation
-shortage of raw materials
-hunger - grain supplies over 13 million short for population’s needs
-ceding of Ukraine to Germany - Ukraine was main grain producer of russia
-fractured transport system
Decree on Land
-peadants had overthrown landlords
-Lenin used the Decree to accept this
DECREE:
1.Private ownership of land shall be abolished forever
2.all mineral wealth, forrests and waters passed on to the use of the state
3.Lands on wgucg high-level scientific farming is parcticed shall not be divided but be turn into model farms, to the u se of the state
Decree on workers’ control
-legalised what was already occuring
-accepted workers’ takeover
-instrucetd workers comittee to maintain ‘the strictest order and discipline’
-> serious fall in industrial output
Vasenka - what and achievements
The Supreme Council of the National Economy
ACHIEVED:
-nationalisation of banks and railways
-cancelling of foreign debts
-repair of the transport system
-Decree on nationalisation - brought all industrial emnterprisesunder central government control
-> suggested potential of Bolshevik regime
Cheka
-better organised and more efficient form of the Okhrana
-used to destroy any opposition to the Bolsheviks
Dissolution of the Constituent Assembly
-Lenin did not want mass suppor, he wanted to seize power when the moment came
-did not want elections ot undermine Bolshevik’s position
-bolsheviks outvoted almost 2 to 1 by SR’s
-non-Bolshevik -> difficult to govern
-said all russian bodies were useless as their purpose had already been achieved by the 1917 October revolution
-lenin initially supported constituent assembly as it limited power of gov -> no need for it now that he was in power
=dissolved at gunpoint by Red Guards
-made some supporters uneasy
Treaty of Brest Litovsk 1918-Terms
-1/3 of European Russia ceded to Germany
-Ukrain - russia’s main grain source was gone
-population lost was 45 million people
-3 Bilion roubles to pay in war reparations
Why did Lenin accept the Treaty
-German foreign office was gviing the Bolsheviks huge amounts of money to pull Russia out of the war-> siging the treaty would guarantee German source of Bolshevik revfenure -> in lenin’s interest
-prepared to sacrifice russia to spread their proletarian revolution
-trotsky believed tey could not keep up the military campaign
-Believed it was the only realistic outcome - no more power to fight
- Expected that russia would soon regain the lost territories - becaue a war betweeen capitalit powers would commence -> russia would take advantage
-The bigger picture - believed brest litovsk was a small account comparet to the world revolution that would commence
(trotsky wanted to wait for germans to collapse so that peace talks would start)
consequences of the Treaty
-able to expel left SR’s from the Government and outlaw them politically
-many bolsheviks wanted to continue war-> lenin stresed his way was the only realistic way -> August 1918 germn withdrawal and consequences cleared all doubts-> his gamble had paid off
Reasons for the Russian Civil war 1918-1920
-bolsheviks curshing of Constituent assembly and all other political parties_> showed they were not prepared to share power ->made civil war higly likely
-lenin may have wanted civi war ino rder to wipe out opposition rather than to struglle with them for yeats
-lenin did not wnat ot join coalition of all hte revolutionary parties in 1918 because bolsheviks were a minority party
-moinoriities wanted to establish independence
-falied coup in Moscow by Left SR’s
Red Whites and Greens
Bolsheviks - reds
Whites - political eneimies
Greens - national minorities
War about food - famine
famine was prevalent
Brest liovsk treaty - no more ukraine - less grain - food shortages
broken transport system - hard for food to travel acros the country
failure of bolsheviks to solve food crises formed initial military opposition against the bolsheviks
workforce in petrograd shrunk by 60 % and overall population went from 3 million to 2 million
Reasons for Bolshevik Victory
White weakensses
-not bounded by single aim
-political and geographical disunity - could not unite and put aside political differences to fight against Bolsheviks also geographically scattered
-dependence of foreign supplies-> small quantities did not arrive at the right place at the right time +allowed Bolsheviks to accuse them of being in leagfue with foreign interventionists-> made bolsheviks seem like the national heroes
-fought by separate detachment
Red Strengths
-remained in countrol of central arrea and Moscow and Petrograd - railway ntwrk, industry and inner communications maintained
-trotsky’s orgaisation of the army: his strategy
1. defend internal lines of communication
2. deny the whites opportunity to concentrate large forces in one area
3. prevent whites from maintaining regular supplies
although etremist he maintained morale : made them have UNSHAKEN BELIEF IN THEIR VICTORY
Effects of the civil war on bosheviks
Toughness
-proved hard men
-1/3 of the bolsheviks fought in the war ->proved military obedience and loyalty
Authoritarianism
-war shaped the character of the communist rule
-administrative fiat - strict comand from above
Centralisation
-Politburo = poltical buureau responsibe for major policy decisions
-Orgburo = Organisation bureau which turned policies into practice
-Secretariat = form of civil service that administered policies
foreign interventions - allies, failed interventions, war with poland, propaganda success
ALLIES
believed birtain and its allies wanted to destroy them
after ww1 - britain france and us occupied russian ports
after ww1 - full offensive against bolsheviks and alarmed by comitern - communist international body set up to organise worldwide revolution
FAILED INTERVENTIONS
anti bolsheviks speakersin the west
no serious attempt made against bolsheviks - interventionists tired from war with germant
french and us troops left ports 19919, japan remained until 1922
PROPAGANDA SUCCESS:
foreign withdrawals from ports -> lenin and gov portrayed as nation’s saviour from foreign powes who were trying to overthrow the revolution
-gave credibility to the bolsheviks and mellowed the effects of Brest Litovsk
WAR AGAINST POLAND
expected workers to rise in rebellion but they just saw it as classic russian invasion - soviets defeated
severe defaeat and morale serioust damafed -made bolsheviks rethin international revolution
