Survey Flashcards
What was Russia like in the 1900s and how did this fuel political and social dissent?
- Bleak and inhospitable hindering economic progress such as communications and transport
- The bourgeoise we’re unhappy as they were denied civil rights and political power
- Increaing poverty amongst peasants
- Harsh autocratic rule
What happened in the 1905 revolution?
- Humiliation from the defeat of the Russo-Japanese war
- Bloody Sunday
- Order restored when Nicholas issued the October Manifesto promising a representative Duma and allow Russians a greater say in government
- Reforms were limited
- Dumas had no real say in government
- Industrial workers endured low pay and poor conditions
- Middle class demanding political rights
How did WWI and the February Revolution fuel tensions?
- Long war added to the existing problems and exposed economic weaknesses & poor leadership
- Most leading Bolsheviks did not participate in the February Revolution sparked by food shortages (riots in Petrograd) as they were in exile after the Okhrana (Tsar’s military forces) infiltrated them
What were the 3 political organisations that emerged during the early 1900s and why?
1) KaDets (1905): wanted to establish a constitution appealing to the middle class for a monarchy
2) Socialist Revolutionaries (1902): wanted to overthrow the Tsar and redistribute land
3) The Social Democratic Party (1903): intent on revolution, Marxist ideology, industrial workers
a) Bolsheviks: small & highly organised group, centralised and hierarchical, purpose to educate the working class about socialist ideals to lead it to revolution. LENIN. RADICAL CHANGE.
b) Mensheviks: democratic structure (party members to argue), large, improve working class conditions in the period before revolution. MARTOV. PROGRESSIVE CHANGE.
What two bodies emerged after the abdication of the Tsar and who was it run by? What did they promise for? Mistakes/ Securing Power?
Petrograd Soviet: Councils claiming to represent the people and give them a voice, composed of socialists & reformists
* Promoting proletarian values opposed to bourgeoise
* ORDER NUMBER ONE: soldiers were not to follow the Provisional Government’s orders, secured allegiance of most troops
Provisional Government: Collection of Duma representatives and extreme right.
* Promised elections, formal constitution, many reforms
* Continued to centralise control over workers/ food supply/ welfare
* CONTINUED WAR against Germany = failure to address urgent problems of war weariness, economic hardship, demands for land reform
What was the power blend between the two bodies that emerged after March 1917?
Dual Power
* Soviet: widespread influence over soldiers, sailors, workers and peasants (key segments of population)
* PG: formal power
What conditions led to the decline of the PG?
- Russians became more radical as moderate approaches seemed to be unworkable
- Started governing during poor living conditions (inflation, shortages of essentials such as grain)
- Peasants wanted land reforms, nothing happened, started to seize land
- Soldiers/ sailors/ workers rose against government and looked to the Soviet for support
What 3 major events/decisions severely weakened the PG’s power? And what were the outcomes?
1) War Commitment: Key Ministers had believed fighting would lead to an expansion of Russia in defeat of Germany/ uphold commitment to Britain & France/ Protect territory
* Soldiers mutinying and aligning with Bolsheviks (Trench Bolshevism)
2) Kornilov Affair (Aug 1917):
* Destroyed PG credibility as Kerensky’s attempts to appease Kornilov (appointed as head of military) and Russia’s conservatives made it look like he was moving away from majority of the population who wanted more radical change
* Clashes between Kerensky + Kornilov = coup = giving Bolsheviks popularity as they organised resistance against his forces
3) July/June Offensive
* Kerensky launched offensive in Galicia resulting in 200k new casualties breaking out new demonstrations
What happened during the 3 coalitions of the PG?
FIRST: Led by Prince Georgi Lvov (moderate liberal)
* Shared power w/ Soviets
* APRIL CRISIS: Minister for Foreign Affairs Pavel Milyukov sent confirmation to support the war effort resulting in anti-war demonstrations
* Lvov had to invite members from the Soviet to enter a new coalition to calm radical demonstrators
* JULY DAYS: spontaneous armed demonstrations by soldiers, sailors, and industrial workers engaged against PG where many left
SECOND: Kornilov Affair
THIRD: Soldiers and sailors in Petograd turned on Kerensky
What was the Bolsheviks political strategy guided by? What was their position of power nearing the October revolution?
Guided by Lenin’s April Theses:
* Withdraw from the war
* Was already moving from bourgeoise revolution towards socialist revolution which should be encouraged
* No cooperation with PG and all political power should be transferred to Soviets
* ALL POWER TO THE SOVIETS: Grab power from PG and hand control of land to workers/ soldiers
* PEACE, BREAD, LAND: End WWI, food security, land control
Were a major force in urban centres and majority of control in Petrograd & Moscow = influence in national meeting: Congress of Soviets
What events occurred during the October Revolution and what new soviet government emerged?
1) Gain popular support
* Crowds becoming radical and intense = Lenin and co. wanted to exploit
* Problem was other socialist parties were popular (SRs)
* Lenin insisted on total opposition = Bolshevik identity = propagandist with solganeering increasing popular support
2) Bolsheviks gained control of the Petrograd Soviet
* Trotsky was president + Bolshevik popular support from Kornilov Affair + July Offensive = good time to seize power
3) Organising the coup
* 16 Oct established Military Revolutionary Committee, leadership of Trotsky: main organisational body managing coup (captured railways, bridges, stations, public buildings)
* 25 Oct Bolsheviks took over Winter Palace
* 26 Oct Second Congress of Soviets dominated by Bolsheviks overthrowing PG = SOVNARKOM
What was Trostky’s role in the October Revolution?
- President of Petrograd Soviet boosting Bolshevik support
- Headed the Military Revolutionary Committee + formed Red Guard
- Persuaded Lenin to postpone the coup attempt after the Second Congress of All Russian Soviets so action could be presented in the name of Soviets
- Directed Red Guard to capture key city locations + ordered them to arrest and enter Winter Palace
What did Lenin believe would happen after the October Revolution? Did it happen?
- Did not enjoy majority support, they thought revolutionary enthusiasm would happen in the working class to inspire transformation and overthrow the bourgeoise government
- Lenin expected socialist revolutions around the world but did not happen leaving the regime in a world hostile to communism = interfere with consolidating the regime
What interal tensions within SOVNARKOM occurred during their early days in power?
- Dominated by Bolsheviks
- Russian countryside —> soviet movement influenced by other parties such as SRs + tensions with other parties
- Party urged coalitions w/ other socialist parties (invite Mensheviks and SRs) but Lenin thought this would be compromising the Party (would be cooperating with capitalists betraying the working class and socialist revolution) & prevent their policies being carried out
- Zinoviev, Kamenev and other leading Bolsheviks who had argued for coalition resigned from the Central Committee
What external challenges did SOVNARKOM face in the early days of power?
- Difficulties in taking over PG institutions such as banks and telegraph industry (no access granted to government funds)
- Red Guards used force to access the buildings and nations store of money & gold
- Lacked a complete army, law enforcement agencies and direct control over the country
- World’s first socialist government but lacked legitimacy in the eyes of majority of population/ and all Russian soviets → OPPOSITION
What were the major reforms of early Bolshevik government?
PEASANTS: * Decree of Land : Ideology → “Nationalised” all private land, but not really as the land is being taken over by the peasantry
* Eliminated the wealth/ aristocratic landowning class
* Pragmatism (Practice) → Placed land in the hands of the peasants
Peasant support = legitimacy for Bolsheviks
* Rural unrest = decrease in food supply = discontent
* Peasant ownership = capitalism not socialism
SOLDIERS & SAILORS : * Army allowed to have soldiers’ councils to organise their own units
* Strict discipline was relaxed and rations increased
PROLETARIAT: * Workers’ reforms (8 hour working day, pension, sick pay, unemployment benefits, worker committee to control factories)
* Sovnarkom requisitioned old mansions and buildings for housing
OTHER: Decree on Peace (end war)
* Ideology → Believed it was a capitalist war that Russia should not participate in
Overall increased support.
What were the problems with SOVNARKOM’s initial reforms?
- Caused discontent in large parts of the population
- Middle and upper classes lost privileges, status & property (lishentsy) and removed from positions of power in government institutions, universities, banks, factories
- Proletariats became lazy once conditions eased (no revolutionary enthusiasm)
- Productivity slumped
How did Bolsheviks respond to the issues of their initial reforms? How did they maintain their influence?
Dictatorshipof the
- Dictatorship of the Proletariat tightly enforced
- Decree on the Press: Sovarkom powers to close down newspapers of alternative parties and control over media outlets
- Propaganda & censorship campaigning socialist ideas preventing other groups promoting their ideas
- Agents to factories to make speeches, new pamphlets and newspapers, posters, public viewings of political films, agit trains countryside travelling displaying propaganda
- CHEKA December 1917: terror & violence to stamp opposition STATE ENDORSED VIOLENCE
- Bolsheviks declared as only political party
What happened to the other alternative governments in Russia? Did tensions increase with the SRs?
- Constituent Assembly elected SR leader in first meeting, Bolsheviks outvoted nearly 2 to 1
- Assembly members gathered next day but Palace was locked: Bolsheviks decided to disband the Assembly claiming it was a form of bourgeoise democracy
- Decision to close Assembly caused unease amongst his supporters
- Bolsheviks shut down smaller SR dominated soviets and banned some SRs from the larger councils
What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovisk? Why was it signed and what events led up to it?
- Lenin tried to call for an end to the war without financial burdens or annexations but UK, France or Britain didn’t want to bail Russia out so they went to Germany
- To consolidate the revolution and end the war + If Bolsheviks continue to fight the war suffer same fate as the PG + impossible to properly implement other policies
- Slow progress in Treaty until Germans put pressure on Russia by breaking the armistice Feb 1918 and advancing further into Russian territory
- Give Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and all of Russian Poland to Germany and Austria
- Recognise independance of Ukraine, Georgia and Finland
- 1/3 of agricultural land and population gone (62 mil)
- 4/5 coal mines lost
- 6 million in war indemnities
- Many Bolsheviks saw this as a betrayal and resigned
