Survey: an overview of Bolshevik ideology, the October coup 1917 and the early soviet government Flashcards
What was the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles?
- Communism originated in the communist manifesto written by Marx and Engles
- communist manifesto theorised a history as a set of stages
characterised by conflict between the oppressor and the oppressed - end stage was Communism: defined as a stateless and classless system
What was lenin’s interpretation of marxism?
-Lenin had a difficult time applying marxism to a Russias backwards economic, social, and political situation
- He developed Marxist- leninism which stated Russias proletariat could rise up against the underdeveloped bourgeoisie
- revolution wouldn’t turn Russia communist but kickstart communist revolution across capitalist Europe
How did Lenin seize power in October 1917?
85% of Russia class were peasants: the proletariat class was very limited
Lenin wanted to implement marxism despite lacking proletariat ➡️leninism
says the bolshevik party will replace the proletariat class and lead the revolution
Leon Trotsky theory of permanent revolution, the official bolshevik ideology until stalin’s rise to power, stated that there was a need for an international or atleast European wide communist revolution
Lenin founded the the communist international or comintern which intended to “overthrow… the national bourgeois and for the creation of the international soviet republic” - Lenin
Lenin viewed that capitalism would destroy itself in a series of wars, sparking revolution
Trotsky believed that the 100,000 workers who protested at Petrograd in February were guided by
Bolshevik ideology
Lenin had two revolutionary catch cries’: “All power to the Soviets” and “Peace, land and bread”
Lenin’s ‘April Theses’ explained what Bolshevik policy would be
What happened in the 1917 October coup?
● From July 1917 the provisional govt was led by Kerensky and was in decline
○ There was anarchy in the countryside and law and order were breaking in the city
○ Russia was in economic and social distress and under attack from Germany
● Lenin persuaded the party to stage a coup in October 1917
● The Bolsheviks were weaker than the Provisional Govt
● The party was also split as some Bolsheviks wanted to wait for more revolutionary parties
● Kerensky made a fatal error of moving against the Bolsheviks on 23 October, this galvanised the
Bolsheviks into action
● Trotsky coordinated the Red Guard and planned the Military Revolutionary Committee
○ Under Trotsky, bridges and railways were seized
○ Trotsky sent Red Guard units to the Winter Palace to arrest members of the Provisional Govt
What was the weakness of the provisional government?
Weakness of the PG:
It shared power with the Petrograd Soviet which weakened its authority.
It lacked popular support because its policies antagonised the peasants and radicalised the workers (continuation of the war, no land reforms for peasants, food shortages, no social or economic reform
What was an advantage of the bolshevicks?
Leadership of Lenin - Choice to oppose the PG so as not to be linked to its failures. Policies were popular and brought peasants, workers and soldiers on side.
Better organised - Trotsky’s role in coordinating the coup with the MRC.
Radical policies appealed to peasants, workers and soldiers who supported the Party that pushed for a revolution.
Early government: sovnarkom 1917 (16 members)
In the early months of Bolshevik rule, Lenin introduced popular decrees, winning over the Russian people
Land Decree: outlined how peasants would divide the land among themselves
Peace Decree: the withdrawal from WW1
Workers’ Decree: outlines minimum wage and working hours and conditions
Should have represented large part of population instead consisted of a small minority of Bolsheviks
Abolishment of old class system, all titles abolished (only ‘Comrade’ now).
The Bolshevik Party renamed the Communist Party.
New marriage code gives husbands and wives equal rights.
School/education system brought under state control.
Outline the structure of the sovnarkom?
The government is made to appear to represent the soviet people. However, the the communists control it.
Sovnarkom (a cabinet of ministers, carefully chosen by Lenin who is chairman, the commissar leads the government)
⬆️
All Russian central committee (senior government posts, chosen from elected representatives from the congress)
⬆️
All Russian congress ( a form on parliament, with only members of the communist party)
Outline the structure of the communist party?
The communist party is not the government but makes all the important decisions
- by 1922 all other parties are illegal
- Soviet Russia is a one party state
Politburo (decides)
⬆️
Orgburo (organises)
⬆️
Central executive committee (runs the party)
⬆️
Party congress (approved candidates elected from regional and district branches, the congress elects members of the central executive committee)
What is the role of general secretariat?
selects and appoints people to carry out the party decisions
(part of politburo and sovnarkom)
What was the role of the secret police?
The Cheka!
○ Opposition newspapers were closed down (including those of other socialist parties)
○ Various political parties were banned (Kadets, Mensheviks, right-wing Socialist Revolutionaries)
○ By the end of the Civil War there were 100,000 members in the Cheka
○ The Cheka evolved into a state secret police force
○ The brutality exceeded the tsarist Okhrana
○ Key weapons were fear and terror
○ During the Civil War the Cheka committed atrocities named the ‘Red Terror’
How did the Bolsheviks use coercion to consolidate power?
- Replacement of old legal system with one of ‘revolutionary justice’.
- Shutting down of all opposition press and newspapers.
- Destruction of rival political parties and factions.
