The Bolshevik Government

Question 1

8 November Bolshevik decree

Answer 1

The land belonging to the church, Tsar and nobles would be handed to the peasants and Russian asks for peace in the war with Germany.

Question 2

12 November Bolshevik decree

Answer 2

The working day would be limited to 8 hours in a 48 hour working week

Question 3

14 November Bolshevik decree

Answer 3

Workers would be insured against illness or accident

Question 4

1 December Bolshevik decree

Answer 4

All non-Bolshevik newspapers would be banned

Question 4

11 December Bolshevik decree

Answer 4

The opposition Cadets party would be banned and its leaders arrested

Question 5

20 December Bolshevik decree

Answer 5

The CHEKA (secret police) is established

Question 6

27 December Bolshevik decree

Answer 6

Factories to be put under control of workers’ committees and the banks to put under Bolshevik control

Question 7

31 December Bolshevik decree

Answer 7

Marriages can take place without a priest and divorce is made easier

Question 8

What happened when the Bolsheviks were in power

Answer 8

Week 1: arrests and newspaper closures
Week 2: workers in banks, shops, schools and government buildings went on strike. The State Bank refused government demands for access to funds. The railway union, refused orders to drive troop trains

Question 9

Negotiations for government power

Answer 9

Revolutionaries distrusted Lenin, but he would not cooperate with the Mensheviks however he wasn’t opposed to the Social revolutionaries as they could represent the peasants

Question 10

Constituent Assembly voting of Dec 1917

Answer 10

Bolsheviks were confident that they secured the assembly
- SR: 40%
- Bolsheviks: 24%
- Nationalists: 14%
- Cadets: 5%

Question 11

What happened after the assembly voting of 1917

Answer 11

The Bolsheviks postponed the opening the assembly due to their loss and caused protests by the SRs which coincided with the delayed opening of the assembly on 18 January 1918. The Bolsheviks arrested every Cadet and banned the party whilst the Baltic fleet sailors were brought back. When the constituent assembly met, the attempts of Bolsheviks to control its proceedings were resisted but the Baltic fleet blocked the entrances and the new parliament lasted barely over 12 hours and Trotksy defended this to the All Russian Congress