The Bolshevik Revolution Flashcards
When was the Bolshevik revolution?
October 1917
What did the Bolsheviks do once they had seized power?
- Freed political prisoners
- Ended press censorship
- Advanced personal freedom e.g. Women had access to birth control and divorce
In 1917 how much if Russia did the Bolsheviks control?
Petrograd and Moscow
How long did the Russian Civil War last?
3 years
What year did the Russian Civil War start?
1918
What year did the Russian Civil War end?
1921
How was the October revolution not Marxist?
It was carried out by a small group of revolutionary elite, whereas Marx had believed that all revolutions would occur naturally.
When was the Cheka formed?
December 1917
How many tsarist officers did Lenin incorporate into the Red Army?
48,000
How did Lenin ensure the loyalty of the tsarist officers in the Red Army?
He held their families hostage
How did Lenin install discipline into the Red Army?
If soldiers deserted he had every tenth member of their unit shot
What happened in January 1918?
The Bolsheviks failed to win a majority in the Constituent Assembly (elections for the new Russian parliament) so Lenin sent in the Ref Army to dissolve the assembly
When did the last non-Bolsheviks leave the government?
March 1918
What was the NEP?
The New Economic Policy
When and where was the Decree Against Factionalism introduced
The 10th Party Congress in 1921.
What did the Decree Against Factionalism do?
It meant that once a decision had been made within the party, it would be no longer acceptable to argue against it, it must be accepted and defended.
What was War Communism?
The Bolshevik Sate took over all industry and seized the peasants surplus grain, or the grain they needed to feed themselves if there was no surplus.
How many people died as a result of the famine caused by War Communism?
5 million
When was War Communism ended and the NEP introduced?
February 1921
What did the New Economic Policy do?
It allowed private ownership of industry if there were less than 10 people employed, and the state only took a percentage if the surplus grain the peasants produced.
Why was the New Economic Policy introduced?
To restore economic stability - although at the expense if Communism so it was intended to be temporary
