The Creation of a One Party State, 1917-24 (Lenin) Flashcards
Problems after 1917 October Revolution
Lack of popular support outside of Petrograd
Continued involvement in WW1
Threat of nationalist movements within Russia
What was the Constituent Assembly?
Elections held for a new ‘Constituent Assembly’ (parliament) in November 1917
Social Revolutionaries gained 17 million votes; the Bolsheviks just 10 million
How did Lenin defeat the opposition? (5 points)
Decree of Press: banned all opposition newspapers in November 1917
Lenin ordered the Red Guards to shut down the Constituent Assembly on 5 January 1918 after just one day
SRs and Mensheviks banned from political activity in 1918
March 1921 all other parties banned
Between Jan – Apr 1921 5,000 Mensheviks and SRs arrested
What was Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 3 March 1918
Germany took 25% of Russia’s population, 35% of its farmland and 70% of its industry. Disgusted conservative Russia
Causes of Civil War (2 points)
Dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in January 1918
Brest-Litovsk treaty in March 1918
Reasons for Bolshevik victory (3 factors, 2 pieces of evidence each)
Economic policy (war communism), Weakness of opposition (Poorly organised -seperate attacks all defeated, and divided between conservitism/reformist), Trosty/Red army (Introduced forced conscription: from 400,000 in 1918 to 5m in 1921, trained.)
Significance of Civil War (3)
Allowed centralisation, gave control of economy/state, gave experience, developed key terror methods
Key factors in centralising Party control (3 factors)
Nomenklatura system (Ensure only the loyal were promoted) Soviet Constitution, Use of Terror (Red Terror’ between 1917-1923 executed 200,000 people, 1918-20 carried out Chistka (cleansing) in which 1/3 of the Party were purged. Cheka grew from 40,000 in 1918 to 250,000 by 1921)
Challenges to centralisation
Party splits (left/right wing) Opposition to treaty
