The Establishment of Bolshevik Authority

Question 1

Why did the PG have little defence?

Answer 1

Soldiers who had previously served the PG offered little resistance and the Petrograd Garrison in fact backed the uprising
Winter Palace was defended by small number of female troops who were outnumbered by MCR

Question 2

How did the MCR prevent the PG from summoning help?

Answer 2

They occupied the post and telegraph offices as well as the railway stations (control over cities infrastructure = prevents help coming)

Question 3

What did Trotsky and the Red Guard do when they entered the Winter Palace?

Answer 3

Successfully arrest the majority of the PG

Question 4

What was the Decree on Peace?

Answer 4

This ended Russia’s fighting in WW1 and committed the new revolutionary government to seek peace (without annexation)

Question 5

What was the Land Decree?

Answer 5

Abolished private ownership of land (reducing peasant support for SRs)

Question 6

What is the Workers Control of Factories Decree?

Answer 6

Giving workers right to supervise management

Question 7

What was the Nationality decree?

Answer 7

Gave the right of self-determination to the national minorities in the former Russian empire (Bolsheviks didn’t have control of places where many of these lived anyway so just a paper measure), Finland became an independent state

Question 8

How did the Soviet begin to lose power under the Bolsheviks?

Answer 8

Lenin passed decrees by the Sovnarkom not seeking approval from Soviets (e.g. initiating peace talks with Germany without consulting soviets) - the soviet executive began to meet less and the Sovnarkom met once or twice a day
It was never dissolved but its power became negligible
Local soviets kept importance but they were brought into a new Bolshevik dominated power structure

Question 9

What other resolutions were put forward on 27th October?

Answer 9

Abolition of death penalty.

Immediate arrest of Kerensky.

Transfer of power in the provinces to the local soviets.

Congress issued an appeal to the Cossacks to switch sides,

Railway workers were to maintain order on a railway

Question 10

Was the Oct/Nov revolution big?
(According to Trotsky)
Why did he make this claim?

Answer 10

Trotsky claimed that 25,000-30,000 at most were actively involved (5% of all soldiers and workers in the city)
There may have been 10,000 to 15,000 in the square in front of the Winter Palace on the evening of 25th October but many may have been by standers not involved (suited the Bolsheviks to claim they were larger = ‘popular’ revolution = legitimises regime)

Question 11

When the first session of the second ‘All Russian Congress of Soviets’ met on the 25th of Oct was it united in support for the insurrection?

Answer 11

No - even the Bolsheviks (Z and K) spoke out about the ‘coup’.

500 of the original 670 delegates voted in favour of a socialist government.

Question 12

What was the moderates (Mensheviks and right SRs) response to the majority support for Lenin in Congress of Soviets?

Answer 12

They walked out in protest leaving a Bolshevik and left SR coalition therefore helping the Bolsheviks

Question 13

What happened on the 5th of Nov in terms of Bolsheviks establishing their control?

Answer 13

Lenin proclaimed the victory of the revolution - assuring them that they were in power through the soviets

Question 14

By the end of 1917 what was the Bolshevik position like?

Answer 14

Dominated major towns and railways but large areas of the countryside were still outside their control (would take 4 years of civil war before Communists could claim full military control and victory of the country)

Question 15

What were the workers, social insurance and press decrees?

Answer 15

Workers - established a maximum 8 hour day
Social insurance - Provided old age, health and unemployment benefits
Press- banned opposition press

Question 16

What was the Rights of the people of Russia Decree, the judicial decree and the decree to outlaw sex discrimination?

Answer 16

Rights of People- abolished titles and ranks
Judicial - established a new legal system of elected peoples courts
Outlaw sex discrimination - gave women equality with men and right to own property

Question 17

What were the bank, military and church decrees?

Answer 17

Bank- nationalised banks and ended the private flow of capital
Military - removed class ranks, saluting and military decorations within the army and placed army under control of soldiers soviets which would elect officers
Church - nationalised church land, removed marriage and divorce from church control and gave women right to divorce

Question 18

What was the decree to establish the ‘All Russian Commission for the Suppression of Counter-Revolution, Sabotage and Speculation?

Answer 18

Created secret police force (Cheka) to root out opposition

Question 19

When was each of the decrees established?

Answer 19

Oct = Workers, social insurance, peace, land
Nov = Rights of People, nationality, judicial, outlaw sex discrimination 
Dec = Cheka, bank, military, church

Question 20

In December 1917 what was established to supervise the economy?

Answer 20

Veshenka