– the impact of the Bolshevik consolidation of power, including the creation of the USSR

Question 1

Outline the creation of the USSR?

Answer 1

Creation of the USSR

December 1922 ‘Treaty on the Creation of the USSR’ is signed, and Russia becomes the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

1922 USSR made up of four republics:
Russian SFSR (Soviet Federative Socialist Republic)
Transcaucasian SFSR – Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
Ukrainian SSR
Byelorussian SSR

By 1940, the USSR was made up of 15 republics.
Continues to exist until breakup of the USSR in 1991

Democratic centralism was adopted in 1921 at the tenth party congress - open debate should be encouraged, party unity, once debate was seized and vote was finished no further party debate

Question 2

New structures of party/government?

Answer 2

The ban on factionalism and the growth of the party ended democratic centralism and became bureaucratic centralism

●Three new party bodies were founded:
1. The Politburo - a five man committee responsible for deciding and formulating policy. Created in 1919 and included Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, an Zionviev and Kamenev

2. The Orgburo - Responsible for organisation matters such as the coordination of local party committees and the secretariat, which oversaw party membership and minor appointments
3. The Secretariat - record-keeping, allocating jobs and memberships
   Between 1921 and 1923, 25% of the members were expelled
   ‘Democratic centralism’ was replaced by ‘bureaucratic centralism’

Question 3

How did the Bolsheviks maintain power?

Answer 3

The Bolsheviks main goal was to create a communist paradise
The main question the Bolsheviks had to answer was how they would modernise and industrialise
Marx never intended a backward country like Russia to become socialist, it was aimed at developed capitalist societies (e.g. Britain and Germany)
Stalin believed Russia did not need the Wests help to modern - ‘socialism in one Country’
‘the left wing’ and ‘the right wing’ were created

Question 4

Analyse the left wing?

Answer 4

• Trotsky was the main promoter
• Argued industrialisation had to be rapid and massive - meaning the end of the NEP
• Peasants were taxed hard and war Communism policies were necessary
• Private farms were replaced with collective
• Armaments should be promoted to build defence
• This model was not capitalist
• However- mass peasant opposition, lower peasant output, conflict with the west

Question 5

Analyse the Right wing?

Answer 5

• Bukharin was the main promoter
• Based on the continuation of the NEP
• Peasants could prosper
• peasants taxied mildly and could sell surplus
• more grain exports - more foreign material for industrialisation
• prosperous peasants could buy more
• Guarantee peace at home and good external relations
• might lead to a return of forge in loans however - it was capitalism, favoured peasants over proletariat, scissor crisis

Question 5

Permanent revolution vs socialism in one country

Answer 5

Trotsky primary belief was permanent revolution, as he believed the USSR could not survive in a hostile world. he suggested the immediate task was to export revolution. Stalin countered this with socialism in one country

Question 5

Bureaucratisation

Answer 5

Mentioned in Lenin last writings, this focussed on the increasing power of the secretariat and the abandonment of genuine discussion. Trotsky argued for a return to party democracy, but in criticising other party members, he opened himself to criticism.

Question 6

Nep

Answer 6

When implemented the NEP was supposed to temporary. With lenin death the future of the policy was uncertain. Stalin used trotsky anti Nep opinions against him, highlighting trotsky criticism of the poilcy and hence factionalism.

Question 6

Modernisation

Answer 6

Debates emerged about how and what speed the USSR should industrialise. Already a point of contention, the solution was to harness the labour power of the large peasant population. the left and right disagreed about whether to persuade the peasants to work or force the peasants. They also informed the foreign policy debate

Question 6

War and terror as a strategy to consolidate power?

Answer 6

Contribution:

The civil war and the growth of the read army and cheka allowed for the bolsheviks to eliminate opposition to sovnarkom rule in the former Russian empire. It was the primary tool used to extend and impose Bolshevik rule not only in Moscow and St petersburg but also in the borderlands and the West, south and east

Problems created:

The process of winning the war changed bolshevik party culture. It was increasingly militarised with military victory becoming a crucial part of bolshevik ideology. Less than 1% of party members in 1942 coup had been members before the 1917 coup. Newest members became Bolsheviks in a context of war and this remained with them permanently

Question 7

Political dictatorship as a method to consolidate power?

Answer 7

Contribution:

Political dictatorship was essential to preventing the overthrow of the sovnarkom, the government created out of the 1917 coup. Eliminating alternative parties was part of the process of fighting the civil war even after this war was won. Sovnarkom was never truly relaxed it’s monopoly power

Problems:

The process of centralising power was difficult to reverse. First it was the party of dictatorship of a party but overtime power became increasingly concentrated in the hand of group within that party. Many historians would therefore, say this process ushered us towards ‘oligarchy’

Question 8

Economic policy as a method to consolidate power?

Answer 8

Contribution:

War Communism helped the bolsheviks survive the civil war but had to be replaced by the NEP in 1921 to ease growing social tension ad this was largely successful in the short term. The government maintained control of the commanding heights of the economy to avoid a full retreat to capitalist principles

Problem:

Many bolsheviks were deeply frustrated by the NEP which they saw as a major concession to captlism and a much slower path to communisim in the USSR. Others critised the growing bureacuracy linked with the economy and the party claiming that it was diluting the idealism to central bolshevik condition

Question 9

Foreign policy as a method to consolidate power?

Answer 9

Contribution:

In 1917 the bolsehviks believed that a revolution would ignite the working class in other countries. When this failed to eventuate, they relaxed their foreign policy to avoid the outbreak of another war they were not ready for.

Problems:

Relaxing foreign policy may have helped increased the safety of the USSR in the 1920s however but for many Bolsheviks it was betrayal of world revolution (the heat of their mission) It was unsatisfied compromise that needed to be fixed

Question 10

Creation of the ussr as a method to consolidate power?

Answer 10

Contribution:

creating the USSR in 1922-1924 allowed the bolsheviks to extend their control over most of the former Russian empire while publicly claiming that they had destroyed ‘empire’ in large parts of Eurasia. By creating distinct territories for the larger nationalities the Bolsheviks claimed to represent a new future

Problem:

The truth behind the rule of the USSR was that non-Russian nationalities were still subordinate to Russian rule from Moscow. The Ussr promoted an idealistic future of ‘union of the people’ but many distinct national groups might rebel and cause problems for the USSR in the longer term