THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION - CONSOLIDATING POWER

Question 1

CONSOLIDATING POWER:

FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT

• Moscow
• Takeover
• Extend CONTORL
• Conflict erupted
• Casualties
• Bolshevik Control

Answer 1

• Overthrow of the Provisional Government (25th October 1917)
• Takeover left Lenin and Trotsky in control of PETROGRAD
• Bolshevik party membership = 300,000
• Lenin: extending his control of Russia by beginning in MOSCOW
• Conflict erupted
• casualties: 7000
• The capital of Moscow was tenuously controlled by the Bolsheviks.

Question 2

CONSOLIDATING POWER:

FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT

• Support of Second Congress of Soviets
• Opening session
• Smolny Institute
• Provisional Government failure/weak
• Lenin and the October events
• Anti-bolshevik sentiment
• Legitimacy

Answer 2

• Opening session of the Congress of Soviets: 25th October 1917
• Smolny Institute: Headquarters of the new Bolshevik Government (and PS)
• Provisional Government: weakened by its failure to convince the population
• Lenin could not let the October events be seen as a mere Bolshevik COUP
• Anti-bolshevik sentiment: GREW
• CONGRESS of SOVIETS: approved the new regime
• Legitimacy to Lenin’s new government

Question 3

CONSOLIDATING POWER:

FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT

• Sovnarkom
• One - party rule
• Dismantle
• Sovnarkom
• Lenin and Trotsky
• 3 executive bodies

Answer 3

• Bolsheviks: …Nationwide movement of workers, soldiers and peasants…
• Dismantling the old regime
• New regime: Government of People’s Commissars
• Cabinet: Sovnarkom: Council of People’s Commissars
• Sovnarkom
• 15 Bolshevik leaders. Each controlled specific governmental departments
• Lenin = Chairman. Established three executive bodies
• Trotsky = Minister of Foreign Affairs
  1) POLITBURO: Policy making arm of the CP
  2) ORGBURO: Organizing arm of the CP
  3) SECRETARIAT: Appointed people to IMPLEMENT decisions of the CP

Question 4

CONSOLIDATING POWER:

CHEKA

• A
• R
• E
• C
• C
• C-R
• S
• S

Answer 4

• the greatest weapon introduced by the Bolsheviks to establish POLITICAL CONTROL = The secret police (CHEKA). Established in December 1917
• End of 1917: 23 men
• 1921: 100,000 men
• CHEKA: All Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution, Speculation and Sabotage
• Order was issued: February 1918: immediate arrest and execution - agents of enemy spies, C-R , organizers of revolts against the government.

Question 5

CONSOLIDATING POWER:

DISMISSAL OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

• Allowing the elections
• Election: crucial indicator
• Voters: Rural
• Voters: Bolshevik
• SR = 42.0%
• Bolsheviks = 23.6%
• Constituent Assembly meeting place
• Forced to conclude the Assembly
• Lenin’s justification

Answer 5

• CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
• Bolsheviks allowed the elections to proceed in November 1917. They feared of otherwise appearing undemocratic.
  -Election: was a crucial indicator - Bolshevik claims of popular support were justified
• Voters: majority were PEASANTS from rural provinces (SR policy)
• Bolsheviks: Primarily an industrial workers party: Limited to urban areas
  CA meeting place: Tauride Palace (18th January 1918)
• Bolshevik: forced the ASSEMBLY TO CONCLUDE
• Limited anti-bolshevik threat/rule to the Bolsheviks
• Gained controlled/ hold on power as an independent government.
• Lenin’s justification: ‘Expression of the old regime when the authority belonged to the bourgeoise’

Question 6

CONSOLIDATING POWER:

TRANSFORMING SOCIETY

• The promise of land
• The promise of bread

Answer 6

• “Peace, Bread, Land” - Became the platform for his popularity…
• The promise of land
• Bolsheviks: Legitimized this by issuing a decree from the Second All Russian Congress of Soviets
• The promise of bread
• Provisional Government: fighting in the war
• Poor harvest in 1917
• main crisis that Lenin failed to solve
• Economic worsened between 1918 and 1920 due to impact of the CIVIL WAR and policies of WAR COMMUNISM.

Question 7

CONSOLIDATING POWER:

TRANSFORMIN SOCIETY
* The promise of peace: The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 1918

Answer 7

• First World War: Crucial factor in the downfall of both the Tsar and the Provisional Government
• Lenin: ‘declared war on war’ - called for peace negotiations
  *Treaty of Brest-Litvosk
• Ceasefire agreement on 15th December 1917
• Trotsky: Stalling the peace process - Revolution in Berlin
• Germany’s DEMANDS
  = Control over Ukraine (Russia’s major brain source)
  = Russian army (Demolished) and Russian warships (Disarmed)
  = 1/3 of Russia from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea
• 1918: Germans launching an offensive
• March 3rd 1918: The treaty was signed.

Question 8

CONSOLIDATING POWER

HOW WAS SOCIETY TRANSFORMED UNDER BOLSHEVIK POWER/RULE?

• New laws (Social and cultural impact)
• Private ownership
• Marriage and divorce laws
• Education
• Banks
• Religion
• The Role of Women

= Led by whom…
= Supported by….
= All Russian….

Answer 8

• Private ownership (6th Dec 1917)
• The right own large houses were ABOLISHED
• Became property o the local soviet (Several families can occupy the space)
• Marriage and divorce laws (18th Dec 1917)
• ONLY civil marriage was recognized by the state (No church marriage)
• Divorce can be obtained by either partner
• Full judicial equality was granted to MEN and WOMEN
• Education
• The right of the state (Not parents)
• Creches and kindergartens were established (children can learn from an early age)
• Mothers could join the workforce
• Banks (27th Dec 1917)
• All banks were nationalized (under the control of the State Bank)
• Gold in private banks now belonged to the STATE
• Religion (9th Feb 1918)
• Complete separation of the Church from state
• Every citizen: free to profess any or no religion
• Teaching religion was BANNED
• Churches: denied the right to own property
• The ROLE of Women (Alexandra Kollontai)
• Before the October Revolution: Women’s Bureau or Zhenotdel
• Supported by Lenin and Trotsky (aimed to rally women to the support of the NEW regime)
• All Russian Congress of Women (19th Nov 1918)