Theme 1 Flashcards
Describe Marx and Engels ideas on how to achieve communism
Primitive communism
Pre agriculture with hunting and tribes
Feudalism
Peasants and lords are established from agriculture
Capitalism
Industrial revolution
Factory owners and factory workers (bourgeoise and proletariat)
Socialism
In between stage between capitalism and communism
Communism
Full equality and dependence on the state
Who replaced the Tsar in Feb 1917?
Provisional government
Why did the Tsar abdicate in February 1917? (reasons with evidence)
Blame for unequal distribution of wealth
They were blamed for 80% of the population being peasants
Nobility made up 1% of the population but owned 25% of the land
Unprepared for war
They sent troops to war without guns or boots. They were horrendously unprepared
Decisions of who were in charge in war
During the war he left his German wide and Rasputin (magic healer) in charge who were not liked
Caused hyperinflation and food riots in 1917 ( short term reason for abdication )
Why were Rasputin and the Tsar’s wife not liked in the war?
They were in charge
Rasputin was not liked by the nobles as he took their jobs as advisors to the tsar
The tsar’s wife was not liked as she was German and their was anti-German feeling
This contributed to the people’s negative view of the Tsar and why people were open to the idea of the Bolsheviks being in charge
What was the main failure of the provisional government?
Kept Russia in WW1
Russia suffered a massive loss in the June offensive
Fact about the violence of the revolution?
More people died in the film version than the actual revolution
How many members did the Bolsheviks have in 1917?
300,000
What was vanguardism and why was it introduced
If dedicated revolutionaries formed a party to promote communist ideas and educate the working class, they will rise up against the tsarist system
This was introduced as Lenin believed the proletariat were too weak
What did Lenin do with other parties ?
Banned right wing groups that wanted to restore the Tsar
Denied sharing power with Mensheviks and SRs
At the constituent assembly the SRs got the majority of seats so it was shut down Middle class were prohibited from voting as it was feared they would vote for SRs SRs walked out after treaty of Brest Litovsk
All other parties officially banned 1921
Trial of SRs 1922
What was the treaty of Brest Litovsk? And what was the reaction ?
One third of the population were given away
32% agriculture
54% industry
89% coal mines
Reaction - SRs walked out People who served in the war felt betrayed He was thought as being too soft This prompted he civil war
Why did Lenin sign the treaty of Brest Litovsk?
It would achieve the “peace” he promised
So he could focus on Bolshevik power
Russian army did not want to fight for the Tsar or Bolsheviks
He wanted to end the war which was the downfall of provisional government
What was the ten party congress and how did it consolidate power?
1921
Lenin banned the formation of factions in the party
- this was called “on party unity”
It consolidated power and strengthened leadership as anyone that disagreed with Lenin could be classed as forming a faction and they would be banned
It eliminated debate in the party and strengthened his position as leader
How did membership for the Bolshevik party increase in the civil war?
300,000 -730,000
1917-1921
What prompted the ten party congress ?
Increasing anxiety over the Bolshevik hold of Russia
1921 Kronstadt rebellion
Sailors rebelled against Bolsheviks which was shocking as the sailors supported Bolsheviks during the civil war
1922 Tambov revolt
Large scale peasant revolt against grain requisitioning
What happened in the civil war?
1918-1921
Whites vs reds
Whites could not agree on anything as they were only united against a common enemy
Trotsky was commissar for war and won them the war
By - forced conscription
Who were the whites in the civil war
Conservatives - wanted the Tsar Liberals- unhappy with treaty of Brest Litovsk National minorities Mensheviks SRs
Who supported the reds in the war?
Workers as they thought the Bolsheviks would help them
How did the civil war help Lenin to consolidate power?
Lenin was able to establish more control over Russia
As he began “ruling by decree” as he needed to make quick decisions so he only listened to the politburo
What workers organisations were set up at the time of revolution? And what did the Bolsheviks do to them?
What was the significance of this?
Soviets (worker’s councils)
Trade unions
Factory committees
Bolsheviks increasingly took power away from these types of organisations
This is significant as the Bolsheviks claimed to represent the proletariat and yet increasingly reduced their power
What were the two rebellions in 1921? Why are they significant.
Kronstadt mutiny - sailors uprising
Tambov uprising - about grain requisitioning
- prompted the 10th Party Congress so Lenin could have more control
Which groups in the proletariat did the Bolsheviks take power away from?
Worker’s councils
Trade unions
Factory committees
What was Lenin able to do in war which enabled him to centralise his power?
“Ruling by decree”
- make quick decisions so only listened to politburo
When did Russia become a one party state ?
Constituent assembly of 1918 was the last real election.
It was shut down.
Remaining SRs walked out after treaty of Brest-Litovsk
1921 - srs and Mensheviks officially removed
Other parties are gone!
What did Lenin consolidate power with terror?
Cheka introduced!
1917-1923, 300,000 people were executed by the Cheka
Chitska 1918
People were removed from party but we’re not killed. Cheka were used to find out who to purge.
What system increased bureaucracy and helped Lenin centralise power
Office jobs grew to aid communist party control that were well paid
Nomenklatura
- list of approved members suitable for high paid jobs
It encouraged loyalty by adding a financial incentive.
What did Lenin do to centralised power with getting his land back?
Told communist friends in areas to start riots so he could send in the red army and take over
This created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
When did Lenin die ?
1924
When was the power struggle after lenin’s death?
1924-1929
Who were the five main contenders to replace Lenin ?
Trotsky
Zinoviev and Kamenev
Stalin
Bukharin
Outline the power struggle to replace Lenin
1 Stalin allies with Zinoviev and Kamonev to criticise Trotsky’s ideas of world revolution
(Triumvirate) 24-25
2 Stalin and Bukharin rule together and criticise Zinoviev and Kamonev 26
3 Trotsky and Zinoviev and Kamonev form a united opposition 26-27
4 it is too late. Stalin switches stance on NEP and critiques it along with Bukharin 28-29
What four main reasons did Stalin come to power ?
Stalin’s control of party machinery
Trotsky’s political errors
Stalin’s political tactics
Stalin’s use of alliances to remove rivals
How did Stalin control party machinery to win the power struggle ?
He was appointed general secretary so
- he could bribe people with the nomenklatura
- he could monitor and gain information on anyone
- he could control and direct debates
- he had power of patronage so could appoint party officials
How did Trotsky’s political errors enable Stalin to win the power struggle ?
He had ideas of “permanent revolution” when people were sick of war
He attacked bureaucracy by saying he would scrap those jobs so people in those jobs didn’t vote for him
He was unwilling to use his power base in the red army so ended up losing it to the politburo
He was considered western and anti Russian
What did Stalin suggest in alternative to Trotsky’s ideas?
Permanent revolution - Trotsky
Socialism in one country - Stalin
Anti NEP - primitive socialist accumulator
What was primitive socialist accumulation
The concept was proposed as a means to industrialize the Russian economy of the era through state capitalism, because the Russian economy was too underdeveloped to implement socialism at the time.
How did stalin’s political tactics enable him to win the power struggle
- convinced Zinoviev and Kamenev to suppress Lenin’s testament which criticised Stalin
- avoided angry party debates to appear a safe choice
- appearance to be man of the proletariat (Lenin enrolment 1924)
- cult of Lenin
How did Stalin’s use of shifting alliances to remove rivals allow him to win the power struggle.
Triumvirate 1924-1925 zin+kam+Stalin criticise Trotsky
He is removed
Duumvirate 1926 -Stalin and Bukharin attack Zin and Kam
They are removed
United opposition 1926-1927 formed with Trotsky, Zin and Kam is too late
1928-1928- Stalin criticises NEP and Bukharin
He is removed
What was NEP and when was it introduced.
Introduced 1921
Partial restoration of some capitalism to create economic growth and public support
What happened between Lenin and Stalin in 1923?
Stalin told Lenin’s wife not to interfere in the party and called her a syphilitic whore
Lenin then added a condemnation of Stalin to his testament
What did Stalin do in 1924 to gain power ?
Lenin enrolment 1924
- 1 million members added to the party who supported his ideas
When and how did Trotsky die
1941
Assassinated with an ICEPICK
When did Stalin become the undisputed leader?
1929
What happened in 1932 which is used as evidence Stalin was not a personal dictator at this time ?
Ryutin affair
He released a pamphlet criticising Stalin.
Stalin wanted him executed.
The politburo led by Kirov said N O
What happened in 1934? Why was this a major turning point
Kirov won more votes than Stalin in the Congress Of Victors
He was told my old Bolsheviks to try to replace Stalin but he did not and told Stalin which fed his paranoia
In October 1934 Kirov was assassinated. It is unclear whether or not Stalin did it but
- he insisted on interrogating the man himself
-1st December decree meant anyone in connection to his death could be killed
- he arrested Zinoviev and Kamonev
- took power away from sub committees
It allowed him to become a personal dictator by 1936
What were stalin’s two major purges. What enabled him to switch to the other?
Chitska 1932-1935 - peaceful purges. Centralise power
1934 - Kirov+ first of December decree
1936 - personal dictator
1936-1938- Yezhovchina !
When did Stalin become a personal dictator and why?
1934 - turning point
- arrested Zin and Kam
1936- show trial of Zin and Kam.
Stalin’s major opponents were defeated and power was centralised.
He was then able to introduce Yezhovchina
PERSONAL DICTATOR
- he didn’t have the power to launch mass terror until the show trial removed final opposition
What were the three trials in Yezhovchina.
1936 - trial of sixteen
Zinoviev and Kamonev
1937-trial of seventeen
People that criticised the five year plan were accused of working for Trotsky
1938- trial of eighteen
Bukharin
What was stalin’s first show trial?
Shakhty Trial 1928
Factory managers that didn’t agree with his five year plan had to confess to ridiculous things
Yezhovchina stats ?
Targets -35-45 year old men
Purge of red army
3/5 marshals
14/16 commanders
What did Stalin do in the war?
Alliance of church and state
27 million died
Stalin’s terror declined to focus on the war
What was Stalin’s status after the war ?
Reputation and territory increased
Stalinism took up 1/6 of the globe
What did Stalin do after the war ?
Leningrad affair
1949-51
Mingrelian affair 1951
Attacked Beria’s allies
Doctor’s plot 1953
Jewish doctors are accused of trying to kill him
When did Stalin die?
1953
When was the leadership struggle after stalin’s death?
1953-1955
Who were the 3 main contenders after stalin’s death
Malenkov - prime minister
Beria - head of secret police
Khrushchev - party secretary
How did Beria try to gain power?
Released 1 million prisoners from the doctor’s plot.
What happened to Beria? When?
How was it significant?
1953
Executed for treason
- giving soviet secrets to the British
-ushered an era of socialist legality
What happened to Malenkov?
Removed from Presidium 1957
Exiled 1961
When and what was Khrushchev’s first wave of destabilisation ?
1956 - 20th party congress - secret speech to congress
Criticised Stalin
- cult of personality
- terror
- control of art
- suppression of minorities
How effective was Khrushchev’s De-stalinisation in terms of use of terror ?
Change
Socialist legality
Anti party group were sacked not killed
Secret police under control
Continuities
Beria killed
Police surveillance sophisticated
What happened with the anti party group and why was it significant ?
1957
Presidium voted to replace Khrushchev but he argued that the decision could only be made by members of the central committee
The members of the anti party group were then sacked
This is significant as it suggests destalinisation in terms of political terror was successful
- senior communists would no longer use political terror against eachother
- recognised that support of the party leader depended on support from the party
How effective was Khrushchev in bringing fundamental change to party structure ?
Successful -decentralisation 6.9 million -1954 11 million - 1964 Expanded party to make it more democratic
Presidium and central committee were able to remove Khrushchev in 1964
Not successful
There were not more new votes. Not a complete change from Stalin who also increased membership with Lenin enrolment 1923
Khrushchev introduced
3 year tenure and industry / agriculture split was reversed by Brezhnev
How far did Khrushchev bring about fundamental change with personality cults
Attacked in secret speech of 1956
However Khrushchev and Brezhnev developed there own cults to a less extent so it is a continuity
When was Khrushchev removed from power? What happened with that ?
1964
Removed by CC and presidium
Not killed
-lives in countryside
How long did Brezhnev rule for?
18 years
How did Brezhnev try to please party members?
What effect did this have?
Removes 3 year tenure and agriculture/ industry split
“Trust in cadres”
Led to gerontocracy - old men running the country
- as Brezhnev didn’t replace anyone
Trust in cadres meant cadres wouldn’t do much as they knew they wouldn’t be sacked- stagnation
What was the significance of Brezhnev’s rule ?
Era of stagnation guaranteed change when he died
Evidence for growth of Gerontocracy in Brezhnev’s reign
1984- 7/11 members of politburo were over 70
Meetings were reduced to 40 mins as old men couldn’t hack it
