Topic 2- Bolshevik Conoslidation- Essay Plan- Key Themes

Question 1

Bol consolidation themes

Answer 1

Staying in political control
Ruthless methods/terror
Pragmatism and survival

Question 2

Bol consolidation- staying in political control

Answer 2

Removal of ca
More central control- intro of politburo 1919- took over decision making from central comm
Ban on factions 1921- kills democracy- what is decided at politburo, discussion goes no further, united front
1919- 39^% party membership in army- others in offices not factories
Nomenklatura- 5500 new position open sycophants
Propaganda and censorship- izverska- glualit- media cchecked first
Indoctrination of youth
Won civil war- victory over whites and others- leaders clearly lenin and trotsky
Exploit weaknesses and mistakes of rivals- split up left and right sr
All russia loss of power- sovnarkom more so
Union of militarnt godless-tackle church 1021- alternate support base

Question 3

Removal of ca- how help stay in political contrl

Answer 3

1918 constitution- temporary hold on finances
Sovnarkom main bbody
Polling not in favour of bb- 1/4, most went to sr
B question results and demand fresh election
Sverdlov- lenin supportr- speech open proceedings
Demand ca recoggnise all russia congress of soveits as supreme power
One b deputies annouced ca counter rev bby refusing to acknowdleg all russia as supreme, b left hall follleowd bby sr
Sailor surround deputy call counter rev
Increase police control- death penalty for counter rev

Question 4

Limitations of staying in political control- bol consolidation

Answer 4

Workers opposition grew
Under kollontai- gobv undermined
Wanted workers to have more control over own affairs and support complaits against single managers (war comm_
Critic trosku use of ty as many made political
Overall against war comm

Kronstadt uprising
Against central goov, increasing autocracy, sovnarkom over soveits
Some argue- origin feb and oct rev- others argue sr abd anarchist

Junker mutiby- against b
Cadet and right sr- revolt and occupy
Capture commisar for war
Waiting for kerensky

Moscow upsing- kadet
Sieze kremliln- aim rest of moscow
End as red gaurds strom kremlin and kadets surrender
Mortary and artilery cause dmore damage than ww1

Question 5

Ruthless methods/terror- bolshevik consolidation-

Answer 5

Red terror- kaplan- sr attempt on lenin life
Men and sr arrested
Executions increased 1918-20, increase 23,000, real figure likeyl to be 300,000
Tambbov region gassed- red army 1921/22
Introduction of labbour and conc camps for political prisoners and dissenting workers, peasants
Hieghten conscription- glualit
Class warfare scapegoats- 1920s study found 42% prostitutes moscow- bourgeoise
Internatinal and internal enemeies removed
Show trials- excuse/visavle removal of opposition
Murder of romanovs- bno other possibility- remove sucession

Question 6

Limitations to ruthless methods/terror- bol consolidation

Answer 6

118 peasant revolts
Ungovernable tambov region 1921

Question 7

Workers opp

Answer 7

Under kollontai- gobv undermined
Wanted workers to have more control over own affairs and support complaits against single managers (war comm_
Critic trosku use of ty as many made political
Overall against war comm

Question 8

Kronstadt uprising

Answer 8

Against central goov, increasing autocracy, sovnarkom over soveits
Some argue- origin feb and oct rev- others argue sr abd anarchist

Question 9

Junker mutiny

Answer 9

Cadet and right sr- revolt and occupy
Capture commisar for war
Waiting for kerensky

Question 10

Moscow uprising

Answer 10

• kadet
  Sieze kremliln- aim rest of moscow
  End as red gaurds strom kremlin and kadets surrender
  Mortary and artilery cause dmore damage than ww1

Question 11

Pragmatism and survival- bol consolidation

Answer 11

Exit from ww1- treaty bl
Early supporters- urban worker/soldier have fought, some died, some joined party bureaucracy
Implemenattion of war com 1918- civil war justification- no longer ‘all power to the soviets’, end justify means
Grain requisitions- keeping soldiers alibe
Nomenklatura ensure gov position party members- yes men
Decree on land, worker, peace- sovnarkom
Politicisation of soveits
Incentives- salt to willing peasants- attract support- v expensive and valuable
Nationalised communal eocnomy in banks, heavy industriiy, railway- help with war effort, main support base petrograd, moscow
Releasing national minorities from empire- redcue no opponents
Won civil war- jolchak east, denekin south, yudenich assult

Question 12

Limitations of pragmatism and survival- bbol consolidation

Answer 12

Workers opp- gainst war comm
Chapan rebellion
118 peasant rebbbelions
Tambbov region ungovernable
Great famine exacerbated
Lack of control factories
Left wing srs
Czech legion

Question 13

Chapan rebbellion

Answer 13

1919
Frustrated at grain requisition and conscription- village of novodenick attempted a requisition brigade
First red sent in- mutinied- 30% rebbelled, 13,000 soldiers
Later solved with - village bburning, ocnc camps, execution villages

Question 14

Great famine exaccerbbated

Answer 14

Samara region- rainfall drought- usually 38.8mm, dropped to 0.3mm 1921
Illegal trade human flesh
Still grain requisitions
As many as 8 mill deaht

Question 15

Left wing srs attack

Answer 15

Oppose bb-l
Wanted to restart for better position
Capture dzerzinsky head of cheka
Shot lenin

Question 16

Czech legion

Answer 16

After collapse ah hoped independance
Allied couldnt agreee on what to do
Capture more of t-s railway