Unit one - communist government in the USSR 1917-85

Question 1

Bolshevik aims

Answer 1

-Bolsheviks party was established in 1903
-main targets were the increasingly outdated and repressive Tsarist regime that ruled Russia.
-Tsarist regime collapsed February 1917. (under the strains of ww1)
-chaos of 1917 provided the Bolsheviks an unexpected opportunity to seize power. (wanted to get rid of the upper and middle class who exploited the workers + peasants under a capitalist system)
- Bolsheviks believed it should’ve been replaced with Socialism.
- wanted a government which would represent the workers that would improve the living and working conditions of the people as a whole.
- Eventually communism was established - when the people would have more control over their own lives.

Question 2

Proletariat meaning

Answer 2

A term used by Karl Marx to denote the industrial workers, a new class that had emerged as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

Question 3

Bourgeoisie meaning

Answer 3

The owners of factories, industries and shops, that is, those who own the means of production.

Question 4

Dictatorship of the proletariat meaning

Answer 4

A government that rules on behalf of the working class. it would take over the reins of power and use that power to smash the bourgeoisie and prevent counter-revolution.

Question 5

The October Revolution - 1917

Answer 5

• Bolsheviks seized power in October using a well-planned and well-executed uprising
• The Provisional Government (which had been set up after the fall of Tsar) was forced from power
• ## At this time, the Bolsheviks were still a small party of about 300,000 members.

Question 6

Left Wing opposition.

Answer 6

• Other left wing groups shared many socialist aims as the Bolsheviks.
• Socialist revolutionaries (SR’s) + Mensheviks expected a share in the new Gov.
• calls for a socialist coalition were firmly rejected by Lenin.
• Trotsky to SR’s and Mensheviks “You have played out your role. Go where you belong: to the dustbin of History”
• Bolsheviks gained 175 seats with over 9 million votes. SR’s had 410 seats with 21 million votes.
• Lenin scrapped the Constituent assembly and used the All-Russian congress of the soviets as an instrument of popular support.
  Bolsheviks had more influence in the All-Russian congress. Lenin ensure that was no forum for opposition.

Question 7

The creation of a one-party state and the party congress of 1921

Answer 7

• By 1921, it was clear that the Bolsheviks had established a one-party state where all other groups were banned. (to ensure that they would still have a hold on their power)
• The Bolsheviks remained a small group (they did not have the support to lead a popular revolution.)
• They has seized power by force so faced opposition from both left and right.

Question 8

The Destruction of other parties.

Answer 8

• The Bourgeois had no right to vote, prevented opposition parties from having a possible reservoir support
• Mensheviks +SR’s found it difficult to publish their own newspapers due to the restrictions imposed by the Bolsheviks.
• Left-wing SR’s who had been given a role within this governemt in 1917 and 1918 - LOST ALL INFLUENCE when they walked out of Government in March 1918. (protest because Bolsheviks pulls out of WW1)
• March 1918 – Bolsheviks rename themselves the communist party - by 1921 all other parties were effectively banned.
• April 1921 – Lenin declared “The place for the Mensheviks and SR’s is in Prison.” And during the first few months of 1921, 5,000 mensheviks were arrested. (waves of arrests of SR’s and Mensheviks supporters later in 1921 + 1922.)

Question 9

Treaty of Brest - Litovsk 1918

Answer 9

• Quick end to WW1 meant Russia had signed the treaty of Brest - Litovsk (1918) - Russia had lost control over the Baltic states, Finland, Ukraine and the Caucasus region.
• this had hurt many Russian’s pride - particularly the conservatives. (only way to restore Russia’s pride was to overthrow the Bolshevik regime and reject the Treaty)
  The Treaty had caused a spur of those who wished to fight against the Bolsheviks known as the whites (offered the promised foreign help)
• The allied powers were anxious to keep Russia in the war so provide arms, money and troops to the whites.

Question 10

The Russian Civil War.

Answer 10

• The civil war was to tear Russia apart for three years – Between 1918 and 1921. Civil war occurred because after November 1917, many groups had formed that opposed Lenin’s Bolsheviks. (included monarchists, militarists and [for a short period of time] foreign nations)
• The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk had shown how weak the Bolsheviks actually were. - Lenin had called for peace at any price and the Germans had exacted very severe terms. (something that was held against them at Versailles in 1919)
• It was not until the 1920’s that the Bolsheviks had defeated the whites and secured the communist rule over the country.

Question 11

How did they win the civil war?

Answer 11

• Bolsheviks were extremely fortunate in the quality of their leadership. (particularly in Lenin and Trotsky) - Lenin had provided the energy and drive needed to inspire success. - he had very definite aims and objectives and a sense of purpose about what he believed was good for Russia. (his leadership was never challenged.)
• Victory of the Bolsheviks was largely achieved due to the better organisation of the reds. (in military and political terms) The whites in comparison were badly organised, divided group.
• Trotsky turned the Red army into an effective fighting machine. He introduced conscription which led the Red army to grow to 5 million by the end of the war.
• Under Lenin’s leadership, Bolsheviks displayed total ruthlessness in making sure that they did not face rebellion and revolt in the areas they controlled
• The constituent Assembly - had been organised by the Provisional Government, to draw up a constitution for Russia. - In the election, the majority of delegates came from another revolutionary party, The Social Revolutionaries. (fearing opposition to their plans when the constituent assembly attempted to meet - Bolsheviks had to shut it down.)
• Other parties - once the civil war started - the Bolsheviks banned the other political parties and arrested their leaders.
  -Newspapers - The Bolsheviks closed down newspapers which opposed them
• The CHEKA - this was the Bolshevik Secret Police. - they hunted down and arrested anyone who was suspected of opposing the Bolsheviks.
• The RED ARMY - The most effective fighting machine - and as conscription was introduced it swelled up the number of soldiers fighting for the Bolsheviks.
• The degree of active support - The workers, the people all saw the guarantees of fighting for the Bolsheviks rule.

Question 12

Results of the Civil War.

Answer 12

• The devastation and division from the first world war itself had a long term impact upon Russia
• Bolshevik state had become highly centralised due to the demands of civil war.
  Power had now finally returned in the hands of the government (Sovnarkom) and party leadership.
• The Bolsheviks made extensive use of terror against their political opponents.

Question 13

The Tenth Party Congress.

Answer 13

• By the time the Bolsheviks had held their tenth party congress in March 1921 - they had won the civil war and now could focus on dealing with the division within the party itself.
• Party membership itself had been boasted by the civil war as it grew from 300,000 to 730,000 by 1921.
• The measure of ‘On party Unity’ was put forward by Lenin and imposed a ban on factions.
• At the congress it was decided that there was to be a ban on internal factions in the Russian communist party. - factions included Workers’ opposition (those supporting syndicalism) and democratic centralists (who wanted more soviet autonomy,)
• The New Economic policy (NEP) as decided. Foreign trade, banks and heavy industry would stay in state hands, the rest was privatized.

Question 14

apparatus of the government:

Answer 14

• Lenin needed to put in place a state administration that better suited his own revolutionary purposes; needed a clear line of authority whereby decisions could be made and imposed on the country quickly and effectively.
• Organisations that genuinely represented the proletariat (such as the soviets, trade unions and factory committees) were brought under Bolshevik control then side-lined.
• a system was devised based on representative bodies that was headed by the Sovnarkom.
• Sovarkom - the council of people’s commissars, took the role of a cabinet of top government ministers, responsible for making key decisions and giving government orders, 20 members in total (elected by central executive committee) who met daily during the civil war.
• Central executive committee - larger group elected by congress of soviets, watched over the work of the government and administration.
• All-Russian Congress of Soviets - s