Focus 4 Defending the Bolshevik revolution October 1917-24

Russia -History A Level

What was Lenin planning to do regarding the constitutional assembly election?

Ignore it as he had no intention of surrendering power

Why did Lenin do regarding the elections and why ?

After the October Revolution Lenin tried to persuade his colleagues to postpone the Constituent Assembly election

Winning a majority would be very unlikely won less than ¼ of popular vote

What did Lenin say about the elected body?

Was unrepresentative and illegitimate

it didn't represent the true voter’s preference as no choice between 'pro-bolshevik Left SRS' and 'anti-Bolshevik Right SRs'

asserted that the Soviets were a higher type of democratic institution than CA and called it an 'organ of bourgeois democracy'

What were the conditions placed on the Constitutional Assembly by Sovnarkom?

*voters have the right to recall and replace awkward representatives

*members must be approved by Bolshevik-controlled selection committees

*could only meet if atleast half the members were present

When was the Constituent Assembly disbanded?

5 January 1918

What happened to the Constituent Assmebly?

50,000 Anti Bolshevik demonstrators gathered in Petrograd and were open fired upon killing 10 despite this it still went ahead but the Bolsheviks allowed it to remain for 1 day then was disbanded

Why did Lenin want to achieve peace?

*Absence of peace they were open to invasion

*Had promised war-weary workers peace

*Wanted to be free to concentrate on overcoming the Bolshevik’s internal enemies

When did Lenin's peace talks begin?

Peace talks between Russia and Germany began in 1917 but Lenin was very desperate for a quick settlement

What was the significance of the USA entering the war

Germany was very willing to talk to a Russia and the USA entry meant they may have to fight against 3 major powers

What were Germanys demands

*Loss of Finland Estonia Latvia Lithuania Poland Ukraine and parts of Armenia

Why didn't Russia want to give up Finland Estonia Latvia Lithuania Poland Ukraine and parts of Armenia to Germany

* Contained 26% of their population
*27% of arable land
*74% of iron ore and coal

What were Left Wing Bolshevik's attitude to Germanys proposals

called for the rejection of Germanys terms and launch a 'Revolutionary war' with Guerilla warfare

What was Trotsky reaction to Germanys terms

'war nor peace'
declaring the war was over but not signing peace treaty

What did Lenin do about Germanys peace terms

Urged to accept it and threaten to reisign from Sovnarkom if he wasn't listened to

What was the problems caused by the peace treaty (Brest-Litovsk)

*Left SRd we're very hostile as it lost much of their territory

*Army chiefs were appalled by what they saw as shameful surrender and their aim was to overthrow Bolshevism and re start the war against Germany

resulting in the civil war began in earnest

What is the Cheka an abbreviation for?

All Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter Revolution and Sabotage

By 1921 how many people were members of the Cheka

150,000

What types of roles were in the cheka?

Not all were secret policemen some were heavily armed military-style units (units of mass repression)

How did the Cheka operate?

Outside of the framework of the law with the power to arrest counter-revolutionaries

How were suspected anti revolutionaries treated?

Punished without trial, no right of appeal against decisions often simply executed on the spot

Who were the Cheka accountable to?

Sovnarkom

What was the Chekas reputation ?

Savage (for on-the-spot executions and torture)

Felix Dzerzhinksy, leader of them wanted to be seen as the ‘sword and shield of the revolution)

What happened to the Cheka?

In the revolution spoke of as a ‘regrettable necessity’ but became a permanent feature of communist rule in Russia

What was the decree of the press?

It shut down hostile newspapers as the Bolsheviks were intolerant of criticism and opposition

When did the Bolsheviks outlaw the Kadets?

November 1917

What happened to the Kadet leaders?

Arrested and imprisoned

What happened in 1918 to the previous Kadet voters?

The Federated Soviet Republic (RSFRS) denied them the right to vote in elections for Soviets

Who did the Bolsheviks turn their sights on after the Kadets?

Socialist rivals: Bolsheviks and SRs

How were the socialists repressed?

Expelled from the soviets at all levels

harassed into extinction and leaders deported or exiled also sent to labour camps in Siberia

What can Russia be seen as from 1918 onwards

One-party state

When was the Red Terror?

Throughout 1918

What was the Red Terror?

When the scale and number of Cheka atrocities rose and terrorising the people of Russia into submission

Why did the Red Terror arise?

-Bolshevik prestige was dented by Brest-Litovsk and did poorly in the elections

-The civil war began in 1918 and the temptation to lash out on enemies and hold power was overwhelming

-Extreme Left SRs assassinated people: Germany’s ambassador to Russia,Head of Petrograd Cheka and attempt on Lenin which led to Cheka being fully let of the leash

What did the Bolshevik claim about the red terror?

Maintained it targeted Bourgeois ‘wreckers’ trying to prevennt socialism

What was the reality of the red terror?

They came from a variety of backgrounds

What happened to the Romanovs?

Victims of the Red terror, Nicholas II and family were murdered most likely on Lenins direct order

Examples of Cheka Violence

Being Scalped , Crucified and pushed into vats of boiling water

What was the estimation of how many people died at the hands of the Cheka in 1918?

Atleast 10,000

What was the estimation of how many people died at the hands of the Cheka in 1917-1923?

as many as 200,000

What were some of the Inherited Economic issues?

-A struggling economy: Inflation running out of control, rising unemployment,falling productivity

-Expectations that peasant issues would be adressed by the Bolsheviks in urgency as their support was crucial

-Instant transition to a fully socialist economy which would be destablising

What was lenins strategy to the economy?

Not dismiss peasant demands workers and left wing resulting in a lack of coherence

What was state capitalism?

Much of Russian industry remained under private ownership but activity was monitored the

What was the VSNK?

Supreme Council of Nation Economy

What was the VSNK for?

Supervise industry and manage the economy reporting to Sovnarkom?

What was decree on land?

To satisfy the peasants and drew heavily on land policy of SRs and intrumental in helping them join Lenins government

What was decree on Workers?

Aimed to please industrial workers by allowing them a say in how factories work and that their managers treated them properly but didn’t authorise them to seize control and run them

What was nationalisation?

Banking was taken over by the state

Factories (Putilov works) were nationalised also workers took control of enterprises and declared them state property ‘nationalisation from below’

Why did the Bolsheviks lose Ukraine?

The treaty of Brest Litvosk meant they no longer had access to it

What did the loss of Ukraine result in?

Industrial output slammed

Shortages of food and fuel

Prices soared (collapse in currency)

Peasantry refusing to sell goods for worthless money-food shortage in cities

Many people left the cities and reutrned to native villages leading to factories being short of labour

How many people left Petrograd in 1918-1920

three-quarters

What was the core aims of War Communism?

Feed the cities

Maximise industrial output

Ban private trade

Rationing

Nationalisation

‘One-man management’

What were the terms of War Communism?

Compulsory requisitioning- to solve grain hoarding

Food brigades from the cities to remove grain from the peasants by force assisted by Cheka mostly theft and unpayed despite claiming to pay

Why was private trade banned in War Communism?

It prevented peasants supplying to the middlemen who sold it for inflated prices (didnt suceed) ‘black market’ soon developed

How was food rationed?

Most went to the army and workers in heavy industry

Then to the civil servants and workers in light undustry

Bottom was ‘capitalists, landlords and parasites’

How were industrial enterprises controlled?

Large-Direct state control

Small-Later control

Operated under Vesenkha

What happened to workers control in industry?

It was ended and to replace it came ‘one man management’

Wanted to make the industrial workforce more disciplined and productive

Trotsky wanted to impose military discipline Lenin overruled him

How did the Bolsheviks attempt to halt the flight of industrial workers to the countryside?

Issuing internal passports

What was the response to Bolshevik policy of grain requisitioning?

prodrazverstka caused large resentment and peasant hostility

What happened in 1920 to peasants?

Poor harvest reduced to near starvation

What happened in 1921 regarding peasants?

Open revolt against Bolshevik rule

What happened in Tambov?

Fiercest fighting guerrilla campaign against red army

How many peasants were members of the force in Tambov?

40,000

How did the Government respond to Tambovs uprising?

Brutally and Extreme

Poison gas

Wives and Children taken hostage

Food shortage as railway disruption

Lenin had to think of concessions

Why were there Strikes?

Food shortages and allegations of widespread corruption in Bolshevik ranks

What happened to Moscow in February 1921?

Paralysis by strikes

Crowds of demonstrators took to the streets

Cheka open fired on a crowd of strikes

Similar one in Petrograd and atleast 30 killed or wounded

What was the Krondstadt Mutiny?

They supported the strikes and published a manifesto condemning the Bolshevik abuses of power called for elections,rights for trade unions and end to special privileged for senior Bolsheviks

How many Kronstadt Mutinied?

10,000 sailors

How long did the Kronstadt Mutiny last?

A fortnight

How did the Kronstadt Mutiny end?

50,000 Red army troops staged an assult on the island

What did the Kronstadt Mutiny show?

Disillusionment with the Bolsheviks as were the largest supporters in 1917 but mutinied in 1921

What are the main Features of the New Economic Policy?

-’Tax in Kind’ replace compulsory requisitioning' peasants had to hand over fixed amount of grain and surplus could be sold

-Private trading and ownership of small scale business was legalised

-’Commanding heights’ of economy remained under state control

-Industries remained under state control after 1921-22 expected to trade as a profit

What was the NEP?

1921 Lenin announced compulsory grain requisitioning was over and completed by 1922 the aim was to make a mixed economy

What was the reintroduction of capitalism?

NEP meant restoration of capitalism Lenin insisted it was only a temporary one and implied it would be abandoned in favor of authentic socialist policy

Why was the NEP not as successful as it could be?

Introduced too late to prevent major famine - a drought in the Black Earth led to major crop failure and peasant had no food reserves

How many people were affected by the famine in the Black Earth region?

25 million

What happened in 1921 regarding the economy?

Recovered strongly and by Lenins death had risen sharply

What were the political results of NEP?

A danger of relaxation in the political sphere so Lenin called for the Bolsheviks to tighten their grip

What happened to the SRs and Mensheviks after the NEP?

They were suppressed

How many alleged counter-revolutionary Mensheviks were arrested in 1921?

5,000

What did the Cheka become in 1922?

GPU (state political administration)

What was the Bolshevik view on the Orthodox church?

negative

What did the Bolsheviks do to the Orthodox church 1917-18?

Stripped it of its priveleges

What did the Bolsheviks do to the Orthodox church 1921-22?

Stripped of precious items

What were nepmen?

a class that emerged during the NEP and were a class of get rich quick private businessmen

What was Lenin’s response to criticism within the Bolshevik ranks?

-To stifle it

-Establishment of factions to be punishable by expulsion from the party

-Existing ones to be dissolved

Who were the immediate targets of the ban of factions?

The democratic centralists

Workers Opposition

How many people were members of the Bolshevik on the eve of the NEP introduction?

730,000 party members

How many people were members of the Bolshevik party in early 1923?

500,000

Who were the Soviet Union rulers accountable to in 1924?

No one

Who was Sovnarkom answerable to?

Congress of Soviets

What did the Political Bureau or Politburo do in 1919?

the key decision making body (decisions could not be challenged due to removal of factions)

When did the civil war start in Russia?

October 1917

What did the treaty of Brest-Litbosk do?

Stripped Russia of territory and amounted to national humiliation

What was the result of the Russian Civil War?

Cost over 3 million people their lives

million died in the fighting

2 million died for disease

2 million died as political exiles

What did the SR do after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly?

They fled 500 miles east of Moscow and formed the ‘committee of members of the constituent assembly’

Where was the Provisional Siberian Government based?

Eastern Russia

Who was the Provisional Siberian Government backed by ?

Conservatives

Ex-Tsarist army officers

Kadets

Why did the Provisional All Russian Government not last?

Political in-fighting in 1918

How large was the Czech region?

50,000

Who did the Czech region consist of?

Soldiers from the Austrian army (taken prisoner in ww1 by russia)