Soviet Consolidation

What were the Decrees on Land and Workers’ Control?

1. Abolition of private property, recognition of peasant land ownership

2. Recognition of worker management of factories

What evidences that Lenin did not have/want dictatorial control over the Russian state?

Decree on the Right of Recall in Nov 1918, which resulted in the removal of many reformists from the soviets. Lenin spoke explicitly in favour.

What events show that the Bolsheviks were initially not interested in establishing terror?

1. During October, military cadets were released on the promise that they would not take up arms. General Krasnov released (had been ordered to seize Petrograd by Kerensky) - founded White Army!

2. Opposition groups organised freely in Moscow

3. Assassination attempts on Lenin, Trotsky, and other senior officials

When was the Treaty of Brest-Litvosk signed? What did it entail? What did it evidence?

1. March 1918

2. 3 billion roubles in compensation, most agriculture and resources, 50% industrial capacity

3. Showed that leadership was practical, not ideological. Idea was that Germany would soon fall to revolution itself.

For what 2 reasons did the Russian Civil War break out?

1. Class tensions: within and without Russia = desire for counterrevolution

2. anger from nationalist elements (Tsarist generals) at Brest-Litovsk

When was the Decree on Party Unity issued? What was its intent?

1. March 1921

2. ban on factionalism - intended to be temporary until the war ended

What objective advantages did the Reds have?

Held urban areas of Russia:

1. most industrial areas

2. well connected

3. more arms

4. greater population

What objective advantage did the Whites have?

Backed by all the most developed nations: received £100m from GB

In what 2 ways was Trotsky a good leader?

1. Enforced harsh discipline, death penalty, and had a good understanding of propaganda. Organisational skills from Rev

2. Utilised Tsarist generals, under strict observation, and enforced conscription = pragmatic.

Why was propaganda/ideology the most important factor in Red victory? How was it facilitated?

1. Trotsky’s train: travelled around the country, had newspaper & printing press

2. Allowed war to be waged as a social struggle = White soldiers desert and conscript to the Reds, unorganised peasants conscript themselves

3. = victory through numbers

For what 3 reasons were the White Armies unsuccessful?

1. Divided forces, geographically spread out, no clear leader, linguistic issues

2. Deeply unpopular: wanted return of Tsarism. Illustrated: massacred Jews, seized land from peasants

What was the aim of War Communism? How can it be described? Was it ideological?

1. Provide food for industrial workers and soldiers

2. Nationalisation, strict discipline, grain requisitioning, food rationing (prioritised workers and soldiers over Civil service…)

3. Not ideological, but a typical war measure taken to the extreme (given the extreme conditions of the RCW)

By the end of the Civil War, at what proportion of 1913 levels were industrial and agricultural production?

Industry at 1/7 of 1913 levels; agriculture at 1/3

How many people died overall in the civil war?

10 mill: 5 from famine, 2 from disease, 3 from conflict

In 1919 what percentage of Communist Party members had joined the Red Army? What political impact did this have?

37% – many died, and thus many experienced party members died, giving Stalin more opportunity to build support

How did the number of Vesenkha (planning) officials change between March and September 1918? Who had many of them served previously?

Roughly 5000 more, many served the Tsar

How did the number of Cheka agents change between its formation in December 1917 and the end of the war? What does this show?

120 - 200K: importance of war in necessitating use of force - little initial intent.

When was the NEP introduced and what did it allow?

March 1921 - private business and profiteering, experts on higher salaries

Who were the Nepmen and how many were there in Moscow by 1923?

Fraudulent private traders - over 25K

What did the NEP therefore create?

An opportunistic , powerful new layer