Lenin - Politics

Between what years was Lenin’s rule?

1917-1924

October 1917

Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government establishing the first ever socialist state.

Decree on Peace:

Oct 1917:

Promised to end Russias participation in WW1.

Decree on Work:

Oct 1917:

Legitimised peasants seizure on estate, ended landlordism.

Decree on Workers Control:

Oct 1917:

Workers supervised factories ‘peace, land, bread’.

Dissolution of Constituent Assembly

• Supported by Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks.

• In favour:

→ 9.5 million votes + 450 seats. Gained support from the peasants.

• Against:

→ 1.4 million votes + 175 seats.

• Ended multi-party democracy and established a one-party state.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

• Russia pulled out of the as it was draining national resources.

Countries lost:

• Lithuania

• Latvia

• Finland

• Ukrain

• Caucasus regions

All valuable farmland.

• Caused national humiliation, only way to regain pride was to overthrow the Bolsheviks.

Between what years was the Civil War and between who?

• 1918 - 1921.

• Reds vs Whites.

Who were the Whites?

• Tsarists, liberals, supporters of the Provisional Government and military leader.

• Promised foreign help from Allie who were eager for Russia to re-join the war.

What was the result of the Civil War?

Reds:

• Bolsheviks won.

• Better organisation, control over the military, centralisation of decision making and overall economic and political coordination.

Whites:

• Lost.

• United purely on hatred for Bolsheviks.

• Although funded by the allies, internal conflict, corruption, lack of coordination and inefficiency in the military they lost.

Centralisation integrated with War Communism:

• Civil War caused a highly centralised government for quick decision making and distribution of resources.

Who did control shift to during the Civil War?

• Savnarkom.

• Politburo.

Who were the Cheka?

The secret police used to eliminate Part opposition from December 1917.

Kronstadt Mutiny:

• Mutiny of sailors at Kronstadt naval base.

• Against order imposed on local soviets.

• ‘Soviets without communism’.

• Crushed by 100,000 Red Army soldiers.

Tambov Uprising:

• Peasants uprising in central Russia against grain seizures.

• Formed Green Army.

• Overthrown by 50,000 Red Army troops.

When was the Tenth Party Congress?

1921

Features of the Tenth Part Congress:

• 1917-21 Part members grew from 300,000 to 730,000 a threat to stability.

• Ban on formation of factions.

• Measures on ‘Party Unity’.

• Penalty = expulsion.

• Lenin ensured no internal opposition would form.

Party structure:

Lenin chair of:

• Politburo

• Savnarkom

Disregarded personal dictatorship and accepted collective leadership.

• 1924 power had been centralised to the Party structure.

What was the Nomenklatura?

• A list of people suitable for Party roles.

• Encouraged loyalty to Party members.

• Controlled by General Secretary.

• Organisation of 1 million people formed they own class.

• Attitudes and self-serving behaviour not in benefit of the proletariat.

Features of the Cheka:

• Dealt with counter-revolutionaries, sabotage and speculation.

• Felix Dzerzhinsky.

• Arrest, execution and torture carried out in Lubyanka.

• Left-wing arrested after assassination attempt.

When was the Red Terror?

1917-1923

Features of the Red Terror:

• 200,000 executions.

• One-third of the Party purged.

Formation of the USSR:

December 1922

• Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Transcaucus.

• USSR under Moscow dominance in the Communist Party.

• Representation given to party members of each government.

Russian representation in the USSR:

• 90% of land.

• 72% of population.

• 75% of the Communist Party.

What was the result of the use of terror?

Showed fear and lack of confidence of the Bolsheviks.

State of the Party:

• Issues controlling remote areas and government in chaos.

• Mafias and Black Market dealing orders.

Kamenev and Zinoviev:

• Opposed 1917 revolution.

• Debated Treaty and NEP.

• Created left and right wing factions.

Trade Unions:

Sparked debate as workers opposition wanted more representation and a larger role for Trade Unions.

What was the role of bureaucracy in centralisation?

Created yes men for Lenin that spread his control over the Communist Party.

Lenins illness:

1922-1924

• Sidelined politically.

• Warned agaginst Stalin in Testement 1922-23.

Political state of USSR 1924:

Lenin created a centralised, one-party state ruled by force and ideology that planted seeds for future dictatorship.