Russian Rev AOS 2

Lenin’s Thoughts on WW1

“Burgiouse and imperalist war” that exploited the working class and ultimately led to the need for a revolution.

Decree Abolshing the Consituient Assembly

“remaining part of the consituint assembly would only serve as a screen for counter revolution”

Consituent Assembly Vote Statistic

42% of the vote to the Srs compared to the 24% in bolshevik favour

Sovnarkom

A body of 15 members of the Bolshevik regime that would pass 116 decreesto facilitate the new government's policies and reforms.

Sovnarkom Quotes on the Decrees

“designed to inspire” and “excite” - R. Service

Lenin’s thoughts on the Consituient Assembly

“ refused to recognise teh power of the people” → “uneccessary sideshow”

Dismissal of the Consituint Assembly through the Red Guards intimindation - Histroian

machine gun became for them principle intrument of politial persuasion

The Cheka - Histroian quote

“the tow syllables Che-ka that would stop any conversation”… Volkoganov

Lenin’s perspective on the Terror —> His tool for creating terror and crushing counter-revolutionary activity and maintaining power —. Histroian

“over-killing was better than running the risk of being overthrown” R. Service

Red Terror Statistics

Esitmated to have executed between 100,000 to 500,000 people

Lenin’s two major econmoic polices that shpaed the russian society

War Communism and the New Economic Policy (NEP)

Lenin’s Justfication of War Commnsim

the Bolsheviks “were forced to resort to War Communism by war and ruin”.

What was War Communsim

inculded the aboltion of private trade, the elimnation of money, grain tax and grain requestioing.

Historian perspetive on war communsim

the policy “cause a catastrophic decline in Russia’s Economy “ - Pipes

War communsim worker statsitic

inusdtrail workers fal from 3 million to 1.5 million between 1917 and 1921

War Communsim - Production

coal production fell 30%

War Communsim - incomes

the income per person falling to a thrid of pre-war levels

New Economic Policy

A response to the failure of War Communsim and Lenin’s attempt to save the Bolshevik reign and power. Introduced at The tenth Party congress

What Lenin called NEP

“Bridled capitlsiam”

Lenin’s resaon for NEP

“teh national economy must be put back in its feet at all costs”

Histroian Perspecive on NEP

“benifical impact on the economy (that) was swift and dramtic” - Fitzpatrick

NEP Statistics - Grain

doubling of grain harvest from 1921 - 1925

NEP statistic - Wages

increase in factory workers wages’ by 150%

Decree Abolishing Class

“all estates and class divison of citerzens existed before in Russia including privilegde and restriction….are abolished”

Decree on land

“land proprietorship is abolished forthwith without any compensation”

Lenin decree on forming the Soviet Union

 “to establish a provisional worker’ and peasants government, to be known as the council of People’s Commissars"

The Treaty of Brestliovk - Stats

In order to remove Russia from the hated WW1 particpation: Germany was owed three billion roubles 

Russia lost 89% of its iron ore and coal reserves, as well as 46% of its industrial enterprises and 26% of its railways > russia immediately felt the effects.

Lenin on the Cheka

I demand the use of revoutionary sowrd, which would put an end to all counter-revoultionary revoultionaries”

Histroian perspetive on the Terror

“The red terror did not come out of the blue it was implicit in the regimee form the start” - Pipes. — Lenin belif that a nation wise terror would reinvigorate the country.

Histroatin Perspective on the Bolshevik and War Communsium

“War commiusim was no aberation but a crucuiial episode that revealed to teh bolsheviks who they in fact were “- Malia. 

1918 Class based food ratioing

Lenin stated “those who does not wokr, shall he eat” —> Belif that the rich peasants were hording grain.

Harvest Stats due to War Communsium

The harvest of 19120 feel 50% of 1913 levels., As a result food production in central Russia declined by up to 85% between 1917-19121.

The ongoing supply shorates and lack of incentive to produce food led to a major famine in 1921 up to 75% of the peasant population starved. The famine itself killed 5 million Russians. “Familes were killing and evouring father, granfathers and children” an aide worker omn the scene in 1921

Lenin —> Police

“A standimg army and police are the chief instruments of state power”

Lenin —> Exteme mesausres to enusre the sucess of the cheka and the revoultion

“Fod god’s sake, use the most energectiv and revoultionary measures to send grain, grain, grain, and more grain

Lenin —> Destruction and violence

“We destory in order to build”