russia kq4

What did Lenin claim about the October revolution?

That it was a seizure of power by the Soviets, not just the Bolsheviks

How much of the vote did Bolsheviks secure at the Constituent Assembly?

24%, ¼ of seats

How much better did the SRs perform than the Soviets in the Constituent Assembly?

Outvoted the Bolsheviks 2:1

When were the first Constituent Assembly elections?

November

Why did Lenin claim the Constituent Assembly elections were illegitimate?

He said that the ballot papers were arranged incorrectly, and so the votes were off.

What conditions did Svankrom impose on the Constituent Assembly?

It could recall and replace representatives, and its members would have to have their credentials approved by a Bolshevik election committee. It could also only meet if half of its members were present.

When was the anti-Bolshevik protest?

January 5th, 1918

How many people attended the anti-Bolsh protest?

50,000

Where did the Kadets and SRs go, and what was the government they formed called?

They established a base in East Russia, forming the ‘Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly’

What was the state of Russia in the war by late 1917?

Forces camped deep inside Russian territory. Russian army had more or less completely disintegrated as a fighting force – no real barrier against further German advances. Russia wide open to German invasion. Ending war with Germany was therefore crucial to survival.

Why did Lenin want the war to end?

• Lenin had also promised Russia’s war-weary workers and peasants peace – he needed to deliver on this promise to retain credibility.

• He also wanted to be free to concentrate on overcoming the Bolsheviks’ internal enemies.

What did Lenin want to do to fix the problem of ww1?

Lenin wanted immediate peace – Russia’s military exhaustion made it impossible for it to fight successfully (pointless to fight).

What did Trotsky want to do to fix the problem of ww1?

Trotsky wanted to delay - no realistic chance of successfully continuing military struggle against Germany, but hoped in a short time German armies would collapse on Western Front and revolution would follow in Germany. Peace talks to be protracted affair.

What did Germany demand in negotiations between them and Russia?

The prices they demanded were very high; they wanted Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and parts of Armenia.

How much of Russia’s population, arable land and coal was contained in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania etc?

26% of Russia's population, 27% of arable land and 74% of coal.

How did negotiations between Germany and Russia end and when?

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, signed in March 1918

Why were left SRs and others unhappy with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

• The left SRs did not agree with this as is it involved huge amounts of territory being lost in parts where left SRs was strongest.

• Russia's army chiefs, middle and upper classes, all strongly nationalist, were appalled.

Which other parties posed internal threats to the Bolsheviks?

•  Liberals, moderate socialists and others who opposed the Oct. Rev..

• Middle-class liberals opposed from outset.

What was the committee right SRs set up called and when?

The Committee for the Salvation of the Revolution in late 1917.

What actions did groups take against the Bolsheviks?

• Before end of 1917, upper-class conservatives and army officers had begun to congregate in the south-eastern part of European Russia with the intention of organising counter-revolutionary activity.

• Minority nationalities refused to accept Bolshevik rule. In the months after the October Revolution, there were declarations of independence in Finland, Estonia, and the Ukraine.

• Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia followed suit in early 1918. Poland and Lithuania, both occupied by German forces during the war, gained their independence after Russia and Germany made peace in March 1918.

What were the ‘Cheka’?

A political police force

How many people were in the Cheka by 1921?

150,000 people

What did the Bolshevik decree on press do?

Shut down any anti-Bolshevik newspapers

What actions did the Bolsheviks take against the Kadets?

They were outlawed in November 1917, and leaders were imprisoned.

Middle classes weren’t allowed to vote in 1918

What actions did the Bolsheviks take against the Mensheviks and SRs?

They were expelled from all Soviets, stopping them from engaging in political activity. Harassed out of existence.

What was the Cheka known for?

• Cheka (and therefore Bolsheviks) became notorious for its on the spot executions and use of torture.

• The Cheka was feared for its severity.

• Bolsheviks sometimes spoke of it as a regrettable necessity and a product of desperate circumstances.

• They targeted regular Russian people

• Ended up murdering Nicholas II

How many people did the Cheka kill?

At least 10,000

What was industrial production like when the Bolshes took over?

War left it in a very bad condition, 2/3 of 1914 level.

Massive inflation, rising unemployment and falling productivity

What state was the transportation in when the Bolshes took over?

Very broken, leaving Russia short 13 million tonnes of grain.

What was the name of the council created to supervise industry?

‘The Supreme Council of National Economy’

What did the Bolshes do to ‘fix’ the economy, and what was the policy called?

State capitalism: government took over multiple departments such as banks, individual factories and Putilov workers in Petrograd.

What did the Decree on Land do, and when was it?

1917, legitimised land seizures

What did the ‘Decree on Worker’s Control’ do?

Pandered to Industrial workers and allowed them input in how factories were run and how managers treated them.

How did the Russian Civil War start?

First shots were fired in October 1917, but the descent into all-out war came later due to: the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in January 1918, that outraged both Liberals and SRs; and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, that angered everyone.

Who were the ‘reds’?

Bolsheviks, formed from Kronstadt sailors and Red Guards. Alongside workers who volunteered and soldiers from failing imperial army.

Who were the greens?

A peasant movements, with the SRs prominent.

Who were the National Minorities?

From lots of Baltic states, alongside Poland, Ukraine and Finland

Who were the Whites?

Liberals, former Tsarists, Nationalists, separatists, SRs; lots of different people with contradicting views.

Who were the reds commanded by?

Trotsky

Who were the greens commanded by?

Nestor Makhno, an anarchist from Ukraine.

Who were the Whites commanded by?

Former chiefs of Tsarist armed forces. They were often inexperienced due to being appointed through nepotism.

What did the reds want?

To say in power, in order to create a socialist state and see through the resolution.

What did the greens want?

They wanted to protect themselves and fight for their independence.

What did the national minorities want?

Wanted independence from the Bolsheviks.

How did the Bolsheviks lie to the national minorities?

They told them they could separate themselves from Russia, but didn’t grant this promise. He also overthrew any breakaway regimes that arose.

What did the whites want?

Mainly political conservatives; wanted property rights and restoration of landowners property, which clashed with peasants who they conscripted.

Some wanted monarchy or military dictatorship.

How many men were in General Yudenich’s army?

15,000 - the smallest army

Who was Yudenich/

A white army leader.

What was Omsk?

The provisional siberian government, backed by conservatives, ex-Tsarist officers and Kadets. Reactionary government, made up mainly by Rightists.

Who was the leader of the Omsk government?

Admiral Kolchak

Who formed the Southern Volunteer Army, and what were they?

Forned by Kornilov and Alekseev. A white army, who was based in the south on the river Don. Lots of army officers flocked to join them, as well as Kadets and other Liberals.

WWho took over the Southern volunteer army after Kornilov and Alekseev died?

Denikin

How many Cossacks had joined the Southern Volunteer army by June?

40,000

How many people were in the Southern Volunteer army?

150,000

Why was defending the city of Tsaritsyn important for the Bolsheviks?

If they lost the ground, the southern and eastern armies could link up.

How close did Denikin get to Moscow during his second offensive in 1919?

Within 320km of Moscow

Was the White’s first offensive in the South successful?

No, the Bolsheviks defended Tsaritsyn and the story became heroic in Bolshevik mythology.

Did the White’s second offensive in the South succeed?

No, the white army were pushed back into the Crimean peninsula

How did the White’s offensive in the South end?

They had to be evacuated by British and French ships in November of 1920.

What was the most dangerous green army and why?

Makhno’s Insurgent Army; successfully used guerilla warfare against Whites and Reds and was strongly supported by the peasant population in the Ukraine.

How many people were in the Czech Legion?

50,000 Czech soldiers from the Austrian army who were POWs and deserters.

Who fought with the British and French on the Western front against the Bolsheviks?

The Czech Legion and Komuch

Where did Komuch manage to gain power?

Most of western Siberia. Ended up taking control of Samara and installing Komuch in power there.

When did Komuch and Omsk join forces, and did it work?

September 1918, formed ‘Provisional All-Russia Government’. Didn’t last long due to political infighting.

How many men were in Kolchak’s army?

140,000

Why did Kolchak’s advance fall apart?

• Counter attacks by the Red Army

• Internal quarrels and apathy among the Czechs

• Power struggles with Socialist Revolutionaries

• Kolchak captured and shot in 1920

What happened during the Russo-Polish war?

• Paris Peace Conference (1919) created problems about Poland's border as an independent state. Russia was not present at negotiations due to pulling out of the war early.

• The recommended border of the Curzon Line did not satisfy the Polish leader, Pilsudski, who wanted the line to move East to grant them more land.

• Poland attacked Russia in April 1920, intent on eastwards expansion.

• See-saw affair; Polish forces captured Kiev, were driven back by the Red Army, defeated them outside Warsaw, leading to Russia agreeing to a ceasefire (Treaty of Riga) in October 1920. Ceded more than 30,000 square miles of territory on its border with Poland.

How was geography a white weakness?

• Right SRs formed separate group in Samara, claiming to be the true and legitimate gov.

• Czech legion: Czech soldiers who capture a large section of TSR + join the right SRs - install Komuch in power.

• Omsk: Kolchak's reactionary / rightist government in Siberia. Pro - monarchist + supporters of military dictatorship.

• Southern Volunteer Army: Komilav + Alekseev, Denikin and Wrangel. Eventually joined by Cossacks.

• Prov. All Russian gov: joined forces govt of Komuch + Omsk. Collapsed due to political infighting.

• Kadets, liberals, rightists, pro monarchists, SRs, supporters of military dictatorship, separatists / national minorities

• Poor communications; had to operate around the circumference of the Bolsheviks, which made it difficult to mount a coordinated attack

• Scattered, isolated, underdeveloped areas (eg. Siberia)

• No factories, so had to rely on foreign powers which could be inconsistent, unreliable, and also plays into Bolshevik propaganda

How was size a white weakness?

• Bolsheviks often overpower smaller white forces

• Eg. Yudenich with 15,000 fighters

• Armies are all separated.

• Lack of united leadership

• Lots of unqualified leaders; ex Tsarist officers who got positions based on nepotism

How was lack of support a white weakness?

• Don't grant concessions to National Minorities and separatists

• Need peasants to fight for them, but refuse to give them concessions and make it clear that they'll give land back to the landowners

• Their brutality alienates many - Cossacks conducted ethnic cleansing, raping, pillaging and looting, driving peasants into the arms of the reds.

• Identification of Whites with the old-Tsarist regime made them unpopular with peasants and national minorities.

How did geography contribute to Bolshevik strength?

• Control most populous areas (key cities - North / West / Central European Russia. 70mil people)

• Had access to railways and factories, allowing them to stockpile weaponry

• Conscription meant there was a larger workforce and pool of man power, so a larger army. Could produce necessary ammunition and weaponry to arm men with.

• Railways then meant they could transport this weaponry across.

How did strong leadership contribute to Bolshevik strength?

• Trotsky becomes leader March 1918. Tactician and motivational speaker.

• Went round in his armored train and gave rousing speeches

• Raised morale, making the people want to fight for him.

• Re-organizes red Army. Starts appointing from above, using ex-Tsarist 'military specialists'.

• Gives knowledge / experience / expertise.

• Ensures their loyalty by threatening their families and by employing 'dual command'

• Every officer must be supervised by a loyal Bolshevik.

• Uses ferocious discipline to stop desertion, and introduces conscription. Ends up with over 5 mil in army by 1921.

How many men were in the red army in 1918?

over 1 million

How many men were in the red army by 1921?

Over 5 million

How did the ‘dual command’ system work?

Every ex-Tsarist officer was supervised by a political commissar, who was a Bolshevik of proven loyalty. Every order issued by a military commander had to be counter signed by the political commissar before it came into force.

What was the Red Army desertion rate in mid-1919?

250,000 men deserted a month

How many of the men in the red army contracted typhus in 1920?

Nearly 1/3

How much weaponry did the red army have?

2.5 million rifles, 12,000 artillery pieces, 28 million shells

When did allied intervention begin?

Spring 1918

What was the aim of foreign intervention in the Civil War?

• To deny Germany access to Russia’s economic resources

• To prevent allied supply dumps falling into German hands

• To establish a Russian government willing to reopen an Eastern Front against Germany

Why did the USA intervene?

They believed there was a humanitarian obligation to ensure the Czech legion was safely evacuated from Russia

Why did France intervene?

They had economic interests in Ukraine that they wanted to protect

Why did Japan intervene?

Wanted to profit from Russia’s difficulties by carving out an economic sphere of influence in Eastern Siberia.

Why did Britain intervene?

They wanted to stop the spread of Communism

A small minority wanted to fight an ideological crusade

They wanted to regain control of the supply dumps at Archangel and Murmansk

How did the USA intervene, and where?

• Very reluctant, most troops were told to avoid combat

• The White Sea

How did France intervene, and where?

• Withdrew from South Russia early 1919, a few months after they landed

• White Sea

How did Japan intervene, and where?

• Only assisted Russia’s coast

• Siberia

How did Britain intervene, and where?

• They were the most actively involved, with 400 British soldiers killed from 1918 - 1920.

• They made £100mil available for the Whites, but most of it ended up in Bolshevik hands.

• White sea, Baltic areas and down South.

How did lack of support from foreign leaders lead to the end of intervention?

USA – Woodrow Wilson believed in self-determination. He thought Russia should be left to figure things out on its own, and only approved intervention which protected supply dumps and helped the Czech region (which he believed he had to protect)

 

France – Georges Clemenceau thought that the best way to stop communism was to strengthen Poland and the Western Border, not weaken Russia.

 

Britain – Churchill's ideas were repeatedly dismissed by PM David Lloyd George, who thought intervention would be too expensive.

How did lack of support from the public lead to the end of intervention?

USA – Post WW1, people did not want to go back to war. There were calls to press and congress about withdrawing troops from Russia.

 

Britain and France – Citizens were war weary; both countries had large labour movements which were sympathetic to the Bolsheviks, leading to a 1919 "Hands off Russia" campaign.

How did war weariness of soldiers lead to the end of intervention?

There were reports of expeditionary forces and brigades being near mutiny due to meddling with what they believed was Russia's business. In September 1919, two detachments of the British Royal Marines refused to go to battle, and there were small scale mutinies on British war ships.

How did counterproductivity lead to the end of intervention?

Effort was counterproductive - it allowed Bolshevik propaganda to depict Lenin as patriotic defenders of the homeland. Intervention was justified during WW1, but it was difficult to justify foreign intervention after. It was confused, uncoordinated and unpopular.

What did ‘state capitalism’ entail?

Combination of private ownership that was closely monitored by the state.

Decree on Land was introduced in Nov. 1917, legitimizing land seizures.

Decree on workers' control.

Limited and unsystematic program of nationalism was implemented, with the government taking over multiple departments such as the banks, individual factories and Putilov workers in Petrograd.

Run by the 'Supreme Council of National Economy'.

What did ‘war communism’ entail?

Aim was to ensure the cities were fed and that industrial production was maximised so as to be able to fight in the Civil War.

Led to forcible grain requisitioning from peasants to stop them from hoarding. Food brigades were sent out to extract grain by force, often assisted by the army and Cheka.

There was a ban on private trade that was designed to prevent peasants selling grain to middlemen - but this didn't succeed, and a thriving market soon developed.

Rationing was introduced, with a strict system in the cities. Biggest rations to workers in heavy industry and soldiers, bottom of the scale were capitalists, landlords, middle classes.

Wholesale nationalisation of industry operating under Vesenkha - large scale industrial enterprises under direct state control mid-1918.

Return to 'one-man management'. Experiment with worker control ended. Top down management returned, making workforce more disciplined and productive. Internal passports were introduced to stop flight to the countryside.

How did the treaty of Brest-Litovsk make the economy worse?

loss of Ukraine’s coal, iron ore and grain, left Lenin’s government facing dire economic problems:

• Industrial output slumped

• Acute food and fuel shortages in cities

• Prices soared; value of rouble collapsed

• Peasants unwilling to sell produce for worthless cash
   (> more shortages > even higher prices), they hoarded grain

• Desperate for food, urban workers deserted the cities in massive numbers and returned to native villages – Petrograd lost ¾ of its population – labour shortages

• Bolsheviks need people for the Civil War to work in factories and produce supplies, as well as conscripting.

Why was war communism introduced?

There was a rapid deterioration of the economy in spring 1918, so the Bolsheviks had handed over control of the land to peasants and control of the factories to workers' committees. However, both fell apart due to lack of experience, shortages of raw-materials and the Civil War.

Industrial output fell, leading to high inflation and the value of the rouble collapsing. Peasants did not want to sell valuable food for worthless money, and Bolsheviks did not control areas with lots of arable land. There were food riots, and Lenin was faced with the challenge of keeping the workers in cities to produce munitions while also adequately feeding them.

The Civil War also led to economic problems, and so the whole economy became dedicated to the needs of the army.

What was grain requisitioning?

Units of red guards and soldiers were sent to find grain to bring back to the cities. In May 1918, a 'Food Supplies Dictatorship' was set up to establish forcible requisitioning; it was met with lots of peasant resistance.

What was banning of private trade?

All private trade and manufacture were banned, but state trading was not satisfactory in producing enough consumer goods. A black market developed which most people lived off of.

What was nationalisation of industry?

All industry was brought under state control and administered by the 'Vesenkha'. This was to stop the factory workers' committees who were voting for high wages, intimidating management and stealing materials for illegal goods.