1+2 Establishment of one-party control and the removal of the Constituent Assembly

What did the Bols claim they were doing when they came to power?

Acting in the interests of Russia’s proletariat

What did Lenin believe was necessary for the establishment of a true dictatorship of the proletariat?

The active repression of ‘counter-revolutionary’ elements

What did Lenin argue in State and Revolution (produced August-September 1917)?

‘revolutionary morality’ justified strong action

When were Constituent Assembly elections held?

November 1917

Were the Constituent Assembly elections rigged?

No - they seem to have been conducted fairly

How many people voted at the Constituent Assembly elections?

41 million

Why was Lenin sort of obliged to hold Constituent Assembly elections?

He had previously attacked kerensky for constantly delaying the elections

How many seats did the SRs get in the CA?

410 (the vast majority of the CA seats)

How many seats did the Bolsheviks get in the CA?

175

Other than actual number of seats, in what way do the CA elections show that Bols were not that popular

The SRs got more than half the votes (52%)

Why might people in rural areas not have voted for the Bols?

The elections were held in a crisis atmosphere a short period after the revolution. It is possible that people in rural areas had little idea of what was actually happening in the capital and knew little of the Bolsheviks

What did Lenin say about the election resutls?

“Elections prove nothing”

When did the Constituent Assembly meet?

5th January 1918

Which political group had already been outlawed by the time the CA met on January 5th? Why?

Kadets for expressing approval for Alexei Kaledin, a Cossack general who had begun a counter-revolutionary rebellion

What about the first (and only) Constituent Assembly meeting shows the Bols did not have control?

The Bols had proposed that the meeting be chaired by left-wing SR Maria Spiridovna but they were overruled by the right-wing SR majority who chose Viktor Chernov

What was the distribution of left-wing/right-wing SRs in the CA?

There were far more right-wing SRs (only 40ish left-wing ones)

How did Lenin show his contempt for the CA in its first meeting?

Lounged in his chair and looked bored, had armed guards stationed around the building that then guarded the door to the Tauride Palace to stop the CA returning

What happened to teh CA after its first meeting?

It was forcibly closed and never met again

What happened when people tried to protest the closure of the CA?

Civilians demonstrated against the closure but were fired on and 12 were killed

In what way could the murder of the people protesting the CA closure be seen as a contradiction to Bol ideology?

Contradict the Marxist ideological principle of ‘power to the people’ (instead, reflected Bols attempts to purge any ‘bourgeois’ attitudes)

How did Lenin justify the closure of the CA later in 1919?

Described it as ‘the complete and open repudiation of democracy in favour of dictatorship’

How did Lenin describe the democracy of his gov? Reactions to this?

Said the gov represented the ‘people’ and a higher form of ‘democracy’. Even some Bols and foreign socialists (e.g. Rosa Luxemburg) were concerned by this

How did the Oct 1917 press decree affect other political parties?

It made it harder for them to publish their newspapers and spread their ideas

When did the bourgeoise (employers, priests, anyone seen as ‘middle class’ or just untrustworthy by the Bols) have their right to vote taken away?

July 1918

When were all other political parties banned?

1921

When were workers put in charge of the railway?

January 1918

What happened to the Red Guards in January 1918?

They were disbanded and restructured to create the Red Army of workers and peasants

When did Trotsky become head of the Red Army?

March 1918

When was the capital transferred to Moscow? Why?

March 1918. Made the capital less central, especially since Petrograd was dangerously close to the border following the land losses of the ToB-L

In what way was the Red Army different to the Red Guards?

Whereas the Red Guards were a volunteer force used to help carry out the revolution, the Red Army was a new professional force

What was a similarity between the Red Guards and Red Army?

They were both led by Trotsky

What happened to the Church?

Russia was made a secular state and the gov gave no further support to the Orthodox Church. The separation decree removed the Church’s judicial power and ability to own property and the Church had lots of its assets seized.

How did the Bols limit the spread of religious ideas?

Closed down religious printing presses

What did the bols do to the clergy?

They were disenfranchised (unable to vote), left without civil rights and subject to persecution. Some priests were drafted into the Red Army, others (incl key bishops) were imprisoned

When/why did Russia move to the Gregorian calendar?

February 1918, partly to bring Russia into line with the majority of Europe but also as a statement against traditional religious practices

What policy did the Bols adopt for land?

‘socialisation of land’ - land given ‘to those who wish to cultivate it not for personal profit but for the benefit of the community’

Why was the policy of the socialisation of land significant politically?

Helped to reduce the appeal of the SRs who had had this as one of their primary policies

When was the ‘Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic’ proclaimed?

July 1918

When was Russia’s new constitution adopted?

July 1918

On the surface, what did the 1918 Constitution appear to be?

entirely democratic

In what way were there limitations to the 1918 Constitution in terms of franchise?

Only the ‘toiling masses’ could vote. Members of the former ‘exploiting classes’ were banned from voting or holding public offices

In what way were there limitations to the 1918 Constitution in terms of weighting of votes?

The votes of workers were weighted five times more than the votes of peasants

Who in theory vs in reality appointed the Sovnarkom?

In theory appointed by Congress of Soviets, in reality appointed by Bols Central Committee

In what way were there limitations to the 1918 Constitution in terms of meetings?

The Congress was only to meet at intervals, meaning executive authority really remained in the hands of the Sovnarkom

In what way were there limitations to the 1918 Constitution in terms of centralised structure?

The structure was centralised so the real focus of power was the Party.

What problematic principle was established under the 1918 Constitution?

‘he who does not work shall not eat’

Why was the Bols’ principle about working and eating problematic?

The bulk of the population were still largely dependant on ration cards for food

What did the 1918 constitution say about nationalities?

Non-Russian nationalities who had previously been part of the Russian Empire were now part of the new Soviet state

In what way did the 1918 constitution’s points on nationalities cause conflict?

Many areas in the old Russian Empire didn’t want to still be controlled by Russia, there was friction between the Bols themselves as to whether these areas should be forced to join the Soviet