how far was ideology the main factor in Lenins decisions in the creation of the bolshevik state

lenins/ bolsheviks action based on ideology

• decree on workers control

• decree on land

• establishment pf societs

• decree on nationalisation

• decree on equality

• abolition of social ranks

lenins/ bolsehviks actions based on pragmatism

• creation of cheka (secret police)

• creation of sovnarkon- bolshevik only, one part govt

• dissolution of constituent assembly (parliament)

• nov 1918: bolsheviks won 26%- dissolved at gunpoint

• “formal liquidation of democracy in the name of the revolutionary dictatorship”

• terror was a central part of bolshevik’s tactics

ideology and preservation of state- ideology

• “central planning”

• nationalization of industry

• state control

preservation of state: pragmatism

• more centralized system of govt

• 1919: politbura created- inner ruling group of 7 people

• lenin allowing more capitalist practices- less focus on socialist ideology

• lenin argued for “ban on factions” within communist party

• attack on church

• censorship more systematic

• power of secret police extended

• arrest of “counter revolutionary”: included women and children

• communist party began to dominate

• SR’S arrested

• kadets imprisoned, menshviks excluded

number executed by cheka

500,000

ideology and one party govt

• lenin suggested a conventional marxist view: govt in hands of “the people”

• spoke of “democracy”

• peasants seizing land and workers taking over factories

• allowed left-wing socialist revolutionaries to join sovnarkom

one party govt: power

• lenin formed bolshevik only sovnarkom

• lenin had no intention of sharing power

• ruled by decree

• initiation of peace talks without reference to soviet

• clash between marxist principle that power sprang from the people

• dissolution of constituent assembly- contradicts marxist ideology

• coalition govt broke up

• adopted title of “communist party”

ideology and an end to war

• believed that similar communist revolutionaries would occur in europe

• free debate in the party before the Brest- Litousk treaty

end to war: pragmatism

• believed he needed peace with Germans to ensure survival of the regime

• when the Germans began to advance into Ukraine, Lenin feared they may move to Petrograd and remove Bolsheviks from power

• party congress restricted open debate after the treaty