foreign relations

Question 1

What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Answer 1

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk took Russia out of World War I in March 1918, but at a serious cost to the country.

Question 2

How did foreign powers react to Russia’s peace negotiations with Germany?

Answer 2

Russia’s former allies felt betrayed by the peace negotiations, leading to complicated and hostile relations with the new Bolshevik regime.

Question 3

Was Russia involved in the Paris Peace Conference?

Answer 3

No, Russia was not invited to the Paris Peace Conference and was excluded from the formation of the League of Nations.

Question 4

What was the outcome of foreign intervention in Russia during the Civil War?

Answer 4

Foreign intervention did not significantly affect the outcome of the Civil War, as most intervention was too small-scale to have an impact.

Question 5

What were the key events in foreign intervention in Russia from 1918 to 1920?

Answer 5

The Allies sent troops to help the Whites, with British forces attacking in the north, US troops landing in the Far East, and British occupation in the south.

Question 6

What were the reasons for foreign intervention in Russia?

Answer 6

Initially, countries wanted to help the Whites to keep Russia in the war against Germany, but later aimed to combat Bolshevism after the armistice in November 1918.

Question 7

What was the impact of foreign support for the Whites?

Answer 7

Foreign support helped the Whites achieve initial advances, but the Bolsheviks claimed they faced down a major attack by foreign powers.

Question 8

What was the significance of the Treaty of Riga?

Answer 8

The Treaty of Riga, signed in March 1921, ended the Russo-Polish War.

Question 9

What was the Treaty of Rapallo?

Answer 9

The Treaty of Rapallo, signed in April 1922, moved Russia away from diplomatic isolation.

Question 10

What was the Comintern?

Answer 10

The Comintern (the Communist International) was an international communist organisation that aimed to promote Marxism and spread proletarian revolution around the world.

Question 11

When was the Founding Congress of the Comintern held?

Answer 11

The Founding Congress of the Comintern was held in Moscow in March 1919.

Question 12

What was Lenin’s view on the soviet system? (key issue is founding congress of the comintern international)

Answer 12

Lenin promoted the soviet system as the best way of spreading Marxism.

Question 13

What was the outlook of delegates at the Founding Congress?

Answer 13

Despite the Civil War and the suppression of the Spartacist uprising in Germany, delegates were convinced worldwide communist revolution was imminent.

Question 14

What were Lenin’s ‘21 Conditions’?

Answer 14

Lenin’s ‘21 Conditions’ were the requirements that must be met to become a member of the Comintern.

Question 15

What was the outlook of delegates at the Second Comintern Congress?

Answer 15

Mixed. Some parties broke away from the Comintern because of the 21 Conditions, but Bolshevik victory in the Civil War looked certain.

Question 16

What was the outlook of delegates at the Third Comintern Congress?

Answer 16

Disappointed. Expected revolutions had turned instead into support for bourgeois democracies.

Question 17

What shift occurred after the Third Comintern Congress?

Answer 17

The focus of the Bolshevik leadership shifted away from world revolution to concentrate instead on rebuilding the economy in Russia.

Question 18

What was Lenin’s expectation regarding Poland after the Bolshevik takeover?

Answer 18

Lenin had fully expected a proletariat revolution to break out in Poland, in accordance with Marxist theory.

Question 19

When did the first conflicts between Polish and Bolshevik forces occur?

Answer 19

The first conflicts between Polish and Bolshevik forces occurred in February 1919.

Question 20

What was the outcome of the Russo-Polish War?

Answer 20

Peace terms were agreed in October and formalised by the Treaty of Riga in March 1921.

Question 21

What were the main areas of foreign intervention during the Russian Civil War?

Answer 21

The main areas of intervention were North Russia, the Far East, Southern Russia, and Central Siberia.

Question 22

What forces were involved in North Russia?

Answer 22

British and French forces, with the British navy patrolling in the Baltic Sea.

Question 23

What forces were involved in the Far East?

Answer 23

11,000 American troops at Vladivostok, along with Chinese and British forces.

Question 24

What was the role of the Czech Legion?

Answer 24

Sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway were controlled by the Czech Legion.

Question 25

What was the Comintern?

Answer 25

The Comintern (the Communist International) was an international communist organisation that aimed to promote Marxism and spread proletarian revolution around the world.

Question 26

When was the Founding Congress of the Comintern held?

Answer 26

The Founding Congress of the Comintern was held in Moscow in March 1919.

Question 27

What was Lenin's view on the soviet system?

Answer 27

Lenin promoted the soviet system as the best way of spreading Marxism.

Question 28

What was the Rapallo Treaty?

Answer 28

The Rapallo Treaty was an agreement between Bolshevik Russia and Weimar Germany, signed in April 1922, which included waiving compensation claims from WWI and reopening diplomatic relations.

Question 29

What did Russia and Germany agree to in the Rapallo Treaty?

Answer 29

They agreed to waive any claims for compensation arising from the First World War and to reopen formal diplomatic relations.

Question 30

What was stressed in the commercial and economic relations of the Rapallo Treaty?

Answer 30

'Mutual goodwill' was emphasized in the commercial and economic relations between Russia and Germany.

Question 31

What secret provision was included in the Rapallo Treaty?

Answer 31

There was a secret treaty allowing Germany to carry out military training on Russian territory.

Question 32

When did Britain grant diplomatic recognition to Russia?

Answer 32

Britain granted diplomatic recognition to Russia in November 1920.

Question 33

What was the Zinoviev letter?

Answer 33

The Zinoviev letter was a forgery published in October 1924, purportedly from the chairman of the Comintern, calling for trade deals and a revolution in Britain.

Question 34

What was the impact of the Zinoviev letter on British politics?

Answer 34

The letter aimed to reduce votes for the Labour Party and damaged relations between Britain and the Soviet Union, contributing to Russia's diplomatic isolation.

Question 35

What were some positives of Lenin's rule by 1924?

Answer 35

Positives included the successful seizure of power during the October/November Revolution, single-party rule providing strong leadership, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk giving breathing space, and war communism aiding the Red Army.

Question 36

What were some negatives of Lenin's rule by 1924?

Answer 36

Negatives included upset among socialists due to the Bolsheviks' power grab, a rapidly increasing bureaucracy, enormous territorial losses, and a famine contributing to millions of deaths.

Question 37

What was the NEP?

Answer 37

The NEP, or New Economic Policy, helped stabilize the economy and reduce food shortages, but many Bolsheviks viewed it as a backward step towards socialism.

Question 38

What was the international situation of the USSR by the time Lenin died in 1924?

Answer 38

By 1924, the USSR was a highly centralized one-party state that had revived the economy but still faced significant international relations problems.

Question 39

why was the key issue at the second comintern congress 1920

Answer 39

lenin’s 21 conditions to become a member of the comintern

Question 40

what was the key issue of the third comintern congress 1921

Answer 40

the recovery of the bourgeoisie in countries like poland and germany