how did Lenin take power?
- the bolsheviks planned a revolution against a disjointed pg in october (actually november).
- The Bolsheviks successfully seized key positions in Petrograd and broke into the winter palace, arresting the members of the PG
what did Lenin do after seizing control
he issued several decrees including:
• The decree on peace, calling an immediate end to the war
• The decree on land, declaring all land to be a property of the people
• The decree on workers control, giving workers control of the factories
• Nationalised banks and Churches
what was Lenin’s resolution to the war?
-Due to Lenin’s promise of peace, land and bread, and the German military quickly advancing through Russia, the Bolsheviks were forced to sign an armistice and subsequently agreed to the Germans’ peace terms in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The terms were humiliating and were very harsh on Russia
what did the treaty of brest-litovsk include?
-The terms of the treaty included giving up control of all of the Baltic states, Ukraine, Poland, Finland and Georgia. This included a third of their whole population, a majority of Russia’s coal, oil and iron stores, and much of its industry and agriculture which was very present especially in the fertile regions of the Ukraine
what did lenin call signing the treaty?
-‘that abyss of defeat, dismemberment, enslavement and humiliation’
what policy did the civil war require?
-The civil war needed a strong policy in order to help the Bolsheviks win. This was called War communism
what were the economic effects of War communism?
- War Communism largely effected the economy of Russia, with the nationalisation of all industries, Bolshevik control over the banks and the banning of private enterprise
- By 1921, industrial output was only 20% of what it had been in 1914
- War communism also led to coal production falling to less than a 1/3 of what it was pre-war
- food production falling to 50% of pre-war levels
what were the social effects of war communism?
- Throughout the time of War Communism, grain was taken from the peasants using force and food was rationed to deal with shortages
- Many peasants hid the grain out of fear of starving themselves, many peasants were thus arrested or shot
- this contributed to the famine in 1921 where 16 million people were effected and an estimated 5 million died
- the govt imposed factory discipline
what changes to govt did war communism bring?
- During the years of War Communism, the government became much more authoritarian and centralised, with the huge nationalisation and control of industries.
- the govt was also repressive by taking the grain forcefully from peasants to feed the civil war effort. if peasants refused to give up their grain, they would be arrested or shot
what is one reason why war communism ended?
-The Kronstadt sailors revolted against the Bolshevik government in 1921 and called for an end to war communism which ended up happening. although this might not be the main reason, it still shows some extent of opposition getting their own way.
in what ways were the opposition crushed or suppressed?
- Lenin’s ‘ban on factions’ meant other political parties could no longer advertise their party in propaganda or promote their organisation
- The Red Terror was justified by Lenin as necessary to ensure the survival of the regime. It is likely that up to 500,000 people were executed in the years 1918-1921, with many more being sent to labour camps. The Red Terror is one of the reasons Lenin was able to consolidate Bolshevik power.
- He shut down the constituent assembly and increasingly bypassed the Petrograd Soviet
how did Lenin encourage class warfare?
- In the cities, the workers took control of the factories and adopted Lenin’s call for “the looting of the looters and the confiscation of bourgeois property
- Political opponents and those who were deemed enemies of the people like the wealthy were too arrested or shot
what was the structure of govt like?
- Ruled by the Bolshevik only Sovnarkom, meaning the nation officially became a one-party state. This was necessary in the eyes of Lenin who believed there should be a dictatorship of the proletariat to safeguard the revolution
- He shut down the constituent assembly after they only received 1/4 of the vote, and increasingly bypassed the Petrograd Soviet
- The decisions were made increasingly by only two party bodies, the Central Committee and the Politburo with the latter only having 7 members, including Lenin
- democratic centralism appeared to be democratic but in reality was very centralised and absolutist
what was the NEP
in 1921, the failure of war communism led Lenin to announce the more capitalist New Economic Policies which meant:
• There would be an end to grain requisitioning and instead peasants would only have to give up 20% of their grain and allowed to sell their surplus
• Small businesses and private trade were allowed
what were the successes of NEP?
There were profound economic successes from the NEP including:
• Grain production rising by a third from 1921 to 1924
• Factory output more than doubling
• Average monthly wage doubling
what was the scissors crisis?
-The ‘scissors crisis’ came as a result of the agricultural industry growing more than the industrial industry and thus while peasants were becoming richer due to the NEP, they were unable to spend their money on goods due to their being a shortage or a ‘goods famine’. This meant that not as much money was pumped into the industrial sector as Lenin wished.
how did the cheka grow?
in march 1918, it only had 120 members, but by 1921, it has 143,000
what was Lenin’s cultural and social impacts?
- Literacy rose from 43% to 51% under Lenin
- Religious teaching banned in schools
- By the end of Lenin’s reign, over 300 bishops had been executed and some 10,000 priests imprisoned
- In 1921, Agitprop was set up, in charge of creating an idealised view of Russian life.
how did Lenin crush those who opposed grain requisitioning?
1920 - 70,000 peasants opposed requisition of grain in Tambov - unrest crushed by 100,000 red army troops
