immediate rule issues

Question 1

What did the Commissar for Military Affairs at the time say about the wine riots?

Answer 1

“the whole city was infested by the drinking madness”

Question 2

What are the two distinct views on early Bol rule?

Answer 2

• Lynch: Bolsheviks had been focussed on Revolution and gave little thought to how things would be organised
• John Reed: “the [Bols were the] only people in Russia who had a definitive programme of action while the others had talked for eight months”

Question 3

Immediate challenges relating to Other Socialists:

+ Bol response

Answer 3

Union of Russian Railroad Workers (Mens and SR’s) threaten to cut off all P’grad deliveries unless negotiations for coalition govt begin… same people who x allow Kornilov into the city…
and Resignation of key Bolshevik members Zinoviev and Kamenev because Lenin x want to form coalition w other parties

pragmatism

Question 4

Immediate challenges relating to Restoring Order:

Answer 4

Belief of International Socialist Revolution would follow soon after and ∴ work x need to be done “a few revolutionary decrees, then shut up shop” trotsky,
Lenin x want to form coalition,
little plans for daily operations and lack of governmental legal and econ experience

Question 5

Immediate challenges relating to Governance:

+ response

Answer 5

civil servants went on strike in protest of the ‘coup’, they even destroyed or hid key documents so ∴ no access to information,
Trotsky and Kollontai were met with laughter and walk-outs on first day,
Bols unable to access state bank until 20th of November since employees were un-cooperative,
naivety towards ruling ( “a few revolutionary decrees, then shut up shop” - trotsky)
seen as illegitimate.

Belief of International Socialist Revolution would follow soon after and ∴ work x need to be done “a few revolutionary decrees, then shut up shop” trotsky, Lenin refused to form coalition.

Question 6

Immediate challenges relating to Violence and Disorder:

+ response

Answer 6

Breakdown of Law and Order. Such as Wine Riots or Drink Pogroms in P’grad following ransacking of Winter Palace wine cellars. Fighting on streets, targeting of the wealthy, looting.

Bol lack legitimacy or power to stop it and didn’t discourage it bc it achieved ‘class warfare’. It had a purpose of inciting the prole. to remove ‘class enemies’. ∴ gave explicit approval to attacks on symbols/ppl of wealth.

Question 7

Bol overall response to initial challenges aka Authority and Liberty

Answer 7

dualism
Authoritarian: Lenin endorse a strong centralised govt to bring order to econ and to formalise ‘dict. of prole.’ Libertarian: Bols want the masses to be encouraged to participate in rev process. use propaganda promoting the targeting of the B. trying to facilitate a war on privilege.
Hw/the instability threaten the rev so ∴ “do all you want to do, take all you want […] but take care of production” Lenin.

Question 8

Bol response to issues of governance, restoring order and other socialists: The Cheka.
why?
when?
initial power?
change…?

Answer 8

need for political police to expose the ‘counter-revolutionary and criminal’ activities (∴ meant to be temporary)
7th Dec 1917: Cheka created.
Initially: limited in power, main punishments: confiscation of ration cards + publishing a ‘list of enemies’ + conducting searches,
only 23 staff.
Hw.. assassination attempt on Lenin in Jan 1918 + increasing threat of german invasion …
increased power: ability to arrest, imprison, execute.

Question 9

What were the aims of the initial Bolshevik Decree’s?

& how many overall introduced?

Answer 9

Two Main Aims: ensure continuation of power & Instituting radical social and economic change.

prove they are a truly revolutionary govt. Designed to encourage popular participation in the rev. 116 new decrees overall.

Question 10

Bolshevik New Decrees (date and type)

Answer 10

-27th Oct Land Decree: peasantry the right to seize land
- 27th Oct Press Decree: banning publication of newspapers by Kadets
- 29th Oct: Workers guaranteed an 8-hour work day
- 2nd Nov: Right to National Self-Determination for ethnic minorities
-14th Nov Worker’s Control Decree: gave industrial labourers the right to apply to the govt to form self-management committees in their factories.
- 24th Nov: Old criminal justice system + judiciary replaced by People’s Courts.
- Other: gender equal property rights. Homosexuality decriminalised. Financial institutions nationalised. Democratisation of armed forces Julian calendar replaced with Gregorian calendar.

Question 11

Land Decree:

Answer 11

27th Oct

peasantry granted right to seize land from gentry and distribute estates how they wish.

Giving legal sanction to land seizures taking place + allow Bols to project image of supporting peasants + delivering rev. promises)

Question 12

Press Decree:

Answer 12

27th Oct

banning publication of newspapers by Kadets (bc ‘bourgeoisie”)

Question 13

Working Decree:

Answer 13

29th Oct

Workers guaranteed an 8-hour work day

Question 14

Right to self-determination for ethnic minorities decree

Answer 14

2nd Nov:
Lenin hoped this would create a series of Soviet Republics ∴ did not grant independence to those hostile to Bol regime.
(… led to Finland declare independance)

Question 15

Workers Control Decree:

Answer 15

14th Nov
gave industrial labourers the right to apply to the govt to form self-management committees in their factories.

Question 16

Judicial system decree:

Answer 16

24th Nov:

Old criminal justice system + judiciary replaced by People’s Courts. The new judges not trained but guided by their “revolutionary consciousness”.

Question 17

Other Decrees:

Answer 17

gender equal property rights. Homosexuality decriminalised. Financial institutions nationalised. Democratisation of armed forces eg. officers elected and removal of formal ranks. Julian calendar replaced with Gregorian calendar.