2. The Cheka and the Red Terror Flashcards
(5 cards)
What was the Cheka and who did they target?
The regime’s political police, established in December 1917, who dispensed ‘revolutionary justice’. In December, Lenin authorised the arrest of leading Right SRs and right wing Mensheviks. In April 1918, all SRs and Mensheviks were expelled from the Soviets - labelled as counter revolutionary. The Mensheviks remained legal until 1922 but the presence of the Cheka made them disintegrate.
What methods did the Cheka use?
They were authorised to shoot and torture suspects without trial. Sometimes their victims were: Scalped, allowed to freeze and turned into frozen statues, skinned, mutilated, eaten by starving rats, branded, crucified (in the case of priests).
Who was Felix Dzerzhinsky?
First head of the Cheka, an advocate of swift and harsh revolutionary justice. He was known as ‘Iron Felix’ due to his ruthlessness.
When was the Red Terror and what were it’s impacts?
In late August 1918, the Cheka unleashed the Red Terror in response to an assassination attempt on Lenin. In September around 15,000 people were executed - with numbers between 1918 and 1921 from around 50,000 to 3 million deaths. As support for the gov diminished, the Bolsheviks relied on fear. The Cheka transformed Russian politics, ending press freedom, opposition groups and freedom of speech.
What methods did the Cheka use during the Civil War 1918-1921?
. Helped the Red Army requisition grain as part of War Communism.
. Closed down opposition papers and imprisoned, tortured and executed socialist opponents.
. Used public violence in recently captured areas to terrify them into submission.
. Helped with the Red Army’s attack on the Kronstadt naval base, Cheka agents were armed with machine guns and placed behind soldiers to shoot those who retreated.
. Ran concentration camps for Communist enemies.
. Stopped private trading which was outlawed under War Communism.
