Theme 1 Flashcards
Describe Marx and Engels ideas on how to achieve communism
Primitive communism
Pre agriculture with hunting and tribes
Feudalism
Peasants and lords are established from agriculture
Capitalism
Industrial revolution
Factory owners and factory workers (bourgeoise and proletariat)
Socialism
In between stage between capitalism and communism
Communism
Full equality and dependence on the state
Who replaced the Tsar in Feb 1917?
Provisional government
Why did the Tsar abdicate in February 1917? (reasons with evidence)
Blame for unequal distribution of wealth
They were blamed for 80% of the population being peasants
Nobility made up 1% of the population but owned 25% of the land
Unprepared for war
They sent troops to war without guns or boots. They were horrendously unprepared
Decisions of who were in charge in war
During the war he left his German wide and Rasputin (magic healer) in charge who were not liked
Caused hyperinflation and food riots in 1917 ( short term reason for abdication )
Why were Rasputin and the Tsar’s wife not liked in the war?
They were in charge
Rasputin was not liked by the nobles as he took their jobs as advisors to the tsar
The tsar’s wife was not liked as she was German and their was anti-German feeling
This contributed to the people’s negative view of the Tsar and why people were open to the idea of the Bolsheviks being in charge
What was the main failure of the provisional government?
Kept Russia in WW1
Russia suffered a massive loss in the June offensive
Fact about the violence of the revolution?
More people died in the film version than the actual revolution
How many members did the Bolsheviks have in 1917?
300,000
What was vanguardism and why was it introduced
If dedicated revolutionaries formed a party to promote communist ideas and educate the working class, they will rise up against the tsarist system
This was introduced as Lenin believed the proletariat were too weak
What did Lenin do with other parties ?
Banned right wing groups that wanted to restore the Tsar
Denied sharing power with Mensheviks and SRs
At the constituent assembly the SRs got the majority of seats so it was shut down Middle class were prohibited from voting as it was feared they would vote for SRs SRs walked out after treaty of Brest Litovsk
All other parties officially banned 1921
Trial of SRs 1922
What was the treaty of Brest Litovsk? And what was the reaction ?
One third of the population were given away
32% agriculture
54% industry
89% coal mines
Reaction - SRs walked out People who served in the war felt betrayed He was thought as being too soft This prompted he civil war
Why did Lenin sign the treaty of Brest Litovsk?
It would achieve the “peace” he promised
So he could focus on Bolshevik power
Russian army did not want to fight for the Tsar or Bolsheviks
He wanted to end the war which was the downfall of provisional government
What was the ten party congress and how did it consolidate power?
1921
Lenin banned the formation of factions in the party
- this was called “on party unity”
It consolidated power and strengthened leadership as anyone that disagreed with Lenin could be classed as forming a faction and they would be banned
It eliminated debate in the party and strengthened his position as leader
How did membership for the Bolshevik party increase in the civil war?
300,000 -730,000
1917-1921
What prompted the ten party congress ?
Increasing anxiety over the Bolshevik hold of Russia
1921 Kronstadt rebellion
Sailors rebelled against Bolsheviks which was shocking as the sailors supported Bolsheviks during the civil war
1922 Tambov revolt
Large scale peasant revolt against grain requisitioning
What happened in the civil war?
1918-1921
Whites vs reds
Whites could not agree on anything as they were only united against a common enemy
Trotsky was commissar for war and won them the war
By - forced conscription
Who were the whites in the civil war
Conservatives - wanted the Tsar Liberals- unhappy with treaty of Brest Litovsk National minorities Mensheviks SRs
Who supported the reds in the war?
Workers as they thought the Bolsheviks would help them
How did the civil war help Lenin to consolidate power?
Lenin was able to establish more control over Russia
As he began “ruling by decree” as he needed to make quick decisions so he only listened to the politburo
What workers organisations were set up at the time of revolution? And what did the Bolsheviks do to them?
What was the significance of this?
Soviets (worker’s councils)
Trade unions
Factory committees
Bolsheviks increasingly took power away from these types of organisations
This is significant as the Bolsheviks claimed to represent the proletariat and yet increasingly reduced their power
What were the two rebellions in 1921? Why are they significant.
Kronstadt mutiny - sailors uprising
Tambov uprising - about grain requisitioning
- prompted the 10th Party Congress so Lenin could have more control
Which groups in the proletariat did the Bolsheviks take power away from?
Worker’s councils
Trade unions
Factory committees
What was Lenin able to do in war which enabled him to centralise his power?
“Ruling by decree”
- make quick decisions so only listened to politburo
When did Russia become a one party state ?
Constituent assembly of 1918 was the last real election.
It was shut down.
Remaining SRs walked out after treaty of Brest-Litovsk
1921 - srs and Mensheviks officially removed
Other parties are gone!
What did Lenin consolidate power with terror?
Cheka introduced!
1917-1923, 300,000 people were executed by the Cheka
Chitska 1918
People were removed from party but we’re not killed. Cheka were used to find out who to purge.
What system increased bureaucracy and helped Lenin centralise power
Office jobs grew to aid communist party control that were well paid
Nomenklatura
- list of approved members suitable for high paid jobs
It encouraged loyalty by adding a financial incentive.
What did Lenin do to centralised power with getting his land back?
Told communist friends in areas to start riots so he could send in the red army and take over
This created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
When did Lenin die ?
1924
