History Russia Flashcards
Failure of the Provisional Govt.
-Refused to pass any big legislation without election first.
The economic and social impact of the war on Russia
-Inflation
>By 1917 it had reached 200%.
-Food supplies
>By Jan. 1917 Petrograd only received 48% of its total grain requirements.
-Urbanisation
>In 3yrs Petrograd’s population rose by 0.6 million.
-Transport system struggled.
Nicholas II’s weaknesses and mistakes leading to growing discontent
- August 1915- Commander-in-chief.
- (German)Tsarina & Rasputin.
- 1916- President of the duma Rodzianko urged the Tsar to deal with the increasing discontent in Petrograd.
Formation of the Progressive Bloc
- Tsar failed to co-operate with non-govt. organisations (e.g. Union of Zemstvos & Municipal Councils).
- Formed a joint org. (Zemgor) which showed many an alternative to stardom.
- Over 1/2 of the 422 deputies formed the Progressive Bloc.
- Tsar refused to collaborate.
Lenin’s Testament
- Written a year before his death.
- Addressed to the Central Committee.
- Highly critical of the main contenders.
- Meant to be made public at the party Congress in May 1924. BUT it was supressed.
Lenin’s Testament
Trotsky
-Accused Trotsky of arrogance.
Lenin’s testament
Stalin
-Stalin of impatience and rudeness and warned
of the power General Secretary gave him.
Lenin’s testament
Zinoviev and Kamenev
-Reminded the CC that Kamenev and Zinoviev had been disloyal to the party before the Oct. Rev.
Lenin’s Testament Bukharin
-Argued Bukharin did not fully understand Lenin’s ideology.
Stalin’s strengths
- General Secretary gained loyalty and trust.
- Worked hard to master the theories of Marxism and Leninist theories.
- Deliberately placed himself close to Lenin during his illness.
- Alliance w/ Kamenev and Zinoviev.
- Fundraiser (robbed banks in early days).
- Reputation for being tough ‘man of steel’.
Stalin’s weaknesses
- Reputation as ‘a grey blur’ that ‘left no trace’-Sukhanov 1917.
- Antagonised leading Communists.
- Oct. Rev.-played little part.
- Civil War lies*
- Lenin’s Testament
Stalin’s Civil War Mistake*
- During the Civil War, Stalin was the Commissar for Nationalities.
- When the Red Army moved in to seize control of Georgia, Stalin told the Party that Georgia had been won back by the Mensheviks by a mass uprising supported by the Georgian people.
- It hadn’t, he had crushed it with brute force.
- Lenin found out and was furious.
Trotsky’s strengths
- Brilliant speechmaker and intellectual.
- Clear role in Civil War and Oct. Rev.
- Transformed Red Army.
- Formidable political skills, ruthlessness, authority and organisational ability.
Trotsky weaknesses
- Feared (other Bolsheviks thought he might use his hold on the Red Army to seize power).
- Menshevik past.
- Arrogance.
- No serious attempt to build a powerbase.
- Inconsistent in that he opposed the Triumvirate of Stalin, Kamenev and Zinoviev but later allied with Zinoviev and Kamenev against Stalin.
Stalin’s Powerbase
- General Secretary
- Commissar for nationalities
- Commissar of the Workers & Peasants inspectorate
