Bolshevik Consolidation of Power

Question 1

What are the 6 stages of Marxist Theory?

Answer 1

1.Primitive Communism
2.Slave Society
3.Feudalism
4.Capitalism
5.Socialism
6.Advanced Communism

Question 2

At what stage is Russia at during the 19th and early 20th century?

Answer 2

In between stage 3 and 4 as they are not fully capitalist yet

Question 3

What did Lenin push for after fleeing to Finland?

Answer 3

An armed insurrection but the rest of the party were unsure

Question 4

When was the secret meeting of the Bolshevik Central Committee to discuss the insurrection?

Answer 4

10th October 1917

Question 5

What were the results of the vote for the insurrection?

Answer 5

10:2 with Trotsky abstaining and Zinoviev and Kamanev voting against it

Question 6

When and what did Kamanev publish in 1917?

Answer 6

18th October 1917 - concerns of the Bolsheviks insurrection warning the PG of its existence

Question 7

What were the results of Kamanev’s publishings?

Answer 7

The Soviet Congress delayed its meeting from the 20th October to the 25th October

Question 8

What was the Military Revolutionary Committee?

Answer 8

The military groups created by the Bolsheviks

Question 9

When did the MRC proclaim to be the head of the Petrograd garrison?

Answer 9

21st October 1917

Question 10

When was the Peter and Paul Fortress captured by the Bolsheviks?

Answer 10

23rd October 1917

Question 11

What did the Bolsheviks achieve on the 24th October 1917?

Answer 11

The Red Guard took over GV blockades and captured police stations, railways, post and telegram stations and electricity stations

Question 12

Why did Lenin decide to take matters into his own hands?

Answer 12

By 10pm on 24th October the Central Committee still did not start the insurrection after constant telegrams

Question 13

Where did Lenin travel to and from to start the insurrection?

Answer 13

Finland to the Smolny Institute

Question 14

When did the insurrection start and end?

Answer 14

24th October night to 26th October morning

Question 15

How did Kerensky try and defend the PG?

Answer 15

He called for soldiers and then fled

Question 16

When did the Winter Palace surrender?

Answer 16

2am on 26th October 1917

Question 17

Was the insurrection bloody and a struggle?

Answer 17

According to Bolshevik propaganda it was but in fact they just arrested the people and there was no struggle

Question 18

When was the new government announced?

Answer 18

5am on 26th October 1917

Question 19

What was hypocritical about Lenin stating he wanted to all power to the Soviets?

Answer 19

He didn’t exercise power through the PS

Question 20

What was the new body Lenin created to exercise power through?

Answer 20

Sovnarkom or The Council of People’s Commission

Question 21

Did people have faith in the new GV?

Answer 21

No, Chernov gave it a few days and Tsaralteli gave it 3 weeks

Question 22

Was the new GV strong?

Answer 22

No, Mensheviks and SRs were still in control of many soviets

Question 23

Were many political people fond of the new GV?

Answer 23

No, civil servants created strikes and the State Bank refused to hand over money until armed force was used

Question 24

What important 3 decrees did Sovnarkom pass?

Answer 24

Land Decree
Workers Control Decree
Rights of the People of Russia Decree

Question 25

What were some early changes Sovnarkom made?

Answer 25

8 hour working day Social insurance to be introduced Opposition press banned

Question 26

What did Sovnarkom achieve in November 1917?

Answer 26

Abolition of class distinction and titles Workers controlled factories Abolition of justice system Women declared equal to men

Question 27

What did Sovnarkom achieve in December 1917?

Answer 27

Secret police (Cheka) was set up Banks nationalised Democratisation of the army Church land nationalised

Question 28

What did Sovnarkom achieve in January 1918?

Answer 28

Workers control railways Creation of Red Army Church and state separated

Question 29

What did Sovnarkom achieve in February 1918?

Answer 29

Nationalisation of industry Socialisation of land

Question 30

Why did the Constituent Assembly pose a big threat to Lenin?

Answer 30

It was a legitimate body that decided the future of Russia

Question 31

When was the voting for the Constituent Assembly going to take place?

Answer 31

12-15th November 1917

Question 32

How many votes and seats did the SR's get in the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 32

17.5 million votes and 370 seats

Question 33

How many votes and seats did the Bolsheviks get in the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 33

9.8 million votes and 175 seats

Question 34

How many votes and seats did the national minority groups get in the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 34

8.3 million votes and 99 seats

Question 35

How many votes and seats did the Kadets get in the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 35

2 million votes and 17 seats

Question 36

Who were the left SR's?

Answer 36

After a split of the SR party a group of pro-Bolshevik SR's became known as Left SR's

Question 37

How many votes and seats did the Mensheviks get in the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 37

1.25 million votes and 16 seats

Question 38

What was the turnout for the Constituent Assembly elections?

Answer 38

40/120 million so a 1/3

Question 39

What did Lenin claim was wrong with the voting for the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 39

It did not account for the Left SR's splitting form the party so the Bolsheviks did not get the votes they deserved

Question 40

When was the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 40

5th January 1918

Question 41

How many anti-Bolshevik protestors gathered outside the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 41

50,000

Question 42

When was the Constituent Assembly disbanded at gunpoint by the Bolsheviks?

Answer 42

6th January 1918

Question 43

How many protestors were killed by Bolshevik forces?

Answer 43

10

Question 44

What did the SR's do when this occurred?

Answer 44

They fled to Eastern Russia to set up the Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly

Question 45

How many Chekists were there in March 1918?

Answer 45

120

Question 46

How many Chekists were there in July 1918?

Answer 46

33 battalions

Question 47

How many Chekists were there by 1919?

Answer 47

100,000 people

Question 48

How many did the Cheka arrest and execute in the Red Terror?

Answer 48

8,500 executed and 85,000 arrested

Question 49

When was the Decree on Peace announced?

Answer 49

26th October 1917

Question 50

When did Trotsky apply for an armistice?

Answer 50

13th November 1917

Question 51

When do negotiations begin in Poland for an armistice?

Answer 51

19th November 1917

Question 52

When was the one month armistice signed?

Answer 52

2nd December 1917

Question 53

When did the Bolsheviks meet to discuss attitude to war?

Answer 53

8th January 1917

Question 54

How many Bolsheviks met to discuss attitudes to war in January 1917?

Answer 54

63 including Trotsky

Question 55

How many Bolsheviks voted in favour of revolutionary war?

Answer 55

32

Question 56

How many Bolsheviks voted in favour of no war but no peace?

Answer 56

16

Question 57

How many Bolsheviks voted in favour of peace at any price?

Answer 57

15

Question 58

Why were most Bolsheviks in favour of revolutionary war?

Answer 58

They wanted a communist world order and if they bowed down to a capitalist then it would show communism as weak

Question 59

What was Lenin's attitude to war?

Answer 59

Peace at any cost as that is what he promised

Question 60

What was Trotsky's attitude to war?

Answer 60

No peace but no war to maintain favour

Question 61

When did the Bolshevik Central Committee vote on what stance to take in war negotiations?

Answer 61

8th January 1918

Question 62

What was the outcome of the Bolshevik Central Committee vote on what stance to take in war negotiations?

Answer 62

9 - 7 for Trotsky's view (a vote against Lenin)

Question 63

When does Trotsky announce Russia is leaving the war but doesn't sign peace deal?

Answer 63

28th January 1918

Question 64

When did Russia adopt the Gregorian Calendar?

Answer 64

February 1st 1918 essentially making it February 14th 1918

Question 65

Why does Trotsky not sign the peace deal?

Answer 65

It is annexationist so land would be taken

Question 66

Why were harsher peace terms submitted in the end?

Answer 66

German troops advance into Russia further forcing harsher peace terms

Question 67

When was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed?

Answer 67

3rd March 1918

Question 68

What were the consequences of the Treaty of B-L?

Answer 68

Lenin threatened to resign and Trotsky resigned as foreign commissar Very embarrassing and the worst peace treaty ever

Question 69

What did the peace negotiations suggest about Lenin?

Answer 69

A direct vote against him shows him as just a figurehead and they are no longer afraid of him

Question 70

What did the peace negotiations suggest about Trotsky?

Answer 70

Well-respected and the situation was near impossible for him to get out of

Question 71

What did the peace negotiations suggest about attitudes to war?

Answer 71

An annoyance that just had to be got rid of at any cost

Question 72

What did Russia lose in the Treaty of B-L?

Answer 72

Lost 6.2 million people (1/6 population) 27% of farmland 74% of iron and coal reserves 26% of railway lines

Question 73

What lands became semi-independent after B-L?

Answer 73

Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and Finland