Ending WW1 Involvement

Question 1

What has Trotsky negotiated in the beginning of December 1917?

Answer 1

•An armistice with the Germans

Question 2

When peace talks began what happened within the Bolshevik party?

Answer 2

•They found themselves divided

Question 3

Why would there be major problems trying to create peace?

Answer 3

•Germany was already occupying large swaths of Russian territory and would undoubtedly demand major concessions as the price of a ceasefire

Question 4

What further complicated the problem of division over peace talk’s?

Answer 4

•By the differences in opinion between Lenin and Trosky

Question 5

What was Troskys opinion on peace talks?

Answer 5

•Trosky refused the idea of making peace that would involve harsh terms for Russia

Question 6

What was Lenin’s opinion on peace talks? (Ideological view)

Answer 6

•Lenin ideologically believed that revolution would soon engulf Germany and so the peace agreement would only be temporary

Question 7

Why was is practically better to end the way in Lenin’s view?

Answer 7

•The Russian army couldn’t stop the Germans so a compromise with the enemy seemed like the only way forward and a price worth paring to accomplish the Bolshevik aims

Question 8

What did Trosky call his approach to the war?

Answer 8

•’Niether peace nor war’

Question 9

How did German negotiators react to Troskys approach of ‘neither leave no war’?

Answer 9

•It angered them particularly because They knew that the Bolsheviks were using propaganda to try stir to mutiny in the German army

Question 10

Why did Trosky drag on peace negotiation proceedings?

Answer 10

•He hoped that the Germans would experience their own revolution before a peace was signed - the Bolshevik’s instilled propaganda to try cause outrage

Question 11

Who was Bukahrin and what did he lead?

Answer 11

•Bukharin, close associate of Kenin who joined the central committee
The revolutionary war group of those who believe the Russians should fight on in order to defend both socialism and Russia itself

Question 12

How did some Bolsheviks respond to the aims of the ‘revolutionary group’ ?

Answer 12

•They see them as a betrayal of the promises the Bolsheviks had made on seizing power

Question 13

Why did an agreement have to eventually be made?

Answer 13

•An agreement had to be made because the Germans, exasperated by Trosky’s behaviour, began to renew their advance into Russia

Question 14

What was signed on March 3rd 1918?

Answer 14

•Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which was ratified (signed/ given consent) by an emergency congress

Question 15

What were the terms for Russia like?

Answer 15

•They were harsh

Question 16

Why were the terms harsh?

Answer 16

•Russia lost Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bessarabia, Belarus and the Ukraine
•The loses amounted to 1/6 of Russias population of 62 million people
•Lost 2 million square kilometers of land including the area that produce almost 1/3 of Russia’s agricultural produce
•Russia has to pay 3 billion roubles in war reparations to Germany

Question 17

Who supported Lenin’s decision to sign the peace treaty?

Answer 17

•Trosky, Stalin and zinoviev
•Trosky later spoke about sacrificing his deepest convictions in the interest of Bolshevik unity

Question 18

Who was against Lenin’s decision to sign the peace treaty with Germany?

Answer 18

•Bukahrin, Kamanev and Dzerhinksy

Question 19

Who walked out of the Sovnarkom in protest of the treaty, consolidation Russia as a one party state?

Answer 19

•Left wing Social Revolutionaries

Question 20

What title did the Bolsheviks adopt in March 1918?

Answer 20

•”communist party”

Question 21

In early 1918 what happened to the old red guards?

Answer 21

•They were demolished and a new red army of workers and peasants was formed to protect the regime

Question 22

Who was placed as the head of this army in March 1918?

Answer 22

•Trosky

Question 23

Where was the capital transferred to?

Answer 23

•Moscow to be more central

Question 24

To oversee the transition to a socialist society what was formed?

Answer 24

•The first Soviet constitution for the ‘Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic’(RSFSR)
•Made in July 1918

Question 25

What was the central executive committee of the RSFSR meant to be?

Answer 25

•The ‘supreme organ of power’ •Actiling like a president

Question 25

What did the RSFSR state?

Answer 25

•That supreme power rested with all Russian congress of Soviets, which was made up of deputies from elected local Soviets across Russia

Question 26

What was the congress (RSFSR) responsible for?

Answer 26

•Electing the Sovnarkom for the purpose of the ‘general administration of the affairs of the state’

Question 27

On the surface what did the new constitution seem like?

Answer 27

•It seemed eminently democratic

Question 28

What were the limitations of the constitution to democracy?

Answer 28

• the vote was reserved for the toiling masses - the working class •members of the former exploiting classes which included businessman, clergy and tsarist officials were excused from voting in public office •The workers’ vote was worth more in the proportion of five to one against that of the peasants in the election to the All-Russian Congress Soviet of Soviets •While Sovnarkom was officially appointed by the Congress, in practice, It was chosen by the communist/ Bolshevik central committee •The congress was only to meet at intervals, so executive authority remained in the hands of Sovnarkom •Structure was generalized and the real focus of power was the party

Question 29

What principle about work was established?

Answer 29

•’He who does not work shall not eat’