Government Under Lenin Flashcards
What were 3 decrees Lenin passed
Lenin passed the Decree on Peace. This promised to pull Russia out of the First World War. This was extremely popular with peasants and workers, who had suffered greatly due to the war.
Lenin passed the Decree on Land, giving peasants the right to seize land from the nobility and Church. This was extremely popular with peasants, who felt it was unfair that they did all of the work on the land, but owned nothing.
Lenin passed the Workers’ Decrees, establishing a minimum wage and maximum working day of eight hours. This was extremely popular with industrial workers, who had suffered terrible working conditions under the Tsar and the Provisional Government.
What happened with Lenin and the Secret Police
Lenin formed a secret police force, known as the Cheka. They operated outside of the law to hunt down and eliminate enemies of the Bolsheviks, using torture and execution without trial.
What did the Cheka do
Between 1917 and 1923, the Cheka executed 200,000 people. In the town of Oryol, they froze the bodies of
their victims and displayed them as ice statues.
What did Lenin’s decrees do
Popular with workers
Gave breathing space from War to rebuild and redecorate
What was the Constituent Assembly
Lenin allowed democratic elections to a Russian parliament, called the Constituent Assembly.
In the elections to the Constituent Assembly, the Bolsheviks only won 175 seats, whilst the Social Revolutionaries won 410 seats. Lenin dismissed the assembly by force after only one meeting.
What did Lenin do to avoid opposition
Tightening communist part control e.g ban on factions and expulsion from party if people were forming factions. Makes Lenin’s policy less opposition
