How did the Bolsheviks gain power/ consolidate their rule?

Question 1

(a) What were Lenin’s ‘April Theses’? [4]

Answer 1

• ‘Lenin said that Russia should withdraw from the war.’
• ‘Lenin thought the Provisional Government should not be supported. There needed to be a second revolution and power should be handed to the Soviets.’
• ‘Lenin thought that capitalism should be wiped out. The factories should be in the hands of the workers.’
• ‘Lenin thought that all land in Russia should be nationalised. Estates should be divided up and given to the peasants.’ ‘Lenin promised peace, bread and land.’
• ‘Lenin thought the Provisional Government should not be supported. There needed to be a second revolution and power handed to the Soviets.’ ‘He stated that anti-war propaganda needed to be carried on in the army.’ ‘Lenin thought that capitalism should be wiped out. The factories should be in the hands of the workers.’ ‘Lenin thought that all land in Russia should be nationalised. Estates should be divided up and given to the peasants.’

Question 2

(a) Describe the events of the March 1917 Revolution. [4]

Answer 2

• ‘There were bread riots in Petrograd on 8th March 1917.’
• ‘People wanted better living and working conditions, higher wages and control over
• their own lives.’
• ‘Thousands of strikers from the armaments factories joined the rioters.’
• ‘The Tsar sent troops to disperse the riots and 40 were killed. Some troops
• refused to fire on the unarmed crowd. The Petrograd garrison mutinied.’
• ‘The Duma advised Nicholas to set up a constitutional monarchy.’
• ‘The Tsar refused and therefore the Duma and the generals were convinced that
• Nicholas would have to go.’
• ‘On the 17 March the Tsar abdicated when the imperial train was forced into a
• siding near Pskov. His brother Grand Duke Michael refused to accept the throne.
• The monarchy was ended.’
• ‘The Duma set up a provisional government under Prince Lvov.’

Question 3

(a) On his return to Russia in April 1917, what immediate actions did Lenin take to weaken the Provisional Government? [4]

Answer 3

Lenin set out the Bolshevik programme in the ‘April Theses’.’
* ‘Lenin organised the Bolsheviks.’
* ‘He used money from Germany to make the Bolsheviks more professional.’ ‘Lenin changed the power base in the Petrograd Soviet.’
* ‘He persuaded the Soviet not to co-operate with the government.’
* ‘Lenin urged people to support the Bolsheviks in a second revolution.’ ‘Lenin promised ‘Peace, Land and Bread’.’
* ‘He proclaimed ‘All Power to the Soviets’.’
* ‘Lenin promised what the Provisional Government could not deliver.’ ‘Lenin’s charismatic leadership

Question 4

(a) What actions did the Bolsheviks take in their first three months in power? [4]

Answer 4

• ‘They set up the Council of People’s Commissars.’
• ‘Asked Germany for peace.’
• ‘Handed land belonging to the Tsar, Church and nobles to the peasants.’
• ‘Factories and industries were put in the hands of the workers.’
• ‘The Cheka was set up to deal with ‘spies and counter-revolutionaries’.’
• ‘Introduced free elections to the new Constituent Assembly.’

Question 5

(a) What problems faced the Provisional Government following the abdication of Tsar? [4]

Answer 5

• ‘The Government had to make the difficult decision of either removing Russia from the War or continuing with the War.’
• ‘The Government inherited the demand for land reform.’
• ‘The Government struggled to control the re-distribution of land.’
• ‘It failed to stop the seizure of land by peasants.’
• ‘The Government inherited the problems of food shortages and high prices.’
• ‘There was considerable unemployment in the towns and cities.’
• ‘The Petrograd Soviet exerted much power and the situation of ‘dual power’ undermined the Provisional Government’s authority.’

Question 6

(a) What was War Communism? [4]

Answer 6

• ‘It was a measure to feed the army.’
• ‘It was a Bolshevik policy developed between 1918 and 1921.’
• ‘It was a response to the demands of the Civil War.’
• ‘It was an attempt to leap into socialism.’
• ‘The whole economic life of the country came to be directed by the State.’
• ‘It nationalised industry and controlled the production and distribution of goods.’ ‘It nationalised the banks.’
• ‘It required strict discipline for workers.’
• ‘Peasants had to hand over surplus food to the government.’
• ‘It attempted to redistribute wealth among Russian people.’
• ‘A result of War Communism was famine.’
• Level 2 Describes War Communism [2–5] e.g. ‘It was ensuring that the Russian economy supplied the needs of the Red Army.’ ‘It nationalised industry and controlled the production and distribution of goods.’ ‘Discipline for workers was strict and strikers could be shot.’ ‘Peasants had to hand over surplus food to the government.’ ‘It redistributed wealth among the Russian people.’ ‘Bolshevik policy.’

Question 7

(a) Describe how Trotsky contributed to the Communist victory in the Civil War. [4]

Answer 7

• Trotsky organised the Communist forces very well.’
• ‘Trotsky was good at boosting morale and often visited the soldiers at the
• front.’
• ‘He introduced discipline into the Communist army.’
• ‘He promoted men because they were good soldiers not because of their
• social class.’
• ‘He used Tsarist officers if they were good and had something to offer.’
• ‘His political Commissars made sure the men stayed loyal.’
• ‘His army chiefs were left to make military decisions.’

Question 8

(a) What was the Kronstadt Rising? [4]

Answer 8

• It was a mutiny by sailors.
• Sailors on the battleship Petropavlovsk mutinied.
• It took place in 1921.
• It took place at the Kronstadt naval base.
• It was against the Bolsheviks.
• There was a shortage of food.
• The sailors thought the Bolsheviks had drifted from true communism.
• They did not like Bolshevik party leaders getting privileges.
• It happened because of War Communism.
• They demanded freedom of speech, equal rations, and new elections.
• It was crushed by the Red Army.
• Over 2000 mutineers were executed.
• Many of the mutineers were sent to Siberia.
• It led to a change of policy from War Communism to the NEP.