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Lenin Flashcards

1
Q

Who was running Russia after the revolution?

A

ww-The new government created by the Dumas was called the provisional government
-The new Prime Minister of the Provisional Government was Prince Lvov (He was popular and a good democrat)

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2
Q

What was dual power?

A

-The provisional Government was popularly `accepted but the real power lay in the soviet

The socialist leaders of the Soviets decided to allow the PG to govern while it kept a close eye on what it was doing
-They did not want to provide an excuse for counter-revolution
-The socialists leaders had little idea on how to run a government

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3
Q

How did the war challenge the provisional government?

A

The Kadets wanted to continue the war
-They didn’t want to surrender to the Germans due to the national shame they would suffer
-They also didn’t want to lose the support of their allies Britain and France

Socialists were divided on the war
-The moderate socialists were prepared to support the war as they didn’t want Russia to be humiliated
-Factions in the Mensheviks and SRs wanted to negotiate

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4
Q

When was the June offensive?

A

16th June 1917

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5
Q

How did the July offensive challenge the provisional government?

A

-At the beginning of 1917 the PG decided to launch an offensive against the Germans
-The attack lasted 3 days and then it began to fall apart, thousands of soldiers were killed and even more land was lost
-Moderate socialists leaders in the gov lost their credibility with the soldiers and workers

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6
Q

How did the land and peasants challenge the provisional government?

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7
Q

How did the National minorities challenge the provisional government?

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8
Q

How did social reform challenge the provisional government?

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9
Q

How did the deteriorating economic situation challenge the provisional government?

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10
Q

Why was Kerensky a key player in 1917?

A

-

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11
Q

Why was Lenin a key player in 1917?

A
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12
Q

What led to the July days?

A

The failed summer offensive in the war caused mounting frustration among the workers and soldiers, which led to uncontrolled rioting for several days

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13
Q

What were the events of the July days?

A

-July 3 Sukhanov
-On July 4 20,000 armed sailors from the Kronstadt naval base arrived in the Petrograd
-The sailors marched to the palace where they demanded that society take power
-Chernov the SR leader was sent out to calm them down but was seized

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14
Q

What was the Kornilov affair?

A
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15
Q

What were the consequences of the Kornilov affair?

A
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16
Q

What was the october revolution

A
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17
Q

What was Kerenskys response to the October revolution

A
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18
Q

How did the Bolsheviks seize control during the October revolution

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19
Q

How did the Bolsheviks hold onto power?

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20
Q

What were the Bolsheviks first measures?

A

-Lenin gave the workers what they wanted to survive the first few months

Sovnarkom passed a number of decrees to keep the support of the people:
-The decree on peace
-The decree on land
-The decree on workers control
-The decree on the rights of the people of Russia

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21
Q

What was the decree on peace?

A

Called for an immediate truce and aimed to pull Russia out of the war

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22
Q

What was the decree on land?

A

Gave peasants the right to take over the estates of the gentry without compensation

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23
Q

What was he decree on workers control?

A

Factory committees were given the right to control production and finance in workplaces and to supervise management

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24
Q

What was the decree on the rights of the people of Russia?

A

Gave the right of self determination to the national minorities in the former Russian empire

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25
Out of control
26
How did the Bolsheviks deal with threats and opposition in 1917?
-Closed down opposition press -Turned on opposition political parties -On 7th December Lenin set up the Cheka -Civil service was purged (replaced with bolshevik supporters and officials)
27
How did the Bolsheviks use class warfare in 1917?
-Lenin utilized class warfare to intimidate the middle classes and maintain control. -The Bolshevik press targeted the bourgeois as 'enemies of the people,' labelling them as 'parasites' and 'bloodsuckers.' -The legal system was replaced by arbitrary revolutionary justice, leading to arrests and violence against those accused of being bourgeois.
28
The constituent assembly in 1917?
-The Constituent Assembly posed a threat to the Bolsheviks as it had a significant mandate from free elections. -Lenin deemed the Assembly redundant, asserting that Soviet government represented a higher form of democracy.
29
The Bolsheviks and peace in 1917
-The Bolsheviks promised to end the war with a decree on peace, but faced challenges as the Russian army disintegrated. -Western allies ignored the decree, leaving Lenin with the dilemma of facing the German army's advance.
30
What are the interpretations of the October revolution?
-Debate between whether it was a popular revolution or a coup d'état. -Soviet historians viewed it as a popular uprising led by the working class, while Western historians often saw it as a coup imposed by a small group of revolutionaries. -Revisionist historians challenge the totalitarian view, emphasising the active role of workers, soldiers, and peasants in creating the circumstances for the Bolsheviks' rise to power.
31
Who opposed Lenin's pleas for a separate peace with Germany during the October Revolution?
Bukharin and the Left Communists, adhering to their ideological position, wanted to turn the war into a revolutionary conflict to encourage a European socialist revolution.
32
When was the treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed?
3 March 1918
33
What was the lead-up to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
-Trotsky went to negotiate a peace settlement with Germany -The terms the Germans proposed were harsh (involving the loss of territory and people) -Trotsky withdrew when the Germans grew impatient
34
What were the consequences of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
The treaty was regarded as a 'shameful peace' in Russia, leading to the loss of half of the human, industrial, and agricultural resources of the Russian Empire. - It created grain shortages in cities, encouraged patriotic Russians to join anti-Bolshevik forces, and made civil war almost inevitable. -The Left SRs resigned from Sovnarkom in protest at the treaty.
35
How did the Bolshevik Party resolve internal conflicts after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
-After ratification at the 7th Party Congress, the Left Communists faded, preventing a potential split in the Party. -The Congress determined that a general tightening up was necessary, ending a short period of intense debate within the Party.
36
Why was there a civil war in 1918?
Conflict escalated from May 1918, sparked by a Czech revolt, with anti-Bolshevik White armies aiming to overthrow the Reds (Bolsheviks), alongside peasant Green armies.
37
What were the 3 sides in the Civil war?
The greens, Whites and the Reds
38
Who were the reds and what were their characteristics?
The Bolsheviks -Gained more support (From the peasants)as the whites success meant restoration of the ruling class and land owners
39
Who were the whites and what were their characteristics?
Senior officers in the Tsarist army, Liberals and SRs -They were divided (Not uncommon for white armies to fight each other) and uncoordinated -Anti Bolshevik
40
Who were the Greens and what were their characteristics?
Peasant armies (often made up of deserters from the whites or Reds) -Some armies fought for the Bolsheviks and some armies fought against them -Most were more concerned with protecting their own area from marauding armies
41
What were the events of the civil war?
-The conflict erupted in May 1918 following a Czech revolt, leading to anti-Bolshevik White armies striving to overthrow the Bolsheviks. -Major battles included Denikin's campaign in South Russia, Kolchak's in Siberia, and Yudenich's in the northwest. -Trotsky's Red Army effectively defended Petrograd and Moscow, crucial for Bolshevik survival. -Wrangel's defeat in Crimea in November 1920 marked the end of the civil war, resulting in Bolshevik victory.
42
What were the impacts of the Civil war?
-The civil war increased divisions in Russia, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life. -The Bolsheviks, with Trotsky's organizational skills and ideological clarity, defeated the -Whites by exploiting control of railways and presenting the conflict as a defense of the revolution. -The lack of a cohesive political program to appeal to the peasantry weakened the Whites.
43
What geographical factors led to the Reds winning the civil war?
-Held central area which included Petrograd and Moscow -Heavily populated -Red conscript army outnumbered Whites. Had industrial resources, armaments factories, Moscow, the rail hub.
44
What geographical factors led to the Whites losing the civil war?
Whites were scattered around the edges of this central area, separated by large distances. * This made communications and co-ordination difficult. * No telephone links.
45
What organisational factors led to the Reds winning the Civil war?
-Single, unified command structure. -Trotsky organised the Red Army into an effective fighting force.
46
What organisational factors led to the Whites losing the Civil war?
* The Whites were made up of different groups - they could not agree on whether they were fighting for monarchism, republicanism or for the Constituent Assembly.
47
What leadership factors led to the Reds winning the civil war?
-Lenin used his authority to keep the Reds united, and he backed Trotsky's controversial decision to use ex-tsarist officers. -Trotsky led with great charisma. -His special train covered 65,000 miles (105,000 km) from front to front.
48
What leadership factors led to the Reds winning the Civil War?
White leaders were, on the whole, second rate. * High level of indiscipline and corruption in the White armies. * Some officers lived in brothels in a haze of cocaine and vodka.
49
What political factors led to the Reds winning the Civil War?
-The support of the peasants was crucial since they supplied the main body of soldiers for both sides (though they were just as inclined to desert from Red as from White armies). -Lenin had legitimised their right to the land. -They stood for the revolution.
50
What political factors led to the Whites losing the Civil War?
The Whites lacked a political programme with any appeal. * If they won, the land would be restored to its former owners. It was the main reason for their failure. * Their refusal to accept national independence movements was disastrous.
51
How did foreign intervention lead to the Reds winning the Civil war?
Allowed Bolshevik propaganda to present themselves as the defenders of Russian soil against foreign forces.
52
How did foreign intervention lead to the whites losing the Civil war?
* Gave the Whites weapons but it was halfhearted and largely ineffective.
53
How did propaganda lead to the Reds winning the Civil war?
Red propaganda was infinitely superior. The red flag and red star were powerful symbols.
54
How did propaganda lead to the whites losing the Civil war?
* Whites did not see how valuable propaganda was.
55
What were the 5 features of war communism?
-Grain requisitioning -Labour discipline -Nationalism of industry -Rationing -Banning of private trade
56
What was grain requisitioning under war communism?
Units of red guards and soldiers forcibly requisitioned food from the peasants
57
What was labour discipline under war communism?
Discipline in the workplace -Fines for lateness -Internal passports to stop peasants fleeing to the countryside
58
What was the nationalism of industry under war communism?
-Brought all industries under state control -Workers committees were replaced by single managers reporting to central authorities
59
What was the banning of private trade under war communism?
All private trade was banned
60
What were the consequences of war communism?
-Shortage of raw materials which meant industrial output fell -Inflation where the value of the rouble collapsed -Food prices soared (Workers spent 3/4 of their income on food) -At the end of the Civil War lenin wanted soldiers to be drafted into factories
61
What started the Chekas Red terror?
The assassination attempt on Lenin on 30th August 1918
62
How did Lenin endorse the Red Terror?
Sent a letter to Bolshevik leaders in the Penza making it clear his determination to use terror to intimidate the rural population to fight to obtain foods for the towns and the army
63
What was the purpose of the Red terror?
Terrify all hostile social groups
64
What were features of the Red terror?
-SRs arrested in large numbers -Kadets fled to the south -Nicholas II was shot in July 1918 -500,000 killed between 1918-20 -People were arrested for being near scenes of bourgeois provocation -The Bolsheviks set up concentration and labour camps to house dissent workers, troublesome peasants and bourgeoisie saboteures
65
What problems did the Bolsheviks face in 1921?
-Famine (Hundreds of thousands died in the south) -Uprisings (118 in February 1921) -Transport system in collapse -Industrial enterprises had ceased production Peasants -Hostile towards grain requisitioning -Tambov uprising from August 1920 to June 1921 (Peasants resisted the requisitioning brigade due to the poor harvest) Urban workers -Food shortages -Militarised factories - Workers could be imprisoned or shot if targets weren't met Strikes in Petrograd led by the sailors
66
When was the Kronstadt uprising?
March 1921
67
What was the significance of the Kronstadt uprising?
-The first assault on Konstrad failed and then Marshal Tukhachevsky was sent win with 50,000 crack troops -10,000 rebels were killed defending their base -2,500 were shot by checka execution squads -Hundreds of others were sent to Solovetsky, the first big labour camp on the white sea
68
Why was the NEP introduced?
-It was clear that war communism couldn't continue
69
What were the 4 key features?
-Grain requisitioning abolished -Ban on private trade removed -Small business reopened -State control of the commanding heights of the economy
70
What happened to grain requisitioning under the NEP?
-Replaced by a tax in-kind -Peasants had to give a fixed proportion of their grain to the state but this was less than before
71
What happened to small businesses under the NEP?
-Small businesses under private ownership were reopened -Lenin realised peasants wouldn't sell their produce unless there were goods they wanted on sale
72
What happened to private trade under the NEP?
The ban on private trade was removed so food and goods flow more easily between the countryside and and the towns
73
What did the state keep control of under the NEP?
Heavy industry like coal, steel and oil
74
How was Bolshevik opposition crushed after the NEP?
Political control was tightened -The worker's opposition was defeated -The ban on factions
75
How did the communist dictatorship develop after the NEP?
76
Lenin's legacy
77
How did the NEP produce economic recovery?
-There was food in the markets in the cities and brisk trade in other goods -Cereal production grew by 23 % in 1923 compared to 1920 -In autumn, food was rushing into the cities while the prices started to drop while the price of industrial goods rose as they were still in short supply -The government started to take the peasant's tax in cash instead of a tax in kind to bring industrial prices down
78
How well was the NEP working for the peasants by the end of 1928?
Grain was not reaching the market -Agriculture still relied on traditional methods(In 1927, over 5 million inefficient wooden ploughs were still in use) -Peasant land holdings fell and tended to be smaller than before 1917 -There was a drop in grain prices (low) and peasants required manufactured goods (High) -The relationship between the government and the peasants deteriorated towards the end of the 1920s
79
How well was the NEP working for the urban workers?
80
When was the grain crisis?
1927-28
81
What were the events of the grain crisis

Tsarist Russia (8 decks)

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