Lenin's Foreign Policy. Flashcards
(22 cards)
What were Lenin’s foreign policy aims?
- to protect the new state from hostile neighbours.
- to survive.
- to promote the spread of World Revolution.
In what ways were Lenin’s foreign policy aims conflicting?
- spreading World Revolution will invite challenges because other countries don’t want Communism. It will make them anxious because they fear that Lenin is hostile, and see it as a threat.
- it will provoke foreign governments, which conflicts with Lenin’s aim of trying to protect Russia.
How did Trotsky and left Bolsheviks believe that the foreign policy aims are linked?
- spreading Communism means that everyone’s on the save wavelength, and the Bolsheviks will feel safer, because they won’t have hostile neighbours anymore.
- Because Russia would then be surrounded by like minded leaders, the Bolsheviks wouldn’t be seen as a threat anymore.
- Lots of Left Bolsheviks believed that Russia could pnly survive if the revolution spread.
- they felt vulnerable as they only Communist state in the world.
What was the Commintern?
- ‘Com’ = Communist and ‘intern’ standing for International.
- Organisation set up by Lenin in 1919.
- It aimed to spread Communism and to develop links with other Communist parties, and encourage them to get stronger, rise up and launch a workers’ revolution when the time was right.
What happened with the Commintern?
- It initially seemed hopeful as there were a number of Communist uprisings: Spartacist Uprising in Berlin (Jan 1919), in Hungary, 1920, there was a brief Communist government. In Germany, there was a Soviet Republic set up in Bavaria.
- There was a Communist meeting with lots of delegates hoping for a Communist Rev. Zinoviev was Chairman and Lenin the boss.
- When it became clear that they were on their own, Bolshevik leaders focussed just on Russia. It was clear that rev wasn’t close anywhere else in the world. They always held links with other Communist parties, but focussed firstly on internal matters.
When did the Polish attack Russia?
1920.
What was Poland, why were they angry?
Poland was a new state created in the peace treaties out of a bit of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. The boundary to the east was set in the ‘Kerzan’ line, and the Poles weren’t happy with it.
Why did the Poles choose 1920 to attack?
They knew Russia was in chaos due to the Civil War and the Poles hoped to gain more land, and crossed the Kerzan line.
Which famous military leader pushed the Poles back?
At first the Poles were doing great, but they’re pushed back to Warsaw, gaining land for Russia under Marshall Tuchekachevsky.
In which battle were the Bolsheviks forced to retreat? What happened?
The Battle of Vistula. The Poles ended up gaining land in 1921, making Poland bigger than it was planned to be.
Why do the Polish hate the Russians?
They saw Russia as imperial invaders, as historically they had been invaded by the Tsars. Polish workers didn’t rise up and the Bolsheviks failed to spread Communism.
What was the Bolshevik aim with the Poles?
The aim was to spread Communism. They also wanted to gain land, resources and support.
What was the result of the Russo-Polish war?
The Treaty of Reager - Russia was forced to give more land to Poland (parts of ‘White Russia’).
What did the Russo-Polish war make Lenin realise?
Russia was vulnerable. He can’t spread Communism at this point to another country, because Russia wasn’t strong enough.
When was the Treaty of Rapallo?
April, 1922.
Who signed the Treaty of Rapallo?
Germany and Russia.
Why was the Treaty of Rapallo signed?
Lenin realised that Russia needed to coexist with other nations and needed to trade with other countries. Lenin also needed to get along with his neighbours and exist with them without any harm or conflict.
What was Russia’s situation in Europe, 1921.
They were diplomatically isolated, having been excluded from the League of Nations.
How did Russia and Germany react to the treaty?
Both sides were suspicious, but realised a coexistance had to be established, especially in the terms of trade.
What would a treaty with Germany do?
It would start to end Russia’s feeling of isolation.
Lenin and his deputy commissar for foreign affairs were really interested in opening trade with one another. What was his deputy commissar called?
Georgy Chicherin.
When was Chicherin invited to an international economic conference in Genoa? What was the significance for this?
- It was a huge step in re-integrating Russia into international affairs and led to closer cooperation between Chicherin and the representatives of Weimar Germany. It was these contacts that led to the Treaty of Rapallo in April 1922.
