Russia (1917-1928) Bols' impact Flashcards
hdh approach
1
Q
A
2
Q
Social impacts of the Civil War (1918-1920)
Reds v Whites and Greens participate.
A
- 10m died, and 1.7m in WW1.
- Factories + bakeries closed and shops boarded up…
- (Jan 1920) Ukrainian city Nikolaev lose all its central boulevards.
- People burned their belongings in winter to keep warm.
- Diseases such as cholera killed thousands yearly, e.g. cholera, influenza etc.
- Avg worker consumed under 2k kcal, under half the recommended intake.
- 7m children homeless.
- Poor sanitary conditions.
3
Q
Impact of the Civil War (1918-1920) on government + party…
A
- Power shifts from annual congresses to the Politburo (Soviet to Communist)
- Govt. have to make choices suited to Politburo.
- Local soviets only had Party members.
- (1921) Lenin bans factions and any Central Committee decision had to be agreed on by whole party.
- Lenin’s NEP helped to consolidate the party.
- (1922) ‘General Secretary’ role made to control its workings.
- Stalin made General Secretary, (least respected party member).
(You had to belong to a Communist Party!) + Party’s the Politburo.
4
Q
Impacts of the Civil War on national minorities + 1922 constitution
Civil War (1918-1920)
A
- Govt. allowed self-determination across their empire, as they don’t have resources to stamp down authority…
- Empire nations permitted national culture/native languages.
5
Q
Civil War impacts (1918-1920)
A
- Reds lose 632k men + 531k from disease.
- Lenin’ NEP (1921) allowed private ownership, small-scale manufacturing and ended grain requisitioning.
- Later, Politburo, Nomenklatura etc.
6
Q
Concept of the ‘classless’ society/class warfare:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
Impact is defined as the extent of change
A
Burzhui - ‘Enemies of the revolution’, who were subject to harsh treatment, e.g. reduced food rations.
(Post 1917) - All class-ranks dissolved + manual labour forced on bourgeoise/nobility and large houses requisitioned.
- NEP brought relief from class warfare.
- ‘Socialist man’ created - social responsibility for the State, community taking precedence over individual.
7
Q
Concept of the ‘classless’ society/class warfare:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
(Proletarianisation)
A
- Proletarianisation entails how the State would go about creating the ‘socialist man’.
- (1st spell) ‘Worker power’
- (2nd spell) Tighter labour discipline meant freedoms never returned, (Every worker had an output quota, meaning they had to meet a certain output).
- (1921) Living conditions + working condtions made worse
- (Post 1921) Consequences for failing to meet quota (Just 8% Moscow workers missed their target!)
8
Q
Effects on women:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
A
- (Nov 1917) Women permitted to own property.
- Civil marriage recognised and church influence removed.
- Divorce made easier and less costly, with free contraceptive advice offered.
- (1920) Abortion legalised to combat high death rates from illegal abortion.
- (1926) New family code gave women in common law marriages, same right as those who went through the civil ceremony.
- (1928) Wedding rings banned.
- Women allowed and expected to work, and get paid.
9
Q
Education:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
A
- Bols saw universal education vital for great cultural transformation.
- (1917) Lunacharsky advocated high-quality mass education. -> Lunacharsky responsible for all schools, with local Soviets in charge of church schools.
- (By 1927) Free education that was compulsory for children up to 12 yrs, govt. wanted up to 17 yrs but this was not possible due to insufficient resources.
- Prolekult est. to develop working-class activities via many leisure activities, e.g. arts, sports, music etc.
- Lunacharsky wanted Prolekalt members to rise to lvl of intelliegentsia.
- United Labour School offered education for children of all backgrounds, (progressive teaching style, relaxed discipline and project work rather than exams).
- Some Bols opposed this as they saw this as they viewed this as promoting bourgeois values.
- Despite never achieving his full programme, Lunacharsky made huge progress.
- Under Stalin, vocational training focused on, for more factory apprentices, (he also abandoned progressive teachong styles, and bought back class divisions into education).
- Lunacharsky removed from his post.
- Under Stalin, manu schools turned into means of skill development in modern industrial society + Unis seen as industries for economic growth.
- Under Stalin, things like nationalism were promoted + Military training introduced
10
Q
Religion:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
A
- Lenin + Bols leaders atheists who accepted Marx’s claim that religion was invented by ruling classes to keep people docile.
- Orthodox Church viewed a rivaling national control, (for Bols, communism was the only religion that should be worshipped).
- (1917) All church lands taken away, Bols take over churches + local Soviets use Churches for services.
- Cheka arrest 100s of priests, and peasents elect their own priests due to their disapproval of the Cheka’s actions.
- Govt. ridiculed religious services, and secular holidays replace religous holidays, e.g. May Day, Revolution day etc.
- Red baptisms and weddings encouraged, with children being ‘Octobered’ rather than baptised.
- Couples took their marriage vows in front of portrait of Lenin rather than an altar.
- (Feb 1922) Local soviets ordered valuables to be removed from churches + reports of violent clashes across nation from people’s resistance.
- This led to Politburo members seeing tis as counter-productive and even voting to end confiscations.
- Lenin was furious and he overruled the Politburo here.
- (1922-1923) 7k clergy killed in clashes + 8k bishops killed.
- Due to high Jewish Bols membership, Jews had an easy time.
- (Post 1917) Jewish restrictions lifted.
- During Civil War, Jewish faced vicious attacks from Whites and Ukrainian nationalists.
- Ukrainian nationalists resented Ukrainian Jews not wanting Ukrainian self-determination,
- Most Muslims remained hostile towards regime, as the Bols govt. attempted to reach out to the 15m Muslims in Central Asia.
11
Q
Why did Trotsky publish ‘Lessons of October’?
A
-Due to Stalin and perhaps Lenin, who rejected his ideas…. + Stalin gave Trotsky wrong date for Lenin’s funeral!
12
Q
Some ‘Red Terror’ details…
A
- (Aug 1918) Attempt on Lenin’s life + (Jul 1918) Tsar and his family shot dead.
- (Sep 1918) Sovnarkom permit Cheka to arrest or, question or destroy families that were suspected.
- (1921) Approx 8k priests executed for failing to hand over valuable Church posessions
- (1918-1921) 500k-1m people shot + usage of gulags.
13
Q
Youth
(Leninist/Stalinist society) Bols impact on society
A
- (1918) RKSM founded for 14-21 yrs.
- (1926) ‘Komsomol’ est.
- Komsomol taught communist values and discouraged smoking and drinking, with most members compliant to thse type of things.
- (1939) Komsomol became directly affiliated with the Party
14
Q
Religion:
(Impact of the Bolshevik revolution on Russian society)
A
- Lenin + Bols leaders atheists who accepted Marx’s claim that religion was invented by ruling classes to keep people docile.
- Orthodox Church viewed a rivaling national control, (for Bols, communism was the only religion that should be worshipped).
- (1917) All church lands taken away, Bols take over churches + local Soviets use Churches for services.
- Cheka arrest 100s of priests, and peasents elect their own priests due to their disapproval of the Cheka’s actions.
- Govt. ridiculed religious services, and secular holidays replace religous holidays, e.g. May Day, Revolution day etc.
- Red baptisms and weddings encouraged, with children being ‘Octobered’ rather than baptised.
- Couples took their marriage vows in front of portrait of Lenin rather than an altar.
- (Feb 1922) Local soviets ordered valuables to be removed from churches + reports of violent clashes across nation from people’s resistance.
- This led to Politburo members seeing tis as counter-productive and even voting to end confiscations.
- Lenin was furious and he overruled the Politburo here.
- (1922-1923) 7k clergy killed in clashes + 8k bishops killed. + (1923) ‘The Godless’ published and in (1925) they co-ordinated anti-religious propaganda.
- Due to high Jewish Bols membership, Jews had an easy time.
- (Post 1917) Jewish restrictions lifted.
- During Civil War, Jewish faced vicious attacks from Whites and Ukrainian nationalists.
- Ukrainian nationalists resented Ukrainian Jews not wanting Ukrainian self-determination,
- Most Muslims remained hostile towards regime, as the Bols govt. attempted to reach out to the 15m Muslims in Central Asia.
15
Q
Purges of Lenin…
(Other similar events)
A
- (1921) 150k Party members expulsed + Ban on factions
