Russia Bolsheviks In Power Flashcards
(35 cards)
Bolshevik ideology
Dictatorship of proletariat workers rule, initially, small elite lead, fade into classless state
Sovnarkom
Council of Ministers, new govt Bol dom, few SR, Mens
CA
Nov 1917
Elections, B did not have overall majority
Met for 1 day, not a democratic body
Effect of Closing CA
Causes civil war, ends democracy+B govt threat
Bolshevik decrees
Land
540mn taken from landlords, give land to peasants, set up committees to share land
Bolshevik decrees
Peace
End the war
Bolshevik decrees
Work
8hour day, 40 hour week
Holiday entitlement
Bolshevik decrees
Political parties
CDP banned
Bolshevik decrees
General
Policies appeal to all except MC
Treaty of Brest Litovsk
Trotsky told to delay negotiations for as long as possible, revolution in EU, make DE negotiations fairer
Effects of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk
RU lost population of 50mn, 27% arable, 26% railways
Land from Baltic to Black Sea, Ukraine, war damages 3bn
Civil war
Why
B lack support, increase opposition from in+out of RU
Lenin needs to remove opposition
Opposition to ending of CA, T of BL, initial decrees, Bolsheviks leading govt
Who fought who
Reds, B+supporters
Whites, Ex Tsarist supporter, foreign powers until 1919, SR, Mens
Greens, minority groups who want independence (Georgia)
Why did Reds win
Leadership
L, WC provided essential supplies,
had equipment to win
T, travelled to battle zones in armoured train, increase morale to see troops, garage for 2 cars, printer for news of success, propaganda, theatre,
increase morale, unity in RA
Why did the Reds win
Geog location
Petrograd Moscow, parts of Trans Siberian Railway, easy to move around RA area, conc area, good soil for food production,
Gives strength to RA
Strengths of the Reds
Army
T, leader, 5mn well disciplined. Political commissars fought+found traitor. Ex Tsarists blackmailed to fight
Real strength behind R
Strengths of the Reds
Terror
Cheka+RA=>RT, force support
No opposition to R, strength, influence
Strength of the Reds
Unity
Common goal, continue rule
All work for common goal
Weakness of the whites
Leadership
Admiral Kolchak, General Denikin, Yudenich
Little coordination, poor leadership, led disparate group
Weakness of the Whites
Geog location
Dispersed
Hard to coordinate forces
Weakness of the Whites
Army
Poorly led, lacked discipline+morale, lack of unity
Lack strong army, not united
Weakness of the whites
Terror
Used to force compliance, WT too extreme, worse than RT
Many fled to Reds
Weakness of the Whites
UNity
Lack of unity, different group have different goals, 1919, foreign powers left, no need to continue war
No common goal after removal of Reds
Political control
Decrees to gain support, ban others Dismissal of CA=>dictatorship RT, Cheka+Army Control of propaganda Civil war 1918 Constitution, elections to Congress of Soviets did not happen
