Chapter 12: Russia, 1917-1924: Why did the Bolsheviks Succeed - Part 2

**aqalieh95** Sat Jun 25, 2011 3:53 pm

Back to part 1
Part 2: Consolidation of Power

It was thought that Bolsheviks would be quickly overthrown
Peace with Germany, Civil War, stretching their resources to the breaking point until they consolidated their power

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
1. Peace treaty with Germany
2. Harsh on Russia
  1. Independence of Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, and Poland
  2. Recognize demands for autonomy of Georgia and Armenia
  3. Russia lost
    1. 27% of grain producing area
    2. 26% of its population
    3. Over a quarter of its railway
    4. 75% of its iron and steel works
    5. Navy has to stay in home water
  4. Not to spread propaganda
  5. Population welcomed peace, but the price was high → widespread of disillusion towards the new government
The Civil War
1. Cause
  1. Czech prisoners of war in Siberia tried to fight their way out to continue the struggle against the Germans
  2. British troops in Russia
    1. North
      - Guard munitions supplied by the Allies
      - Tried to form independent Russian Army to resume fighting in the war
    2. South – alongside the French military operation
  3. Tsarist military and naval officers tried to recruit armies to fight against the Bolsheviks
2. Civil War and how did Bolsheviks win
  1. Divisions among the Whites
    1. The White armies were not able to sufficiently organize their attacks. Driven back by the Red army.
  2. Geography
    1. Bolsheviks moved capital to Moscow, the heartlands of Russia with good transportation system (railway). The enemies tried to attack them from different peripheral areas of Russia, which had no sufficient transportation system
  3. Bolshevik Ruthlessness
    1. The Bolsheviks were fighting for their political lives and used every possible means to secure their victory
      - Threat peasants for food with weapons
      - Raised armies
      - Utilized skills and experience of the ex-Tsarist officers while holding their families hostage
    2. Trotsky travelled on his personal train from one battle front to another to ensure that necessary troops were raised, supplied, and dispatched, that they fought vigorously and did not surrender
  4. The Peasants
    1. Desire to hold on to their land
    2. White army gave the land back to former landlords and peasant 'ringleaders' were hanged
Russia after the Civil War
1. Terrible Economic Situation
  1. Industrial production decreased
  2. People fled to rural areas to find food and work
  3. Millions died from war, disease, and starvation
  4. Other countries were not willing to help → Russia was a socialist nation
What kind of State did the Bolsheviks establish, 1917-1924
1. Workers' State
  1. Factories, mines, banks, food supplies – were to be run by the state on behalf of the workers to contribute the work and distribute profits evenly
  2. Bolsheviks' 'leadership'
    1. The workers need guidance before they can adjust to the new system
    2. 'dictatorship of the proletariat' for period of time until society was transformed
    3. Used posters, film, and theaters to spread their ideas
  3. Problems
    1. Vital to recover devastated economy, especially in industrial production
    2. Discipline was re-imposed
      - Workers' committee was replaced by managers and officials answerable to the party
      - Trade union brought under party control
    3. State bureaucracy
  4. Class enemies
    1. Nobilities, professionals, and commercial classes were to be destroyed
    2. Many were killed, many fled abroad
The Peasantry
1. The revolution gave peasants property
2. Forces were used to extract grains
One-Party Rule
1. Many believed that Bolshevik's seizure of power of behalf of the Congress of Russian Soviets would broaden their political base and draw in socialists from other parties
2. Although the Bolsheviks lost the election of 1917, they refused to give up the power
3. Bolsheviks intended to rule as one-party dictatorship
The Bolshevik Party
1. Strong Central Power
  1. Decision only went from the top downwards
  2. Politbureau: decide grand strategy and overall policy
  3. Orgbureua: oversee internal administration
  4. Establishment of the Extraordinary Commission, or Cheka
    1. Root out counterrevolution and sabotage
    2. Check loyalty of party members
    3. Brought fears to non-members and members
The Kronstadt Uprising
1. Increasing opposition to Bolsheviks
  1. By 1921, many socialists, workers, peasants and even some Bolshevik party members were completely disillusioned with dictatorial of ruling
2. Sailors of Kronstadt mutinied – Demands
  1. New Soviet elections since 'the present Soviets no longer expressed the will of the workers and peasants'
  2. The establishment of freedom of speech and press
  3. Freedom of assembly for trade unions and peasant organizations
  4. The release of all political prisioners
3. Response
  1. Bolsheviks exercised power in an even more dictatorial ways
The New Economic Policy
1. One temporary reform from Kronstadt – New Economic Policy
2. Included
  1. No more forced grain collections
    1. After selling certain quota to state, peasants can sell rest for their surpluses
  2. Small scale trade is tolerated
3. Opposition from Bolshevik party
  1. Not socialism
  2. Lenin's justification
    1. “one step backwards to achieve two steps forward”
4. Effectively consolidated Bolshevik's power
The State of Russia on Lenin's death in 1924
1. Health
  1. Experienced series of strokes from 1922-1924
2. Russia in 1924
  1. Rural
    1. Over 80% of population lived in village communities and earned their livelihood from agriculture
    2. Urban workers only 5% of population (4.5 million)
    3. 3.5 million employed by state
    4. 1 million unemployed
  2. Severe famine and famine and epidemics after civil war