25.4

How did Lenin respond to the peasants' seizure of land when he rose to power in 1917?

He gave them what they wanted. Since summer, a peasant revolution had swept across Russia, as impoverished peasants seized the estates of landlords and the church for themselves. When Lenin mandated reform, he merely approved what the peasants were already doing.

What was the result of Allied support of the White armies in the Russian civil war?

The intervention of the Allies in support of the White armies (to stope spread of Communism) did not aid the Whites effectively and allowed the Bolsheviks to appeal to the patriotic nationalism of ethnic Russians who objected to foreign involvement in Russian affairs.

What did the Petrograd Soviet Army Order No. 1 state?

Stripped officers of their authority and placed power in the hands of elected committees of common soldiers. The order, which was intended to protect the revolution from resistance by the aristocratic officer corps, led to a collapse of army discipline.

What was the February Revolution in Russia in 1917?

The February Revolution was the result of an unplanned uprising of hungry, angry people in the capital, but was eagerly accepted throughout the country. These unplanned uprisings were accompanied by violent street demonstration that begun in March 1971 in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia, that led to the abdication of the tsar and the establishment of a provisional government.

How did Lenin and the Bolsheviks' view of the Marxist party in Russia differ from the Mensheviks' view of the party?

The Mensheviks' (minority) wanted a more democratic, reformist party with mass membership. Lenin's Bolsheviks' view was for a highly disciplined workers' party strictly controlled by a small, dedicated elite of intellectuals and professional revolutionaries who would be dedicated to Communist revolution.

What ultimately happened to Ukraine and Belarus?

The Red Army reconquered Belarus and Ukraine, both of which had briefly gained independence.

What was the fatal turning point in the Russian prosecution of the war?

The tsar and his family were callously executed in July 1918.

How and who assassinated Rasputin in 1916?

Three members of the high aristocracy murdered Rasputin in 1916.

What was the primary political weakness of the White forces as they fought against the Bolsheviks?

The White armies had a poorly defined political program; it was a mishmash of liberal republicanism and monarchism incapable of uniting the Bolshevik's enemies. The Red Army, on the other hand, had decisive leadership under Trotsky.