AQA A-Level History: Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917 - 1953

Tsar abdicates the throne

2nd March 1917

Dual Power

A term referring to the two governments that Russia had following the February Revolution—the provisional government and the Petrograd Soviet.

How did Stalin defeat Trotsky?

- In 1924, Stalin allied with Zinoviev and Kamenev to remove Trotsky. They supported the New Economic Policy against Trotsky, who supported rapid industrialisation. - Zinoviev and Kamenev undermined Trotsky and worked against him at the Thirteenth Party Congress in 1924 so that all of his ideas were rejected. -As a result, Trotsky lost his job as Commissar for War in 1925.

What was the April Theses?

- Lenin made it clear that it was the Bolshevik party's duty to lead the people forward to a second revolution where all power should be transferred to the Soviets. - Peace: made demands such as the war should be brought to an immediate end - Land: argued that should be taken over by the state and re-allocated to peasants by local soviets. - Bread: promised an end to the hardship of war

What was the great turn?

- NEP was abandoned as the regime committed itself to rapid industrialisation - brutal enforcement of collectivisation of agriculture

What was the Duma?

- The Russian Elected Parliament that had no real power as the Tsar still remained final authority. - All political parties were represented in the duma, and therefore it provided a forum for criticism of government policies.

What was order No.1?

- a charter of soldier's rights - the military commission of the Provisional Government was only to be obeyed if it agreed with the Soviet's orders. - all weapons to be controlled by elected soldier's committees, not officers.

problems with WWI - transport

- attempt to transport millions of troops and masses of supplies to the war fronts created unbearable pressures - signalling system on which the railway depended on broke down which blocked lines and left trains stranded) - by the end of 1916, petrograd and moscow were only receiving a third of their food and fuel requirements.

What were the results of the second 5YP?

- moscow metro opened in 1935, volga canal in 1937 - electricity production and the chemical industries grew rapidly with new metals such as copper and zinc were mined for the first time. - steel output trebled and coal production doubled. - focus of the plan changed in 1936 with a greater emphasis on rearmament, which rose to 17% of GDP by 1937

Impact of Lenin's return

- initially had little impact since Marxists thought Lenin was out of touch with the situation in Russia due to his departure. It also didn't win popular support as on the 21st, when Lenin sent Bolsheviks to Petrograd factories to gain support for strikes, no mass action happened. -Nonetheless, his return persuaded the majority of Bolsheviks to oppose the Provisional Government and his policies became increasingly attractive to workers and revolutionaries such as Trotsky who was a former Menshevik

how did the Bolsheviks initially gain greater state economic control?

- nationalisation of banks in december 1917 and of railways in june and september 1918 - establishment of the veshenka in december 1917 (supreme council of the national economy) which took responsibility for all existing institutions for the regulation of economic life

what was the course of the october revolution?

- 24 oct: 5000 soldiers and sailors from kronstadt moved into the city and red guards began to take over key government buildings and positions including telephone buildings and railway stations. - 25 oct: Red guard soldiers and sailors surrounded the winter palace which was threatened by the guns of the battleship Aurora moored nearby on the River Neva. A blank shot from the Aurora was fired at 9.40 pm to signal for the beginning of the Bolshevik attack. Trotsky and the Guards successfully arrested the majority of the PG -The Winter Palace was defended by a small number of female troops who were outnumbered by forces loyal to the MRC. - 26 oct: Congress adopted a resolution to take power into its own hands.

What was the 1924 Zinoviev letter?

- Anglo-Soviet Trade Agreement in 1921 opened relations between Britain and Russia where they promised not use propaganda against each other -The Communist Party of Great Britain was founded in 1920-1921 with the help of Comintern and sought to influence the Labour Party - a forgery concocted by a group of conspirators produced for the purpose to influence public opinion against the Labour party in the run up to the British general election. - The letter supposedly by Zinoviev encouraged the British communist party to engage in seditious activities. -Frightened by Leninism, Britain elected the Conservatives who largely ended diplomatic relations with the USSR.

What was Stalin's relationship with china?

- Chinese communist party formed in 1921 and hoped to carry through a communist revolution and expected support from Stalin and comintern - Stalin chose to back jiang jieshi and guomindang (GMD), whom he believed would bring stability to a key area of Russia's eastern borders - Stalin pushed the CCP and guomindag to form an alliance which did not happen and there was bitter conflict - 1927 GMD massacred striking workers, killed 30,000 - Stalin gave GMD financial help and backing - Stalin's 'betrayal' of the CCP was criticised by the left opposition

What were the aims of the second 5YP?

- attention to consumer goods, but heavy industry was still a strong priority - promote the growth of light industries, such as chemicals and electricals - develop communications to provide links between cities and other industrial areas - foster engineering and tool-making

Role of Trotsky in the Civil War

- brilliantly organised and led the reds, ensured they were well fed and armed - heavily armed special train which acted as headquarters, covered 65,000 miles in the war - tolerated no opposition from officers or men - death penalty for desertion or disloyalty -in 1918, he decimated the units that had routed after the loss of Kazan - created unshakeable belief in the soldiers of their own victory, importance of morale and dedication.

What was Stalin's style of government?

- bureaucratic centralism = government controlled from the centre - always presented as a continuation of Lenin's legacy - fear was the driving force, permeating the way his policies were imposed, the way officials were intimated and in the extensive use of the secret police and labour camps -rising cult of personality centred Stalin as the heroic leader of the Soviet Union

Causes for the Civil War

- many refused to recognise the October Revolution and the legitimacy of the Bolshevik government -national minorities wanted to reassert their independence - treaty of Brest-Litovsk angered Russians - allies were angered by Russia's withdrawal from WW1 without paying off Tsarist debts. - Bolsheviks wanted to wipe out their enemies -evacuation of the Czech legion

Reasons for Red Victory

- control of railway network alongside cities of Petrograd and Moscow which had access to munitions and resources due to hold of industrial centres. -controlled the most densely populated areas of Russia, thus had larger reserves of people eg. Southern Front has 677,000 Bolshevik soldier - Red terror ensured military participation and control - The Reds appealed to peasants and revolutionaries due to promise of peace, land and bread - leadership of Trotsky - white armies fought as separate detachments unwilling to form united front - whites widely scattered geographically, couldn't mount together to form a sustained attack - whites were seen as foreign puppets due to international intervention

Bukharin as a contender for power?

- could claim to be a true Leninist as he joined the Bolshevik faction in 1906 and supported him consistently until his death - popular within the party, close to both Lenin and Stalin. He was trusted with the editorship of the Soviet newspaper Pravda - regarded as best theoretician in the party - because he tried to remain on good terms with everyone and to avoid factional in fighting, he had no power base. - Bukharin and Lenin disagreed on a series of issues such as the ending of WW1 and the introduction of the NEP -he was the youngest so many people thought he was too inexperienced to be the new leader

What were the aims of the first 5YP?

- develop heavy industry - coal, iron, steel and electricity - boost overall production by 300% - expand electrification - target was to generate six times more electric power by 1933 - feed the expanding industrial workforce through big increases in agricultural production - vast new industrial complexes were planned, including the steel city of Magnitogorsk.

What were the actual outcomes of the first 5YP?

- electricity output trebled -in 1928, electricity was 5 billion mkWth. It was 16.4 billion in 1933. - coal and iron output doubled -in 1928, pig iron was 3.3 million tonnes. In 1933 it was 7.7. - steel production increased by a third - consumer industries neglected, too few skilled workers and too little effective central coordination

Stalin as a contender for power?

- gained reputation as a man of violence and a hard worker. -regarded intellectually inferior by his more experienced colleges - held crucial position of general secretary , good at gaining loyalty of trusted subordinates - could claim to be a true Leninist as he had joined the Bolsheviks in 1903 and had been loyal throughout the whole period. - placed himself close to Lenin during his period of illness, claimed to know what he wanted and placed himself at the centre of Lenin's funeral arrangements - only played a minor role in 1917 revolution

Factors behind the drive for collectivisation

- grain procurement crisis in the winter of 1927-8 (amount of grain purchased by the gov. was down 25% from previous year) - need for increased food supplies to support expanding industrial workforce - was the right socialist path to follow and the 'rich peasants' were in the way of progress

Key features of War Communism

- grain requisitioning -in May 1918 a Food Supplies Dictatorship was ser up where units of Red guards and soldiers forcibly took food from peasants who resisted bitterly -nationalisation = private trade and manufacture were banned and there was a military style control of the railways -In June 1918, decree of nationalisation brought all industry under state control under the Vesenka - labour discipline = strikes forbidden, working hours extended and fines imposed for slackness, lateness and absenteeism. internal passports introduced to stop employees drifting back to the countryside -class based rationing

role of the Duma in opposition

- had previously shown total support for the Tsar by voting for its own suspension for the duration of the war in 1914, but within a year they demanded to be recalled, which the Tsar allowed. - Nicholas refused to cooperate fully with non-governmental organisations such as union of zemstva and the union of municipal councils - a political mistake because these bodies formed together to create Zemgor, and its success highlighted a workable alternative to Tsardom

What was the 1920 Russo-polish war?

- in 1919, Poland sought to capture Russian Ukraine -Lenin saw Poland as a geographical bridge to the west, the essential route for exporting revolution, so thus in 1920 the Red Army invaded -Bolsheviks expected that the Polish working class to revolt against the Polish Government and support the Red Army -The Invasion failed as the Poles defeated the Russians, who in March 1921, surrendered and signed the Treaty of Riga -This led Lenin to question how realistic and imminent an international revolution was

Stalin's changes in Comintern?

- in 1924, Moscow instructed the Communist parties of Europe to act as a united labour front to radicalise socialist parties. -from 1928, he pushed Comintern to purge 'weak elements' and prepare for a return to fight to spread revolution across the world - Soviet control became tighter - strict discipline was imposed on the communist parties in countries such as franc, Germany and Italy. - Soviet agents were sent abroad to infiltrate foreign communist parties.

What were the aims of the third 5YP?

- in light of the growing threat of Nazi germany - renewed emphasis on the development of heavy industry - promote rapid rearmament - complete the transition to communism

What problems existed in the Russian economy in 1928?

- industrial economy had been badly hit by the war and the civil war, with production weakened by strikes and low levels of mechanisation - officials blamed nepmen for obstructing central planners and factory mangers blamed government officials for interfering and demanding unrealistically low prices

conditions during the civil war

- industrial production fell dramatically and raw materials were in short supply as workers taken off to fight- bought rampant inflation - urban dwellers suffered severe shortage of food fuel and basic necessities, some even stripped their own houses for wood - bread ration only 50 grams a day, resorted to the black market for food - nearly 5 million people died due to starvation and diseases such as typhus and cholera

Are there any successes of collectivisation?

- industrial workforce was fed and grain exports increased -Grain exports rose from less than 1 million tonnes in 1928 to 5 million tonnes in 1931 -allowed the government to procure more grain than the NEP -In 1928, the government procured 10.8 million tonnes of grain. In 1933, it had risen to 22.6 million tonnes. - political control extended over the countryside - party management of the collectives and use of MTS meant the peasants could not resist. - more peasants moved to cities and could become labour for industrialisation

Zinoviev as a contender for power?

- old Bolshevik, commanded respect - high in Lenin's favour - called Lenin's 'closet and most trusted advisor' - role as party boss in Leningrad gave him a strong power base - opposition to timing of the Bolshevik coup was held against him - he and Kamenev left it too late to switch support to Trotsky, both used the Triumverate to block his power. He made a series of speeches to demonstrate that Trotsky was not a Leninist and should not lead government.

Kamenev as a contender for power?

- one of the old Bolsheviks, had great influence and reputation - strong power base in Moscow where he ran the local party - reputation for inconsistency and opportunism - many regarded him as too soft and lacking the drive to be a strong leader -opposed the Lenin's April Theses and his desire for a revolution in 1917

Murder of the Tsar and his family

- part of the red use of terror - shot on the 17th July 1918 along with his family by a local Cheka detachment in Yekatarinburg

problems with WWI - food supplies

- peasants found it impossible to sustain agricultural output due to the requisitioning of farm horses and fertilizers by the military. coupled with the problem that inflation made trading unprofitable, peasants stopped selling food and began hoarding stocks. - army had first claim on limited amount of food produced and had priority use of the transport system, meaning food could not be easily distributed to civilian areas - in January 1917, Petrograd only received 48% of grain requirements.

What was the First stage of Collectivisation?

- peasants were driven into collectives by local party members with the support of the OGPU and the red army were necessary. - declared the kulaks must be liquidated as a class. and they were not permitted to join the collectives. red army and OGPU used to identify execute or deport kulaks - by March 1930, 58% of households had been collectivised. the speed with which the process was being carried out led to Stalin writing an article saying party members were becoming 'dizzy with success' - brief return to voluntary collectivisation.

Tomsky as a contender for power?

- respected as an old Bolshevik with working class origins - natural ally of moderate leaders such as Rykov and Bukarin - power base in trade unions made him an obvious target for Stalin's jealousy. - support for the NEP was used against him in the grain crisis in 1927

Trotsky as a contender for power?

- seen as a brilliant intellectual and theorist -head of the red army and key man of action in the civil war and the 1917 revolution. - made no serious attempt to build a power base within the party - has been a Menshevik previously so some Bolsheviks were suspicious. - feared that he would use the red army to to seize power after Lenin's death (Bonapartism)

Who were the Petrograd Soviets?

- set up by revolutionary leaders in the capital on 27 February in 1917 where each regiment of soldiers and industrial workers were to elect committees and send representatives to the Soviet. - took the official title of 'soviet of workers and soldiers deputies' and had 3000 members by the 10th of march

What were machine tractor stations?

- set up from 1931, with 2500 by 1938. 95% of threshing and 72% of ploughing were carried out mechanically - acted as a party prop in rural areas, officials ensuring that quotas were collected from the farms and that the correct propaganda messages were conveyed.

problems with WWI - the army

- severely hampered by lack of equipment due to the poor administration between the government departments responsible for supplies. -By mid-1915, the munitions crisis rendered the Russian artillery unit to only three shells per day. - Tsar in 1915 took formal control of the armed services and as commander-in-chief was personally responsible for Russia's performance in the war - under his command, performance only worsened largely due to his military inexperience - battle of tannenburg left 300,000 men dead or wounded

Rykov as a contender for power?

- shown administrative ability in the implementation of war communism and in managing the switch to the NEP - overshadowed by Bukharin's popularity - lacked power base - he was elected to succeed Lenin as the chairman of the Sovnarkom and the Prime Minister of the USSR

What was the Gosplan?

- state planning agency - given responsibility for drawing up the plans and establishing output targets for every economic enterprise in accordance with party directives. - suffered from a lack of reliable information on issues such as the cost of imports.

How did the February revolution come about in 1917?

- strikes at Putilov steel works moved onto the streets as a result of rumours of a further cut in bread supplies on the 18th February -By the end of 1916, there were 880,000 workers on strike - on the 23rd February, it was international women's day. thousands of women came on to the streets to join the protesters in demanding food and an end to the war. - By the 25th, police declared the situation uncontrollable, and Cossacks even joined in in the protests.

what was the Progressive Bloc?

- the Tsar had rejected the notion that he should replace his cabinet with a ministry of national confidence made up of duma members. therefore, 236 of the 422 duma members formed themselves into a progressive bloc to criticize the handling of the war. - Nicholas refused to listen to the bloc after they persuaded him to make concessions - made him seem to be increasingly incapable of running the war and helped the bloc become a symbol of political resistance.

problems with WWI - inflation

- war destroyed Russia's financial stability. government spending increased from 4 million roubles to 30 million. - By 1917, inflation had reached 200 per cent.

What was the 1926 Treaty of Berlin?

- was adapting the relationship the German-Russian agreement at Rapallo to a new political situation - talked about 'trustful cooperation between the German people and the peoples of the USSR' - if the either country was attacked by a third power, the other would remain neutral - USSR received large financial credits from German banks

How did Stalin defeat the Right Opposition?

-In 1928, he switched his support to rapid industrialisation, attacking Bukharin and the Right Opposition. -Bukharin disagreed with Stalin over abandoning the New Economic Policy, and began plotting with Kamenev to stop him. -Bukharin's plotting was discovered and he was expelled from the Politburo in 1929

reasons for the great turn

- weaknesses in industrial management and efficiency was needed to increase production and quality of goods - drive towards industrialisation was too slow - wanted to increase the USSR's military strength and develop its self sufficiency so it was less reliant on foreign imports -Stalin wanted to improve living standards and catch up with the West - grain prices were low, so peasant producers were concentrating on other goods for which they could obtain higher prices. - to move towards true socialism it was essential to develop industry by proletarianizing the population -to prove his credentials as a worthy successor to Lenin

What were the causes of the October revolution in 1917?

- weaknesses of the provisional government - defeat in the first world war - political manoeuvres of the Bolsheviks under Lenin - deteriorating economic situation and resentments of soldiers, peasants and workers.

How did Lenin dissolve the Constituent assembly?

- when it was elected, Bolsheviks had been nearly outvoted two to one by the social revolutionaries, only winning 24% of the vote, barely a quarter of the seats. - dissolved at gunpoint by the Red army - Lenin justified this by arguing the reason for the constituent assembly had been to create an all Russian representative body, which had been achieved by the formation of the soviet government in oct. 1917

Impact of collectivisation

- widespread and violent opposition - peasants burned farms and crops and killed their livestock rather than hand them over. - between 1928-1934, Stalin's policies led to the destruction of 60 million sheep and goats -Grain Harvest decreased from 83.5 million tonnes in 1930 to 67.6 million tonnes in 1934 - armed forces dealt brutally with resistance, sometimes burning down whole villages. over 10 million peasants died from resistance. around 1.5 million were sent to labour camps as a result of the dekulakisation campaign - by 1939, about 19 million peasants had migrated to towns. - internal passports were introduced to prevent peasants fleeing from famine stricken areas - around 5-7 million died in the famine in Ukraine.

What was the 1921 Kronstadt Rising?

-30,000 sailors in the Kronstadt naval base rebelled. This was highly significant as they had been the most loyal supporters of the revolution but they sent a manifesto to Lenin demanding an end to one party communist rule. -red army sent to crush rebels and 15,000 taken as prisoners.

What was the 1920-21 Tambov revolt?

-70,000 man peasant army rose up against government forces when the grain requisitioning squads arrived in the province demanding requisitions at a time where there were almost no grains left. -100,000 red army troops deployed to deal with the uprising of whom brutally destroyed whole village

What were the July Days?

-Between Feb-June, grain prices had doubled in Petrograd, while shortages of fuel and raw materials had forced the closure of 586 factories, with the loss of 100,000 jobs. -Workers demanded price control. -Kronstradt sailors organised an armed demonstration using Bolshevik slogans, it turned into chaos with uncontrolled rioting which threatened Lenin's credibility. -The PG crushed the demonstration and the Bolsheviks were blamed for the bloodshed - Trotsky and Kamenev were imprisoned.

What was the 1922 treaty of Rapallo?

-Bolshevik Russia had been diplomatically isolated in 1921, as they were excluded from the league of nations alongside Germany in 1921. -In 1922, the Soviet Union signed an agreement that established diplomatic relations and greater economic cooperation - Contained terms that allowed Russia special trading rights in Germany and a secret agreement which authorised the German army to carry out training and military exercises inside the USSR.

How did Stalin rise to power?

-Building a loyal following among communist party members -His opportunistic, pragmatic and charismatic personality allowed him to exploit the faults of his opponents -He held secretariat positions within the Party which allowed him to easily remove opposition and increase his following -His policies seemed to satisfy the grievances of the Party, despite previously supporting the NEP, he abandoned his alliance with Bukharin and in 1928 was in favour of rapid industrialisation -He exploited the weaknesses of his other opponents such as Trotsky's errors of judgement -He used alliances eg. Triumverate, United Opposition and Right Opposition strategically to implicitly divide and conquer

Effects of War communism

-By 1921, Russia's economy was in ruins. Industrial production had fallen disastrously. Coal production was only 9 million tonnes when pre-WW1 levels were at 29 million tonnes. -By 1920, 75% of Petrograd's population had fled the city -Inflation meant that some 1917 costs had multiplied by four million by 1922 -Agriculture had also collapsed. Grain requisitioning had led to very low harvests as the peasants saw little point in growing food. In 1913: 80 Million tonnes of grain was produced, in 1921: 37.6 Million tons. -In 1921, The Great famine occurred due to a drought. 5 Million people were killed. -Russia had to receive international aid from the American Relief Administration who imported over a million tonnes of grain a day.

Government and control in the civil war

-Cheka enforced discipline within the Army and eliminated political opposition in Communist controlled areas - move towards centralism with creation of the politburo and the 1918 Constitution

How did Stalin defeat the United Opposition?

-In 1927, Stalin allied with Bukharin and supported the NEP against the United Opposition of Zinoviev, Kamenev and Trotsky. -The United Opposition hoped to gain support for their ideas of rapid industrialisation and world revolution at the Fifteenth Party Congress in 1927. -Stalin accused Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev of 'factionalism' which Lenin had banned in 1921. This was because they had formed a group which was against the party's New Economic Policy. -Therefore, Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev were expelled from the party in 1927. Trotsky withdrew from Soviet politics and went into exile in Mexico where he was killed.

what did the red terror consist of?

-Launched after a Lenin assassination attempt on the 30th August 1918 -aimed at political enemies mainly. -Cheka established in December 1917 with Felix Dzerzhinsky as head -Cheka killed remaining SR's, Mensheviks and anyone else considered a possible threat. They also carried out class warfare , excuse given was that the bourgeoisie was guilty of plotting counter-revolution. -use of terror to frighten all sections of society into compliance with the regime.

what was Lenin's problem in the central committee?

-Lenin (still in finland) had been bombarding the the central committee with letters demanding that they prepare for revolution but the party refused to hold a coup. - Lenin slipped back into Russia and harangued the party until he succeeded with a vote of 10 to 2. -Trotsky was given role of planning the uprising in detail.

Socialism in one country

-Policy from the Right of the Communist Party adopted by Stalin in the autumn of 1924, in which the notion of a worldwide socialist revolution was abandoned in favour of making the Soviet Union a successful socialist state. -This was because it was believed World Revolution was unlikely as it failed in Germany and Hungary. -It appealed to Russian patriotism

Party Views on the NEP

-The left of the party led by Trotsky, Z + K wanted to end NEP and focus on rapid industrialisation -The right of the party led by Bukharin argued that the NEP should continue as it was stabilising the economy and pacifying the peasants -Whilst Stalin initially supported the NEP, he abandoned his alliance with Bukharin and came out in favour of rapid industrialisation in 1928. This was because by 1925, it was causing industrial and agricultural concerns as workers' standard of living declined and peasants began to hoard grain.

what was Lenin's Testament?

-a political will that set out his view of future dangers and was largely an assessment of his colleagues in the inner circle of the party leadership. -It was meant to be read out at the May 1924 Party congress after his death. However it was suppressed by Stalin and other key central committee members. -Lenin cast shadows of doubt over all of the men who might hope to succeed him, especially Stalin because of his brutal actions in crushing opposition and dissent in Georgia and because he had recently assaulted verbally Lenin's wife Krupskaya. -accused Trotsky of arrogance, reminded the committee of Zinoviev and Kamenev's disloyalty and argued that Bukharin did not understand Lenin's ideology.

What was the Kornilov Coup?

-at the end of August 1917, Kornilov ordered six regiments of troops to establish a military dictatorship in Petrograd. -Kerensky released imprisoned Bolsheviks and provided the workers with weapons to halt Kornilov's advances. - Bolsheviks used this as propaganda opportunity against the Provisional Government as membership increased from 23,000 in Feb to 200,000 in Oct.

Methods of Bolshevik Consolidation

-concessions such as decrees on peace, land, worker's control, self determination -economic centralisation -political suppression -political centralisation -terror -ending the war -foreign policy

What problem did Lenin's death create?

-created a power vacuum and opened the way for a lengthy power struggle. - in Marxist-Leninist ideology power was supposed to be shared by a collective leadership, therefore there was no mechanism for any such leader to be chosen. - 1921 ban on factions cemented the idea of a leader who commanded loyalty and obedience to the party line.

How did dual authority between the PG and Soviet work?

-difference in aims as the PG tried to discipline army deserters and try to restore order in towns and countryside whilst whilst the soviets encouraged peasants and workers to defy authority and assert their rights - made it virtually impossible to get anything done.

Problems with State capitalism

-in November 1917 it was decreed that workers would tale control of factors however they failed to organise factories efficiently causing output to drop when it was most needed -some workers awarded themselves unsustainable pay rises whilst others helped themselves to stock and equipment -often workers lacked the skills needed for successful management

what was the economic impact of the NEP?

-industrial production recovered and service industries such as shops and restaurants could thrive. Industrial production superseded levels in 1913 which was 10,251 whereas in 1926, it was 11,083. -Free trade encouraged peasants to grow more food. - There were 25,000 NEPman, responsible for 75% of trade. -they were hated by many Bolsheviks as were seen as representatives of capitalism.

What was War Communism?

-introduced in 1918 in response to conditions created by the civil war. - existed to ensure the red army was supplied with munitions and food by the towns.

Lenin's return

-returned to Russia in April 1917 after hearing the fall of the Tsar with the help of the German government -marked a turning point in attitudes towards the Provisional Government -in March, all of the major Marxists and socialist parties accepted that Russia was not reading for a socialist revolution. Lenin rejected this consensus that the Soviets should take over governance

What was the 1921 new economic policy?

-series of measures that relaxed some of the harsh economic controls imposed under war communism. -introduced by the 10th Party Congress in March 1921 - grain requisitioning was ended and replaced by tax in kind -ban on private trading removed. - state would keep control of large scale industry but private trade would be allowed. -small businesses opened

What was a Kolkhoz?

-small individual farms combined together in a cooperative structure. -peasants had a small plot of land to work on as well as farming in the communal fields. -had to deliver a set quota of produce to the state, up to 40% of crops.

What was a Sovkhoz?

-state-owned collective farms. -labourers were classified as workers rather than peasants and they paid a wage directly by the state. -usually larger and created on land confiscated from former large estates.

What was the 1918 constitution?

-stated supreme power rested with the all-Russian congress of soviets, made up of deputies from elected local soviet across Russia. -central executive committee was the 'supreme organ of power'. congress was also responsible for electing Sovnarkom for the purposes of 'general administration of the affairs of the state'. limitations included vote was restricted for toiling classes Sovnarkom was chosen by central committee and had executive authority as congress only met at intervals.

Permanent Revolution

-the state or condition, envisaged by Leon Trotsky, of a country's continuing revolutionary progress being dependent on a continuing process of revolution in other countries. -This was because it was believed that Russian Communism could not survive alone as the proletarian population and economic resources were too underdeveloped.

what was the political impact of the NEP?

-to many Bolsheviks was seen as a retreat back to capitalism. only supposed to be a temporary measure and Lenin said it was necessary for the party to stay in power. -consequently, Lenin introduced a ban on factions within the party at the Tenth Party Congress -Chistka (cleansing) of the Party saw 220,000 members purged in 1921 -Mensheviks and SRs were outlawed

what was the problem was the targets in the 5YPs?

-very ambitious. -intended to make managers and workers devote their maximum effort to the programme. -failure to achieve a target was deemed a criminal offence, causing corruption to be built into the system from the outset.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

A peace treaty between Russian and the Central Powers that demanded that Russia had to pay 3 billion roubles in war reparations, lose a slice of territory amounting to a third of European Russia which contained 3 million people. This amounted in the loss of 26% of Russia's railways lines and 74% of its iron ore and coal supplies. - Signed because Trotsky and Lenin knew Russia had no real chance of winning the war - Lenin and Trotsky had limited loyalties to Russia as they were international revolutionaries, so their main aim was to spread the proletarian revolution worldwide -This caused widespread shame and annoyance in Russia, resulting in decreased trust in Bolshevik power. Left SRs resigned in protest, Bolsheviks lost elections to the Soviets across Russia in April and May 1918

Foreign interventions in the civil war

Britain - They were encouraged by the war secetary, Winston Churchill. They were amongst the most active forces. They sent 100 million pounds worth of supplies to the whites. Churchill saw the whites as crusaders against Bolshevikism, the labour party however believed Britain shouldn't plight the Russian working class. France - The French were the most anti-bolshevik because French investors had put millions of Francs into Russia, and the Bolsheviks had nationalised foreign owned businesses without compensation. Their soldiers were not keen to fight and there were mutinies. Japan - The Japenese sent a sizeable force into Siberia especially around Vladivcstak. They were more intrested in gaining valuable territory than fighting the Bolsheviks. USA - The USA sent troops into the same area, largely to stop the Japenese annexing any land. Other countries sent small detachments including: Italy, Serbia, Romania, Greece and Canada. Overall, the impact was ineffective.

What was State Capitalism?

Economic system planned by Lenin which lasted between 1917-1918. Lenin knew socialism could only thrive and develop in an industrialised society, so the government would have to manage the existing system of state capitalism until the conditions were ripe for socialism. -major companies and industries could remain private but under state control -sectors would be managed by the Vesenka

Scissors Crisis 1923

Food prices declined, but industrial prices increased. The government took steps to lower industrial prices.

Lenin

Founded the Communist Party in Russia and set up the world's first Communist Party dictatorship. He led the October Revolution of 1917, in which the Communists seized power in Russia. He then ruled the country until his death in 1924.

Cult of Personality

Promotion of the image of an authoritarian leader not merely as a political figure but as someone who embodies the spirit of the nation and possesses endowments of wisdom and strength far beyond those of the average individual.

First Five Year Plan

Stalin's economic plan to build heavy industry at the expense of consumer goods, quickly industrializing the USSR while the Great Depression consumed the rest of Europe. 1928-1932

What was the Comintern?

The Comintern was an organization through which Soviet authorities sought to influence the policies and actions of other communist countries in Europe.

What was the Sovnarkom?

The highest order of the new government established after the Provisional Government's collapse. It was the cabinet/soviet of people's commissars, made up of key government minsters who, between them, would run the country. It established Bolshevik rather than soviet rule.

Second Five Year Plan

This was a plan to industrialize Russia rapidly. It lasted from 1933-1937.

Third Five Year Plan

This was a plan to industrialize Russia rapidly. It lasted from 1938-1941 (It was interrupted by the Second World War.) This plan ended up emphasizing the production of armaments as the international situation got more threatening.

What was the 1917 June offensive?

a major offensive was launched by Kerensky in Galicia in the hope of rallying the nation. However, the Russian advance was beaten back with heavy losses. -Desertions escalated and anti-war sentiment grew so strong that Kerensky appointed general Kornilov as commander in chief in an effort to restore discipline.

Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC)

a military group supported by the Bolsheviks and Trotsky who controlled soldiers and seized arms and ammunition; its establishment cemented the belief that the Bolsheviks planned to take power

What was the Provisional Government?

a temporary government formed under the leadership of Prince Lvov (and later Alexander Kerensky) whose members represented a cross section of the influential elites - the liberals and kadets.

How did the central committee help collectivisation?

introduced a policy in 1929 of sending 25,000 industrial workers into the countryside to accelerate the development of collective farms

What was the 1922-23 Triumvirate?

it was a political alliance between Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin which formed to bloc the ambitions of Trotsky.

Collectivisation

policy of abolishing private farms and replacing them with state collective farms

revolutionary defensism

the demand of the Petrograd Soviet and accepted by the provisional government which was a middle position between conservatives and radicals. Wanted "peace without annexations and indemnities;" also demanded that Russian military capacity be fully maintained.

Who was Tsar Nicholas II?

the last autocratic Romanov ruler after inheriting the throne in 1894. He convinced of his divine right to rule, but he was extremely stubborn, resenting any uncalled for advice which he saw as criticism.