Unlock the secrets of the Russian Revolution with these Edexcel History notes, covering the period from 1917 to 1991, from Lenin to Yeltsin. Designed for clarity and effectiveness, these notes are your ticket to securing that coveted A* grade.
Study the rise of Lenin, the establishment of the Sovi...
Theme 1: Communist Government in the USSR 1917-85:
1a: Establishing Communist Party Control 1917-24:
Background to the Bolshevik Revolution:
● Before the revolutions of 1917 Russia was led by Tsar Nicholas II
● He was regarded as repressive and the majority of his subjects were
impoverished
● The Tsar’s empire extended beyond Russia to Ukraine,Georgia, Finland and
Estonia.
● The government was strong but the economy was weak compared to other major
powers
● Russia had very little modern industry: By 1913 only 2.4 million out of 140 million
people worked in large factories
● Even in periods of economic growth, the population remained poor
● Repression and economic inequality led to underground opposition to the Tsar.
● Two largest opposition parties were the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party
(RSDLP) and the Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) who were both committed to
overthrowing the Tsar and ending poverty
● Russia entered WW1 in 1914 but their economy was incapable of providing the
necessary food and equipment. Tsar was also a bad wartime leader.
The Provisional Government:
● Due to the economy, political chaos and WW1, there was the February
Revolution in 1917: a popular uprising in Petrograd (The Capital) that overthrew
the Tsar
● The Provisional Government’s 1st Reforms: Tsar’s despotism was replaced with
a liberal system which included freedom of expression, assembly and religion.
Also the promise of elections.
● After his exile in April 1917 Lenin demanded an end to WW1 and “Peace, Land
and Bread”. As WW1 continued this message gained popularity.
1
, ● October 1917: Lenin and the Bolsheviks had enough support to overthrow the
Provisional Government. Lenin and Trotsky organised a coup d’etat and took
power
Lenin’s Ideology:
● Believed in a global revolution to replace capitalism and imperialism with
socialism
● Based on a Marxist view of history
Lenin’s State 1917-18:
Creating a “Soviet-State”:
● October 1917: Lenin seized power on behalf of the soviets (small democratic
councils that emerged after Feb Rev)
● Soviets played a key role in governing Russia between Feb-Oct 1917
● Local soviets sent representatives to the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
(ARCS) in June 1917 to discuss Russia’s future
● Lenin argued ARCS should became the basis of new Russian government
● Oct Rev formally handed power to ARCS
● ARCS was too big to meet regularly so they elected the Council of People’s
Commissars known as Sovnarkom to govern Russia on a daily basis
Sovnarkom:
● Essentially the new Russian cabinet
● Made up of 13 People’s Commissars.
● Lenin was Chairman, Trotsky was head of People’s Commissariat of Foreign
Affairs and Stalin was head of Peoples’ Commissariat of Nationality Affairs.
● They passed a series of decrees that were very popular
● Decree on Land (October 1917): Gave peasants right to seize land from nobility
and the Church
● Decree of Peace (October 1917): Committed to withdrawing from WW1
● Workers’ Decrees (November 1917): 8 hour maximum working day and
minimum wage
● Decree of Workers’ Control (April 1918): Workers allowed to elect committees
to run factories
● These decrees helped Lenin establish control of Russia by gaining support from
workers,peasants and soldiers and also ending WW1 and giving the Revolution
breathing space
● In the first few months Sovnarkom had little power as Lenin didn’t have control of
other major cities and rural areas
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,How Democratic in 1918?:
● First decrees were popular and reflected the wants of the people
● In 1918 Russia wasn’t a One-Party state
● The Congress of Soviets had many political parties
● There was a belief there would be a coalition government
The Constituent Assembly:
● Jan 1918 there was a clear sign Lenin was turning against democracy
● Lenin refused the results of a nationwide election in November 1917
● The election created a Constituent Assembly with a Bolshevik minority. They
met in Jan 1918 but Lenin closed it down after only one day
● March 1918 Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which gave away a
significant amount of Russian territory to the Central Powers in order to end
Russia’s involvement in WW1. This was very unpopular.
● Bolsheviks lost the soviet elections on April and May 1918 but refused to accept
the results
● Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries were expelled from the Soviets
● Lenin demanded new elections but postponed them due to the Civil War
● Lenin and the Bolsheviks managed to consolidate their power.
The Impact of the Civil War 1918-21:
The Russian Civil War:
● The Civil War allowed Lenin to establish communist control over Russia. The
Bolshevik party was renamed the Communist party in 1918.
● Lenin described the war as a battle between the Communist Reds and the
reactionary Whites.
● However the Bolsheviks faced opposition from all sides. Senior army members
wanted to re-establish Tsarist rule, others wanted a military dictatorship and
some wanted a democratic system.
● The SRs and the Mensheviks wanted a more democratic socialist government
and anarchists wanted no government.
● Britain, France, the USA and Japan also sent in troops to stop a global revolution
and to gain territory
● First sign of military conflict in Jan 1918 with the set up of an anti-Bolshevik army
● Full-scale civil war broke out in the Summer of 1918 with the Bolsheviks losing
ground in the first 6 months
● Anti-Bolshevik forces failed to capture Petrograd and Moscow and the Red Army
began to win the war.
3
, ● The Red Army also won victories in Ukraine and Siberia
Government during the Civil War:
● Lenin’s main objective was to ensure the survival of his government and was
prepared to do anything necessary in order to win.
● During the Civil War Lenin’s government became more centralised and the
Communist party became more powerful.
● He centralised control through War Communism, working with party loyalists
(nomenklatura) and terror.
● The leader of the Red Army, Trotsky, made them more authoritarian with harsh
punishments and conscription
The Emergence of a “Party State”:
● Originally the new regime described itself as a soviet state
● Civil War made it increasingly a party state
● War made the new government act quickly. Lenin tended to rely on the Politburo
more than Sovnarkom. Politburo contained 5-7 members such as Stalin, Trotsky,
Zinoviev & Kamenev.
● Politburo became the main centre of government and Sovnarkom played a much
smaller role.
● Communists were sceptical of local soviets so they were often bypassed by local
nomenklatura
● Civil War made the Communist Party the dominant political force
Red Terror:
● December 1917: Lenin creates the Cheka (Political Police Force)
● The Cheka were responsible for raiding anarchist organisations, shutting down
opposition newspapers and expelling Mensheviks and SRs.
● Were allowed to imprison, torture or kill anyone viewed as a threat
● In Ukraine Church leaders were impaled on spikes
● Lenin argued terror was necessary to protect the revolution
Building the Red Army:
● After Feb Rev the Russian army was democratised and soldiers elected senior
officials
● Lenin removed this and Trotsky put Tsarist generals back in charge
● Lenin and Trotsky were accused of betraying principles of the revolution
● But putting highly trained officials in charge allowed the Red Army to be
successful
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