This is a vital set of concise notes for Theme 1 Communist government in the USSR between 1917-85. It takes you through leader by leader and what the government of each leader did.
Theme 1- LENIN
Early methods to cement Bolshevik control.
From the beginning the Bolshevik regime was in a desperate
struggle for survival. Its authority didn’t go much beyond Moscow
and Petrograd
Traditional forms of government had broken down in 1917, and the
Bolsheviks seized power. The position was therefore unstable:
Not all soviets were dominated by Bolsheviks: the notion that it
was the soviets that had taken power was a fiction. Moreover, the
economy had been hit hard by the war (more below)
However, Lenin believed that only the Bolsheviks were capable of
building this new world. Moreover, as the ‘vanguard of the
proletariat’ the Bolsheviks had an obligation to establish
dictatorship.
Key body was the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party:
democratic centralism was key to their power. True democracy
relied on the members of the party accepting all decisions taken by
the Central Committee
The other key body was Sovnarkom, the new cabinet. In theory
this confirmed decisions taken by the Congress of Soviets
Decrees of Sovnarkom soon banned all bourgeois parties and
newspapers
Decree on Peace
‘all belligerents to open negotiations without delay for a just and
democratic peace…’
Armistice signed 2 December.
Terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk accepted March 1918. Terms
were utterly devastating for Russia but soon rendered meaningless
with the collapse of the German war effort on the western Front.
Dissolution of the Constituent Assembly
October coup came too late for elections already planned to go
ahead in November
SRs won nearly twice as many votes, Bolsheviks had only 24% of
the total vote
Lenin had originally supported the idea of a Constituent Assembly,
but now did not want democracy to undermine Bolsheviks’ newly
won power
Dissolved at gunpoint by Red Guards, Jan 1918
Lenin argued the original reason the Assembly was needed no
longer existed
‘The dissolution of the Constituent Assembly by the Soviet
government means a complete and frank liquidation of the idea of
democracy by the idea of dictatorship’
The Civil War: why did it break out?
, Bolshevik policies had caused lots of opposition, e.g. from non-
Bolshevik socialists, Mensheviks and SRs (who attempted a rising in
July 1918)
Russia’s former Allies called for direct military action against the
Bolsheviks
Treaty of B-L had worsened the food crisis, leading to mass hunger
and the depopulation of cities (including Petrograd)
Lenin, arguably, wanted a destructive civil war: he refused to
compromise in order to ensure continued Bolshevik dominance of
government
Why did the Bolsheviks win?
Introduced conscription into the areas they controlled, creating
the Red Army
Recruitment of former Tsarist officers and harsh discipline helped
the success of the Red Army
Controlled Russia’s heartlands which meant more industry and
population, and control of the railway network
Many ‘Red’ soldiers, especially workers, were fanatically loyal,
partly because of propaganda
Cheka carried out the ‘Red terror’
White division, weakness, and lack of cooperation.
Effects of the Civil War
Make the Bolsheviks tougher: their government had been forged in
the context of the civil war. Created a tradition of military
obedience and loyalty.
Also increased their readiness to resort to authoritarianism and
centralisation: emergency situation of the war made quicker
decision-making, often in the form of rule by command, in the
hands of smaller subcommittees (Orgburo and Politburo, 1919)
necessary
The Kronstadt Rising of 1921 was the most serious challenge to
Bolshevik control
Workers in Petrograd went on strike in early 1921, demanding ‘a
complete change… in the policies of the government’
By Feb, they had crossed to the naval base at Kronstadt, where
the joined with sailors and dock workers. Their demands indicated
how appalled they had become at the betrayal of the cause of
workers
Red Army units and Cheka detachments stormed the Kronstadt
base and crushed the rebellion
Party congress of 1921
Lenin took the lessons of Kronstadt to heart and decide to change
course in March 1921
The NEP was a move intended to tackle famine, but also lessen the
opposition to Bolshevism
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller piersnewton-law. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.48. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
