'Out of all the wars that influenced the development to Russian government, the Civil War was the most significant during the period between .' To what extent do you agree with this view?
'Out of all the wars that influenced the development to Russian government, the Civil War was the
most significant during the period between 1855-1964.' To what extent do you agree with this view?
Given the limited changes made to Russian government following the Civil War relative to
other conflicts, including the Crimean War, the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War, it is
not possible to agree with the view that it was the most significant during the period between 1855-
1964. Nevertheless, the Civil War did see some development to Russian government; it led to power
being even more centralised as all administration of the republic revolved around the Politburo and
Orgburo. Consequently, the level of control that Moscow had over the republics increased compared
to the de-centralised system that had existed under the tsars and the Provisional Government. This
was confirmed in the 1924 Constitution, which legally established the USSR and the incorporation of
republics gained during the Civil War, including the Ukraine and Central Asia. The introduction of
War Communism along with the actions of the Cheka caused divisions within the Communist Party
and a move away from the use of terror to control the populace. Essentially, the Civil War defeated
Lenin’s most threatening opponents, and thus allowed him to relax the degree of repression that
had been used during the conflict. The critical economic situation of the Civil War necessitated the
implementation of the New Economic Policy, which led to Russian government becoming decidedly
more capitalist and right-wing, if only for a temporary period. Despite these changes, however, it is
important to recognise that the majority of the developments to Russian government after the fall of
tsarism occurred in 1917 thanks to the crisis situation brought about by the First World War. The
subsequent February Revolution was a key development to the system of governance in Russia as an
absolute monarchy was replaced by a parliamentary democracy in the form of the Provisional
Government. A political amnesty for tsarist opponents coincided with a relaxation of repressive
measures and universal suffrage for all Russian citizens through the Constituent Assembly. The
October Revolution, which came about as a result of the Provisional Government’s policy of
continuing the First World War, changed Russian government once again with the establishment of
the world’s first Marxist state; this limited the impact of the Civil War, given that it was merely
intended to consolidate gains made in October 1917. Because little changed between then and the
end of the Civil War, the consequences of the latter seem limited with regards to the development
of Russian government and secondary to the impact of the First World War.
Another conflict that acted as a catalyst for change was the Russo-Japanese War – the year
1905 is often described as one of revolution owing to the public discontent brought about by
Nicholas II’s catastrophic campaign in the Far East. The tsar was forced to release the October
Manifesto, which established a more representative form of government centring on the Duma. This
was an important development to the democratic image of Russia because the state councils were
elected from a wide variety of social groups and could block legislation. The Duma made some
significant improvements to the Russian state; reforms strengthened the army and navy, while the
judicial system was improved with the reinstatement of justices of the peace and the abolition of
land captains. For the first time, state-run insurance schemes for workers were introduced. Likewise,
the Crimean War was arguably the catalyst for a string of democratic reforms made by Alexander II.
The emancipation of the serfs had a profound impact on the structure of Russian government since
the nobility ceased to play a political role as they replaced by the Zemstva. These local councils
consisted of an elected membership voted in by a mixture of landowners, city dwellers and
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