THEME ONE
Was the use of terror the main reason by which the Bolshevik regime was able to
establish its control over the USSR in the years 1917-28?
ESSAY PLAN
YES TERROR WAS
- creation of the Cheka in 1917, Great Terror, grain requisitioning during civil war
It is correct to state that the Bolshelvik’s use of terror over the USSR partially contributed to
their regime being able to establish it’s control over USSR, however it must be
acknowledged the Bolshelvik’s elimination of political parties is the more convincing factor as
to why the Bolshelvik’s were able to maintain control over the USSR. Moreover, their policies
also helped to aid the Bolsheviks' to establish control over the USSR.
Firstly, the use of terror did in fact advance the Bolsheviks control over the USSR from
1917-1928. From their takeover of power in 1917, the Bolshevik party were quick to act in
terms of terror and control as they established the Cheka in 1917 which became violent as
well as effective by 1918. The Cheka targeted those against Communists or the revolution
and instilled fear into the public in order to decrease opposition and therefore increase
control. It also taught the public to abide by the Bolsheviks rules and therefore the aim of
control was arguably succeeded as control over the people had been achieved at this time.
Moreover, Lenin began the Red Terror in 1918 which consolidated the Bolsheviks control
greatly, Lenin targeted tsarists, liberals, kulaks and non- Bolsheviks. The Red Terror
contained mass use of terror, resulting in 8,500 executions and many arrests, interrogations,
imprisonment and many were even taken to labour camps. The Bolshelviks could establish
control through the elimination of opponents and arguably displayed how their regime relies
on terror to instil control into the public, deterring people to oppose the Communists or even
slightly step out of line. An abiding group of citizens meant the Bolsheviks had accomplished
their aim of control over the USSR. 1917 - 23 2,000 executions.
NO - ECONOMIC POLICIES
Decree on Land - gave peasants their own land to begin with and worked in their favour
Decree on Workers’ Control - gave workers control meant that corrupt managers could not
longer take advantage of their employees
War communism allowed lenin to create an extremely centralised system and had major
control over russia, economic policies such as grain requisitioning allowed bolsheviks to
assert control, however this resulted in tambov revolt 1920-21, 3 years of these policies did
cause reds to win but also caused a famine and poor harvest and this led to rebellion such
as Krogstad munity in 1921
NEP - incentives to work such as a private market and people able to own their own
cooperatives
Vesenkha - economic councils
Nationalisation of all banks
NO - control of media and of people
,1921 ONLY BOLSHEVIKS COULD PUBLISH NEWSPAPERS, social revolutionaries ect
newspapers banned
Journalists were all Communist officials
Magazine League of the Militant Godless - MAGAZINE that would portray
Communism/Lenin as a god-like figure - showing Russian people that they did not need
religion to believe it, it would be Lenin that would guide them
39% of the population was illiterate so media was an extremely useful vehicle for Lenin
implementing his control over the people -VISUAL
Izyvestiya maintained control upon the people, depicting the achievements of socialism
Engaged the peasant culture in control - prokelut encouraged the working class to
participate in art and propaganda
How accurate is it to say that the nature of the Soviet government under Lenin and
Stalin was fundamentally similar?
Introduction
It is accurate to say that the nature of the Soviet government under Lenin and Stalin was
fundamentally similar to a certain extent. It is clear that both leaders had similarities in terms
of terror and how they used this to consolidate their power and position as well as remove
threatening opposition. It is also accurate to say that both Lenin and Stalin used mass media
production as well as propaganda in order to indoctrinate and manipulate the Soviet
population, in order to consolidate their power. However, it must be acknowledged that Stalin
greatly amplified the nature of terror that Lenin used in his position and it therefore could be
argued that they are not always fundamentally similar. Moreover, it is notable that Stalin
heavily relied on his cult of personality in order to gain popularity and support and Lenin did
not, he stated his rule was not a personal dictatorship but a collective one.
First point
Differences
Use of terror
Lenin
Used non violent approach towards enemies to begin with = decree on Press meaning other
political parties could not express their views and opinions and dissolved the Constituent
Assembly as the Social Revolutionaries won more seats than them + Lenin refused their
calls for socialist coalition
1918 - 1921 The Red Terror against counter - revolutionaries
1922 Chistka - ‘clean up of the Party’ = removing old, corrupt people from the Party = NON
VIOLENT + people were just exiled from their position
Could oppose Lenin without being executed subjected to terror
BUT 1923 by then 100,000 people executed + did carry out mass arrests in order to remove
opposition + did have the Cheka
Stalin
TRANSFORMED UNDER STALIN = WIDESPREAD
1936 - 39 Great Purge = began with murder of Kirov and then went on to show trials
Most prominent ones = Zinoveiv, Kamenev + Tomsky
, If people said something disagreeable they would be executed ofr deceiving/opposing him
Purges then went on to soldiers = 35,000 killed, even the secret police themselves = Yagoda
was executed in 1938 + Yezhov (the bloody dwarf) was dismissed 1939
Millions in the Gulag
Firstly, Lenin formed the nature of terror through setting up Cheka, the secret police, in 1917,
instilling terror into the regime. Lenin set down the apparatus of terror through carrying out
mass arrests on opposition parties such as the Menshleviks. This was in order to consolidate
his party and eradicate those who posed a threat to it. Eventually in 1912, Lenin ruled the
ban of all factions which eliminated other political parties from standing in election. Moreover,
in 1921 Lenin carried out a Chistka, which resembled a ‘mass clean up of the party’, where
many disloyal Party members were removed from their position. Moreover, Lenin also
carried out the Great Terror from 1918 - 1922, where 100,000 people were victimised,
through killing and imprisonment in the gulags. Therefore, it is clear the use of terror was not
uncommon when Stalin took power in 1924. However, it must be acknowledged that Stalin
heavily amplified Lenin’s terror stance as those Party members that seemed disloyal were
subjected to public humiliation, torture or even purges, this is tyrannical compared to Lenin
who just forced people to hand in their badges. Moreover, the 1930s under Stalin
experienced mass terror as well as zero tolerance to any criticism formed towards Stalin as
well as any counter - revolutionary activity. The population of the gulags rose to 1.5 million
and the Great Purge came underway in the 1930s. Stalin greatly asserted his great use of
terror through the murder of Kisov in 1934, who had previously criticised Stalin, during the
time of his murder he suspiciously had no bodyguard with him and was assassinated, most
likely on the orders of Stalin. Moreover, Stalin subjected his rivals such as Zinoviev and
Kamenev to show trials in 1936, where they were humiliatingly denounced before they were
sentenced to death. These trials were then shown to the public to warn others from going
against the state and Stalin displayed his hunger for terror by sometimes sitting and
watching the show trials himself. Overall, it must be acknowledged that Stalin’s nature of
government, in terms of terror, was not fundamentally similar to that of Lenin’s, this is due to
the fact that Stalin took it to the extreme and this is made clear through the 1930s Great
Purge.
Second point
Similarity
Growing centralisation of power
Lenin
Politburo had more meetings than the Sovnarkom
Politburo was actually head of Party
Appearance of democratic centralisation BUT WAS NONE - Soviets supposed to filter their
ideas up the Party and vote for representatives HOWEVER decisions were imposed from
above + were expected to be imposed by those down below SO the Soviets actually had no
power
Centralisation of power meant power was controlled by a smaller group of people
Increased bureaucracy as Party population increased
Stalin
