Lenin May/June 2017

Lenin: Paper 4 History C.I.E. 2017 MAY/JUNE

• 'Lenin succeeded in establishing a Bolshevik regime by 1924 because he was prepared to kill his opponents' How far do you agree?
• 
• Pie de imagen: Lenin and Bolshevism

THE BIG ARGUMENT: Did he only use terror

• Lenin's use of terror when we wanted to consolidate his power in 1917.
• The October Revolution, and killing of the Provisional G and the Social Revolutionaries
• Killing of the Tsar and his entire family
• Intimidation through the use of the CHEKA
• the works of the RED ARMY in 1918 (Civil War) and the unfair trials/killings of the Kronstandt workers/sailors who demand Democracy
• NB:Never forget that the Soviet government was ruthless and never answered to anyone in their search for Totalitarianism

However...Lenin was able to consolidate his power through...

• In keeping the already established Autocratic /Dictatorial rule.
• (With reference to Autocracy and Tsardom)
• Note: Russia had already established an autocratic culture... therefore, through
• Establishing a one party state... and stopping any opposition
• as well as establishing A new form of Parliamentary seating (Bolsheviks had majority of the seats) He was able to LEGALLY establish his rule.
• Eg: Taking over as the Chairman of the Council of Commissars and gradually consolidating Terror with legal mobilization.
• Most importantly he set the foundation of Socialism in Russia. In other words strictly following the concept of Marxism... dictatorship of the proletariat
• E.g.: Declaring Russia to be the infamous Soviet Union
• setting the standard of Anti-Capitalism in his Economic reforms, willingg to make tough decisions to make Socialism effective, (War Communism) and Political reforms such as the Above

Lenin was also able to consolidate his power because of DEPLOMACY/Compromise

• Deplomacy
• in other words Lenin was willing to make tough decisions
• Treaty of Riga
• We must realize that the Bolsheviks could only defeat the Poles in the Civil War through breaching a treaty with them. Thus the implementation of this treaty would bring peace amongst Poland and Russia but more so give them a greater chance to win the war
• Treaty of Brest Litovsk
• Keep in mind that Lenin had priously promised Peace to the Russians away from the suffering they endured in the First World War.
• So Brest Litovsk ensured that The Russians would not be threatened by Germany and driven into war for 10 years...with the unfortunate price of territory...but it was worth it
• More so Introducing the New Economic Policy..
• Was very vital in reinsuring the Support of the people.
• and more so bring balance to the economy

The Failures his opponents

• The Whites in the Civil War
• Apart from the strengths of the Bolsheviks (ruthlessness and more so mobility).
• The divisions and lack of unity within the whites contributed to Lenin's victory but more so the consolidation of his power
• War generals from minority nations didn't cooperate well enough with the great powers
• The Whites were not fighting the war in their backyard, so...The soviet union had an upper hand in terms of mobility and gaining resources(Don't forget that Labor Parties in France and England sabotaged communication lines with the hopes of helping the Bolsheviks)
• The whites focused more on the terror of the Russian Peasantry to gain power, but didnt realize that this couldnt substitute for their failures in War
• (At home) Divisions within the Provisonal Government
• Failures of Kerensky
• Failures of the lack of coorperation between Mensheviks and the Liberal Aristocrats

Lenin had a great support System

• Trotsky - was an amazing WAR STRATEGIST and Diplomat (Civil War and Brest Litovsk)
• Stalin
• Kamenev
• Zinoviev
• Bukharin