How did the Bolsheviks tackle the problems confronting them in the government?

How did the Bolsheviks tackle the problems confronting them in the government?

1. Sovnarkom: The Council of People's Commissars

   • Bolshevik governing body
   • 30-40 members
   • Exclusively Bolshevik
   • In effect, Russia was a one party state

2. The 3 main Decrees

   • Peace
     • October 1917
     • Needed for gov to survive
     • Trotsky stalls peace talks, takes from Nov to March, hopes German soldiers will revolt
     • "Without annexations"
       • But lost 1/3 of European Russia...
   • Land
     • Nov 1917
     • "Private ownership of land shall be abolished forever"
     • Gave Bolshevik approval to peasant overthrowal of land, legitimising the seizures
   • Workers' control
     • Nov 1917
     • Accepted workers take-over of factories
     • Instructed worker's comms to maintain strictest order and discipline in the work place

3. The establishment of control

   • Sets up Cheka secret police DEC 1917
     • Instrument of terror
     • Scared into support
     • Lenin set it up to remove all counter-revolutionary activity
       • I.e. anyone against Lenin
         • Marx- some control of proletariat needed
   • Censorship
     • Closed down opp newspapers
   • Attacks parties
     • Kadets denounced and outlawed
     • Leading Kadets, Mensheviks, SR's imprisoned
   • Bank
     • Would not provided finance- 10 days, threat of armed intervention before agreeing
   • Civil Service
     • Refused to serve, threatening government mechanic breakdown: so there was purge of Civil Service

4. Dissolution of the Constituent Assembly

   • Nov elections, SR's 40% of vote, Bols 24% of vote
   • Met only for one day, 5th Jan 1918
   • Crowd demonstrating outside was fired upon by soldiers loyal to Sovnarkom
     • Is Lenin a RED TSAR?