Communist Government

How did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War?

• Disunity of the opposition to the Bolsheviks:
• Opposition was made up of many smaller forces working individually e.g. 3 separate armies within the whites
• Failure of the white forces to combine meant Red's able to outnumber their opponents
• Opponents wasted energy and resources fighting against each other as well as Bolsheviks
• Organisation of the Bolsheviks
• War Commission organisation set up to coordinate industrial production to offer maximum benefit for war effort
• Controlled most od Russia's industry so able to produce moe ammunitions than their opponents
• War Communism 1918 improved government control of agriculture and industry
• The leadership of Leon Trotsky
• Strong central leadership under Lenin&Trotsky so all united in vision for Russian's future
• Trotsky introduced policy of recruiting officers from old Tsarist army to fight for Bolsheviks
• Trotsky travelled around country in armoured train to keep an eye on troops
• Trotsky created the Red Army to fight for the Bolsheviks
• Bolshevik control of Russian Infrastructure
• They controlled the industrial heartland of Russia e.g. Moscow
• Controlled most of Russia's railway system
• Effectiveness of Bolshevik Terror
• Campaign of terror led by the Cheka to hunt down and intimidate supporters of opponents
• Cheka arrested church leaders who were opposing Bolsheviks

Did Lenin create an authoritarian state?

• Authoritarian
• Nov 1917: argued that 'formal democracy' would have to be abandoned during Civil War
• Dec 1917: Lenin formed secret police force (The Cheka) to eliminate enemies of Bolsheviks (1917-1923 200,000 executed)
• Jan 1918: In the Constituent Assembly elections, Bolsheviks won 175 seats compared to 410 of Social revolutionaries. Lenin dismissed the assembly
• August 1920: Red Army had to defeat a force of 50,000 rebels
• Jan 1921: Nomenklatura system, all party members placed on lists according to loyal/disobedience
• Feb 1921: Cheka destroyed all political parties
• March 1921: Lenin put forward 'One Party Unity' that said all party leaders had to support Bolshevik views
• Feb 1922: Cheka replaced with OGPU to wipe out anyone that disagreed with Lenin
• Oct 1922: All Political parties other than Bolsheviks banned
• Jan 1924: party membership had reached 1000000 people as compared to just 300,000 in 1917
• Democratic
• Oct 1917: Passed 'Decree on Peace' to pull Russia out of WW1, popular with peasants who had suffered due to war
• Oct 1917: Passed 'Decree on Land' giving peasants right to seize land from nobility and Church
• Nov 1917: Passed the 'workers decree' establishing minimum wage and maximum working day of 8 hours
• Jan 1918: Lenin allow democratic elections to Russian Parliament
• Jan 1918: introduced the Russian Constitution of 1918, included guarantee that adults would be able to elect local Soviets
• March 1918: signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending war with Germany

Best position to take over Trotsky?

• Leon Trotsky:
• Background : 1879, middle class Jewish family
• Revolutionary Record: leading figure in organising strikes and protests, reputation and public speaking helped to win support for Bolsheviks. Masterminded Oct revolution and led the Red Army
• Relationship with Lenin: Initially clashed but worked together closely for Oct revolution and win Civil War. Lenin spoke well of him, however failed to go to funeral
• Power base: Member of the Politburo and Sovnarkom. Head of the Red Army
• Ideology: extreme left-wing of party, supported ideas of global revolution and gov control of the economy
• Alliances: unwilling to compromise on extreme ideological views by forming alliances with other members of the Party.
• Josef Stalin
• Background: 1879, family of peasant farmers + attended a religious school
• Revolutionary Record: member of many committees of Bolshevik Party e.g. Feb+ Oct revolutions. Not directly involved in action
• Relationship with Lenin: formed close relationship, agreed with Lenin on many issues, turned on Lenin towards the end of his life but gave eulogy at funeral
• Power base: member of the Politburo, General Secretary of the Secretariat. Head of Central Control Commission and Head of Sovnarkom and Rabkrin
• Ideology: stayed in centre of Party in terms of ideology, did not firmly commit to either side
• Alliances: initially formed a Triumvirate with Zinoviev and Kamenev, designed to defeat Trotsky. Turned on allies to defeat Zinoviev and Kamenev {essentially eliminated enemies one by one}

cont.

• Nikolai Bukharin
• Background: 1888, middle class background
• Revolutionary Record: Leading figure in the Moscow Branch of comm party. Played key role in organising protests and demonstrations during Oct revolution, ran Bolshevik newspaper during civil war
• Relationship with Lenin: Idolised Lenin and was praised during Lenin's final testimony.
• Power base: 'candidate member' of Politburo, had no vote. Unofficial party theorist, author of seminal ABC of Communism and editor of important newspapers {huge influence over public opinion}
• Ideology: on the right wing of the party
• Alliances: formed alliance called the Duumvirate with Stalin, however after this Stalin turned on him.
• Grigory Zinoviev:
• Background: 1883, family of dairy farmers
• Revolutionary Record: opposed the October revolution and stayed away from the Russian civil war
• Relationship with Lenin: Initially close, disagreed violently over October revolution and in final testimony, Lenin criticised him
• Powerbase: member of Politburo, in charge of Comintern, leading figure in Petrograd's branch of party
• Ideology: on the right wing of the party
• Alliances: Initially formed the Triumvirate with Stalin, but Stalin later turned on him
• Lev Kamenev
• Background: 1883, working class family
• Revolutionary Record: notable role in Civil War, opposed Oct revolution
• Relationship with Lenin: Second to Zinoviev, Lenin highlighted he didn't support Oct Revolution in final testimony
• Power base: member of the Politburo, Chair of Central Committee, leading figure of Moscow's branch of party, Chair of Sovnakom during Lenin's illness
• Ideology: Right wing of Party
• Alliances: see Zinoviev

Did Stalin have complete power?

• Complete Power
• 1939- removed rivals from Politburo
• Controlled secret Police Force + used them to conduct purges
• Insisted everyone in party support 'socialism in one country'
• 1930- filled Politburo with most loyal friends and allies
• In charge of Central control commission and Rabkrin
• Decreased frequency of Politburo meetings
• Organised show trials for opponents, often for made up crimes
• Purged members of the Red Army who'd worked under Trotsky
• Insisted all party members support his ideas on the economy
• Gave himself key positions within the party e.g. General Secretary and Chair of the Sovnarkom
• Limited Power
• Passed new Soviet Constitution 1936 giving Russian citizens the right to vote for local soviets
• During WW2 needed military commanders and politicians so had to release from political prisons
• Occasions where Politburo opposed him e.g. refused to let him execute Ryutin 1932
• Soviet Constitution granted Russians extensive civil liberties
• Restricted by own personal limits and the size of Russia

Why did Stalin initiate the Great Terror?

• Long Term Escalation of Terror:
• always been a notable feature of Russian gov e.g. Alexander III set up secret police force to destroy political opposition
• Lenin set up Cheka to arrest and torture opponents
• Economic benefits of Terror:
• some projects only viable due to number of workers in labour camps
• Victims of terror blamed and scapegoated for Russia's economic problems
• 1940, 423 forced labour camps
• 1929-53 14million imprisoned in forced labour camps
• Stalin's paranoia
• Obsessed with the idea that people were plotting against him
• especially as many leaders had been plotted against e.g. Lenin's failed assassination
• Had plotted against colleagues and worried about them taking revenge
• Feared the power and independence of the secret police and the Red Army
• Desire to create personal dictatorship:
• Ensured that he occupied all key positions in gov.
• Set ideological agenda through collectivisation
• Possible to maintain power through using terror to crush opponents
• Murder of Kirov:
• Kirov topped Stalin at congress of victors 1934
• Stalin saw these events as Kirov plotting against him
• Following congress, Stalin had Kirov murdered and blamed on conspiracy theories surrounding terrorism led by Trotsky and Zinoviev
• Meant Stalin could get rid of Kirov, Trotsky and Zinoviev

How far did Khrushchev change the gov?

• Change
• limited the amount of time that officials within government could stay in position
• resumed regular meetings of Politburo and genuine debate was permitted
• Reversed process of centralisation through De-Stalinsation
• Reduced the use of terror and released political prisoners
• Could be dismissed by a vote in the Central Committee as he was critical of Stalin developing a cult of personality
• Continuity
• Continued to fill the Communist Party with his own allies and filled the party with his supporters
• Some heavy punishment remained
• Khrushchev continued to hold many key positions within the government