russia under the bolsheviks 1917-1924 russia under the bolsheviks 1917-1924
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RUSSIA RUSSIA UNDER THE UNDER THE BOLSHEVIKS BOLSHEVIKS 1917-1924 1917-1924
RUSSIA RUSSIA UNDER UNDER THE THE BOLSHEVIKS BOLSHEVIKS 1917-19241917-1924
• By 26 Oct 1917, Russia had a Bolshevik Government
• Enormous support from workers in Russian cities, esp Petrograd and Moscow
• Support also from ordinary soldiers• However, events were to show that they
did not have support from most of the Russian people
RUSSIA UNDER THE BOLSHEVIKS 1917-1924
• Bolsheviks had no intention of sharing power
• They believed they knew what was best for the Russians
• Dealt ruthlessly with anyone who thought otherwise
• Evidence : Elections in Nov 1917
• Bolsheviks obtained only 25% of the votes
• Lenin allowed parliament to meet for one day and then closed it down
• It never met again
the Bolshevik dictatorshipthe Bolshevik dictatorship
• Bolsheviks tried to establish their rule wherever they could
• Set up the CHEKACHEKA, a secret police force• Does this ring a bell?
Dictatorship : Ruler or government has complete power and does not give people opportunities to decide if they want to ruled by other parties
• Russia was ruled by a dictatorshipdictatorship for most of the 20th century
• Communism only collapsed in the early 1990s
the Bolshevik dictatorshipthe Bolshevik dictatorship
• Lenin set up a Congress of Soviets to govern Russia
• Most members were Bolsheviks• Mar 1918 : the party name was changed
to the Communist Party• 1924 : Country’s name was changed to
the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) a union of four republics - Russia, the Ukraine, Byelorussia and Caucasus
• The old Tsarist regime had become the new communist Soviet Union
the Bolshevik dictatorshipthe Bolshevik dictatorship
• Lenin’s first act was to fulfill his promise of peace to the people
• In Mar 1918, he signed the Treaty of Treaty of Brest-LitovskBrest-Litovsk
• Russia was out of World War I• The treaty gave away a huge amount of
land in the west to Germany together with 1/3 of its population, 1/3 of its farmland, 4/5 of its coal mines, over half of its factories
• Lenin thought it was a price worth paying• Lenin also issued other decrees official orders
the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918 the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918
the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk,
1918
the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk,
1918
• Land : took land from the Tsar, nobles and the landowners– Redistributed it to the
peasants
• Factories : Put under the control of elected committees of workers
• Press : All non-Bolshevik newspapers were banned
• Secret Police : The Cheka was set up to suppress opposition
• Peace : The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Lenin’s decrees
• Out of the frying pan, into the fire• Out of WWI, into the Russian Civil Wars• Bolsheviks (the Redsthe Reds) vs the Whitesthe Whites a mixed group of
Tsarists, Liberals, Social Revolutionaries and Mensheviks
• The Whites were brought together only by their common hatred of the Bolsheviks
• Joined at various times by foreign powers Britain, France, US, Poland, Japan
• Different reasons for being involved– Bring Russia back to WWI to play its part in trying to
defeat Germany– Taking over Russia’s land at a time when it was prr-
occupied with its own problems– Fear that communism might spread to their countries
The Russian Civil Wars, 1918-1921 The Russian Civil Wars, 1918-1921
• Initially successful by eventually driven back by the Reds by 1921
Reasons
1. Reds control the centre and two main cities1. Whites had to fight around the edges• Affected the movement of troops
2. Disunity among Whites• Whites had different armies, each with their own leaders• Set up their own “governments”; at one point, 20 govts
co-existed• Quarrelled among themselves, no strong leader
3. Whites were on the same side as foreign invaders• Unpopular because of this
Why the Whites lostWhy the Whites lost
Reasons
4. Red Army was efficient• Built up by Trotsky • Trotsky’s leadership played a vital role• Introduced conscription• Boost morale and discipline• outstanding military strategist
5. Offer of a united government• Whites were linked to the old aristocracy• Thus did not win the support of the peasants• Peasants hated Whites more than the Bolsheviks• Did not want to lose their lands or the control of
factories
Why the Whites lostWhy the Whites lost
Reasons
6. Control of Resources• Reds controlled factories, railways• Thus had access to resources• “War CommunismWar Communism” to ensure that the Red
Army was well-kept and well-fed
Why the Whites lostWhy the Whites lost
• Revolutions, wars and strife affected economic life
• Normal economic activities suffered
• fields uncared for• railway lines pulled up• factories burnt• millions starved or died
because of epidemics• Natural disasters - Great
Drought in southern Russia in 1921 - severe famine
• Russian economy was on the verge of collapse
Lenin’s Economic Policies, 1918 - 1924Lenin’s Economic Policies, 1918 - 1924
• A harsh economic policy designed to keep a tight state control on the economy
• An emergency measure to help Bolsheviks win the war
• 3 parts• Nationalisation of all businesses employing
more than 10 people businesses taken over by the state
• Banning of private trade goods can only be sold by the state
• Requisitioning (seizing) grain from peasants in order to supply the cities and the army
• WC helped Bolsheviks win the civil war
War CommunismWar Communism
• Peasant reaction– some attacked govt collectors sent to seize their
grains– hid spare food– some simply grew less– one of the causes of famine
• Effect : Discontent in the countryside spread to the towns and the cities
War CommunismWar Communism
Kronstadt MutinyKronstadt Mutiny
• Mar 1921 : sailors at the naval base of Kronstadt who strongly supported the Bolsheviks in 1917 rebelled
• Rebellion was brutally crushed but Lenin learnt a lesson
• A limit to the suffering that the people were prepared to put up with the Bolshevik govt
• Put in place a New Economic Policy
War CommunismWar Communism
WAR COMMUNISMWAR COMMUNISM
• State took over all factories and decided on the goods they made
• State took over the transport system
• Strikes were made illegal
WAR COMMUNISMWAR COMMUNISM
• State took over all factories and decided on the goods they made
• State took over the transport system
• Strikes were made illegal
Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
NEW ECONOMIC NEW ECONOMIC POLICYPOLICY
• Factories with less than 20 workers could be privately owned
• State still controlled transport system and major industries
NEW ECONOMIC NEW ECONOMIC POLICYPOLICY
• Factories with less than 20 workers could be privately owned
• State still controlled transport system and major industries
WAR COMMUNISMWAR COMMUNISM
• Private trade was banned
WAR COMMUNISMWAR COMMUNISM
• Private trade was banned
Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
NEW ECONOMIC NEW ECONOMIC POLICYPOLICY
• Workers were offered extra food or money for extra work done
• Anyone could open a shop, or sell or hire out goods
NEW ECONOMIC NEW ECONOMIC POLICYPOLICY
• Workers were offered extra food or money for extra work done
• Anyone could open a shop, or sell or hire out goods
WAR COMMUNISMWAR COMMUNISM
• Food rationing
• Food was taken from the peasants by force to feed the town workers and the army
WAR COMMUNISMWAR COMMUNISM
• Food rationing
• Food was taken from the peasants by force to feed the town workers and the army
Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
NEW ECONOMIC POLICYNEW ECONOMIC POLICY
• Peasants could sell off surplus food, paying a 10% tax on profits
• Peasants could take on more land and hire workers
• A group of rich farmers, called kulakskulaks, soon sprang up
NEW ECONOMIC POLICYNEW ECONOMIC POLICY
• Peasants could sell off surplus food, paying a 10% tax on profits
• Peasants could take on more land and hire workers
• A group of rich farmers, called kulakskulaks, soon sprang up
Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
What do you think
of the New Economic Policy?
Possible AnswerPossible Answer : A : A temporary compromise which temporary compromise which signalled a return to a certain signalled a return to a certain degree of private enterprise degree of private enterprise until recovery was certain. until recovery was certain.
• The policy was soon successful• Led to an increase in the amount of food and
industrial goods produced• However, the NEP did not mean that Lenin
stopped believing in socialism• NEP was just a short-term measure to overcome
Russia’s economic problems• The govt still controlled major industries such
as coal and iron, banking, power supplies and others
Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
Lenin’s deathLenin’s death
• Lenin had a series of stroke in 1922-23
• Died in 1924
• Founder of the first modern communis state
• Tremendous impact on people all over the world
• First time that people could see for themselves what communism meant in practice
• Some tried to bring to their own countries
• While no one disagrees about Lenin’s importance, people have very different views on the values of communism
• What about you?What about you?
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