HISTORY REVISION

THE BOLSHEVIKS
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT AND SOVIETS
When the Tsar abdicated the Duma set up a Provisional Government to rule until a
new one could. The members were rich (most nobles) but cared about peasants and
workers. It had dual power with the Soviets (Workers Councils where workers and
soldiers sent representatives for their interests). There were Soviets all over Russia
but the Petrograd one was most important as it issued Order No.1 which gave
control of the army. It wasnt equal power, however, as the PG needed permission of
the Soviet to create laws because they had the army. Although they could, the
Soviets did not seize power so the PG would be blamed for problems. Together they
freed political prisoners, gave freedom of press and speech, gave the right to strike,
ended social discrimination and ended the death penalty.

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

The war: continued because didnt want to be defeated, pay heavy price for
peace or let down Allies (may need future help). Kerensky (Minister for War, in
PG and Petrograd Soviet the bridge) rallied troops for June offensive
which was a disaster, increasing amount of deserters and PGs unpopularity.
Land: Tsar gone so peasants thought could take land but PG would not allow
as felt it was decision that should be left to proper government. Also believed
soldiers, many peasants, would desert for it (did). Peasants began to take
land. Kerensky sent troops to stop, made PG more unpopular.
Food: Workers starving due to lack of peasants, rising food prices and little
food there was sent to front (rations). PG tried to get peasants support but
failed as refused to give land. Workers were still starving so lost their support.
Lenin tried to return but had to cross through Germany. Germans happy to
help as thought it would undermine war effort (gave money and put on train).
Arrived in Petrograd, made a speech (published as April Theses) saying:
PG abolished and all power given to Soviets
War ended and army become national militia
Land given to peasants
Soviets take power of factories and banks under a National Bank
Used slogans Bread, Peace, Land, All Power to the Soviets for support.

STEPS TO REVOLUTION
People became more opposed to the war throuh the summer. The terrible defeat of
the July offensive sparked enormous demonstration in Petrograd (July Days)
protesting the war. Protesters turned to the Bolsheviks as the only anti-war party but
they werent ready to seize power. Eventually, troops were sent in and Kerensky
produced evidence that Lenin worked with the Germans. Lenin fled to Finland and
other leading Bolsheviks were arrested while Kerensky became Prime Minister.
In August Kornilov, the commander-in-chief of the army, wanted to establish his own
government. He ordered the arrest of Kerensky and troops to march on Petrograd.
Kerensky asked the Bolsheviks for help Lenin agreed if they were let out of jail and

the Red Guard (workers trained secretly) given weapons. The troops never arrived
as the trains were stopped and soldiers persuaded them to not fight. The Red Guard,
however, kept the weapons and the Bolsheviks were the saviours of Petrograd.

THE REVOLUTION
In September support for the Bolsheviks was high and they were the largest party in
the Petrograd Soviet and Trotsky head of the Military Committee. With the discontent
with the PG, Lenin believed it was time for revolution. He sent messages to leading
Bolsheviks telling them to seize power of the Soviets but they refused (e.g. Zinoviev
& Kamanev). He convinced went to them in person and argued they gave in.
Although he wanted to seize power right away, Trotsky convinced him to wait.
Trotsky organised the takeover from the Bolshevik HQ in the Smolny Institute. It was
planned for 7th November but was not secret with articles and leaflets published. The
first moves were made early on 7 th November when the Red Guard took control of
the bridges, main telegraph office, railway stations and power stations. The next day
they continued to seize key places but Kerensky, having fled, never arrived with
troops. Then they moved in on the Winter Palace where the PG was met. Most of the
troops had left or were sent away earlier by Trotsky, leaving a few cadets and
Womens Death Battalion. At 9pm the Aurora (whose sailors supported Bolsheviks)
fired an attack signal. There was a little gun fire but no one offered any resistance.

BOLSHEVIK RULE
Lenin set up his government the Council of Peoples Commissars of which he
was the chairman and Trotsky the Commissar for War. It was important to keep
promises otherwise support would disappear. The Sovnakom made these decrees:
November
Maximum 8 hour day, 48 hour week for workers
Workers employment insurance for injury, illness and unemployment
All titles and class distinction abolished title comrade for everyone
Women declared equal to men
All non-Bolshevik papers banned
Land taken from Tsar and landlords given to peasants (not as
interested in producing for markets as landlords)
December
Liberal party, the Cadets, banned
All factories put under the control of workers committees
All banks taken over by the government
Army to be more democratic officers elected, no ranks or saluting
Church land confiscated by the state
Divorce made easier and marriages do not have to be in churches
Peace Decree ended the war. Lenin previously sent Trotsky to negotiate a
treaty but the Germans demanded too much territory. Lenin sent him back as
they would lose support if the war didnt stop. The result was the Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk, signed in March. Russia lost 25% population, 27% (best) farm
land, 26% railways, 74% iron ore and coal and paid 300,000 gold roubles.

In December he set up the Cheka (secret police) which arrested people considered
dangerous. After an assassination attempt on Lenin they launched the Red Terror:
anyone who opposed (even may oppose) the government was arrested and many
were shot without trial. As Lenin put an absolute priority in getting food into the cities,
he sent the Cheka to requisition food from peasants who would not sell it.
Previously, in November, he was forced to hold elections for a Constituent Assembly
by railway workers who threatened to shut down the railways. The SRs won the most
seats (370 to the Bolsheviks 175) which was a great threat to Lenin as they could
steal power. When it met in January, Lenin sent troops to shut it down.

THE CIVIL WAR

In 1918, the Bolsheviks became the Communist Party and a dictatorship was
established. However, all other parties were against them and took up arms. In the
summer of 1918, a Civil War began involving: Reds (Communists), Whites
(Opponents: tsarists, Mensheviks, Liberals, constitutional democrats, SRs (named
for tsarists white uniform so associated with Tsar and old government)) and Greens
(independent groups of nationalists, peasants or bandits who fought for themselves).

FACTORS IN THE CIVIL WAR

Geographical
Reds held most large industrial centres so could produce war
supplies, control of railways connecting Petrograd and Moscow to rest
of Russia so could send soldiers and munitions anywhere
Whites scattered around central area with hundreds miles between
armies, communications difficult
Aims
Reds one aim: stay in power to build new Socialist society
Whites different aims: Tsar, military dictator, revolutionary change,
constitutional government,
Numbers
Reds: Eventually 2,000,000 men
Whites: Around 250,000 men
Leadership & Unity
Reds superb Trotsky: conscripted over 18s, 50,000 experienced
former officers, appointed Commissars to inform him, courageous
(admired), train with medical units etc. where fighting was hardest
Whites bad leaders: cruel, disrespectful, bad example, generals had
little and wouldnt communicate to co-ordinate attacks (Reds could pick
off armies), fighting within armies as different aims and beliefs
Whites support of foreign nations (Britain, France, USA), sent forces and
supplies and to help, troops refused to fight (tired of war, some sympathetic to
Bolsheviks): French Navy mutiny in Black Sea, Labour Party protest use of
British troops to crush Russian workers, Americans only there to make sure
Japanese didnt seize territory, Reds portrayed Whites as controlled by
capitalists, Reds defenders of ordinary Russians, 1919 Allies pulled out

WAR COMMUNISM

While Trotsky was at the front, Lenin ran the government and organised food and
industry. It wasnt easy but was crucial to keep the Red Army supplied to win.
Towns state took over industry and told factories what to produce (factories
had been given to workers committees who ran them badly), put in own
factory managers, strict discipline, trade unions not allowed, workers banned
from leaving city, food rationed, only rations if working (bread ration
sometimes as low as 200 grams a day), larger rations given to factory workers
and soldiers, only other way to get food was Black Market, money worthless,
wages paid in food or goods, people bartered goods instead of using money
Countryside food needed to feed workers, peasants unwilling to sell grain as
money had no value, Cheka requisition surplus food, hoarders punished
harshly, peasants decided to produce less grain because it would be taken
away, destroy crops and animals rather than hand over
Red Terror Cheka increasingly brutal, opposition arrested and shot without
trial or sent to labour camps, thought worse than Tsardom, Tsar and family
shot 18th July 1918 to prevent Whites recapture

EFFECTS OF THE CIVIL WAR

Industrial output in millions of tonnes/kilowatts
1913 1921
Coal
29
Oil
9.2
Iron
4.2
Steel
4.3
Sugar
1.3
Electricity
2039

9
3.8
0.1
0.2
0.05
520

War Communism: Cities 1921 economy in ruins, industrial production fallen

disastrously, cities in chaos: gangs orphans on streets, robbery common,
stolen goods on thieves markets, bagmen on trains sell food illegally rather
than give to State (patrol railway stations), widespread destruction of factories
War Communism: Countryside war and grain requisitioning low harvests,
horrendous famine 1919-21 (5 million died), widespread destruction of farms
Red Terror increase power of Cheka, 50,000 killed 1918-21 (often no trial)
Opposition uprisings against Communists (especially in Tambov), resources
could have been used in Civil War diverted to keeping order
Workers Opposition wanted higher wages, better conditions, more
food and workers control industry, objected to mass arrests by Cheka
to scare people into submission, wanted Soviets without Communists
Kronstadt Rising sailors mutiny at naval base Kronstadt March 1919,
life under the yoke of Communist dictatorship has become more
terrible than death, Red Kronstadters strong supporters of
Bolsheviks 1917 Revolution so shock, Trotsky sent Red Army crush
(20, 000 killed or wounded), sailors executed or sent to labour camps

THE NEP
Lenin said the Kronstadt Rising was the flash that lit up reality. He realised he had
to improve the situation or risk losing power. In 1921, he introduced the New
Economic Policy:
Grain requisitioning stopped. Grain no longer taken by force, instead peasants
had to give it each year as tax but surplus could be sold on the open market.

Traders could buy and sell goods markets reappeared.

People could make a profit then pay taxes, instead of having goods
confiscated by the state.
People could own small businesses with up to 25 employees. It encouraged
private enterprise, especially in agriculture, leading to the surfacing of Kulaks
and Nepmen.
Smaller factories (e.g. clothes and shoes) returned to former owners who
could sell the goods they made to make a profit
Larger industries (e.g. steel, coal and transport) remained under state control
but some larger factories were allowed to sell their products.

The NEP gave the USSR space to breath while it got back on its feet but was seen
by many Communists as a return to capitalism. They disliked the new traders,
Nepmen, who made high profits by buying goods cheaply and selling them more
dearly. They were middle men who made money out of others. They did, however,
make goods appear in quantities in the shops that they had not done for years. Lenin
persuaded the party to accept the NEP for the time being. The majority realised that
these measures were needed to revive industry and get more food produced.

SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF THE NEP

Electrification Lenin saw electricity key to modernisation, wanted many

power stations to provide power for modern large-scale industry, electric light
in every home, Soviet power plus electrification equals Communism
Foreign Trade foreign countries refused to trade with USSR before 1921,
West hoped move to capitalism meant failure of Communism, Anglo-Soviet
trade agreement in 1921, increased trade greatly boosted economy, largescale exchanges of Western industrial goods for Russian oil and similar
Lasted until 1928 (Stalin ended) and made USSR more prosperous, general
economic situation improved
Peasants thought prices for manufactured goods too high so unwilling to sell
grain for money because could not buy much with it
Some peasants quite rich by buying up land and animals, many remained
poor and continued using backward methods of farming
Industrial workers better off but unemployment a serious problem (particularly
in young people) and so was high crime rate
Many people angry about profits of Nepmen and growth of a class of rich
business men in 1925 steps taken to curb profits and luxurious lifestyle
Much of progress made until 1925 came from very low level production and
involved repairing and restoring old machinery, factories and transport
1926 economy pre-1914 levels and massive investment needed to make
USSR modernised industrialised, end of 20s food supplies problem again
Communists wanted more Socialist ways of running the country