AOS 2 Outcome 2

Study Design Read AOS 2 extract from the study design and highlight key words. Focus on what skills do you need to develop

Reflect and Connect Reflect on where we finished AOS 1 to be able to think about what challenges lay ahead of the new Revolutionary Government in Russia. Think about Political challenges Social challenges Economic challenges (Brain storm as class and draw the brainstorm in your books)

Challenges Conflict over the direction and shape of a communist society Withdrawal form First World War Economic stability Strong opposition to Lenin and his minority Bolshevik party Support of Second Congress of Soviets Constituent Assembly

Chapter 12: Consolidating Power – 1st six months Lenin’s Urgent things-to-do list! 1. Form a new government 2 Dismiss the democratic Constituent Assembly 3. Follow through on promises of ‘Land, Peace & Bread 4. Transform society into communism

1.1 Victory in Moscow Conflict in Moscow after the news of takeover of Petrograd arrived. With their takeover of Petrograd, Lenin needed to extend his control to the rest of Russia, starting with Moscow Moscow was a lot harder to take- with 7000 casualties after a week-long battle

1.2 Gain legitimacy from the Congress of Soviets Unlike the Provisional Government, the Soviets were seen to be legitimate as they had been voted by the people. Therefore Lenin wanted the legitimate Soviets (Second Congress of Soviets) to approve his new regime so it wouldn’t be seen as mere Bolshevik coup. He marketed the Oct Revolution as a rising by the entire Petrograd Soviet, in which many parties were represented. Congress of Soviets officially approved the new regime, providing legitimacy to Lenin’s new government.

1.3 One party rule & new titles Bolsheviks promoted themselves as leaders of a nationwide movement of workers, soldiers and peasants. Govt now called‘Govt of People’s Commissars’ with ministers (Bourgeoisie) called Commissars (Proletarian) Cabinet filled with Bolsheviks only & called Sovnarkom. (Lenin believed only Bolsheviks were capable of leading Russia towards a better future. Lenin declares: ‘There must be no government in Russia other than the Soviet Government.’ This angers other rev. Parties. Three executive bodies Politburo = policy making arm of Bolsheviks Orgburo = organising arm Secretariat = bureaucrats to implement laws Theoratically, they were expected to gain authorisation form the Congress of Soviets, but in practice they acted quite independently.

1.4 Cheka: New political secret police Stands for ‘All Russian Extraordinary Commission to Fight Counter-Revolution, Sabotage and Speculation’ Any enemies of the Bolsheviks, counter-revolutionary agitators, spies etc were rounded up and executed. Headed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Started with 15 men to carry out investigations. Grew to 100,000 men in 1921 with powers to arrest and execute any agents of enemy spies, counter-revolutionary agitators, organisers of revolts against the government.

2. Dismiss Democracy Lenin allowed the democratic elections for the Constituent Assembly to go ahead for fear of not looking democratic Results gave the peasant supported SRs 42% of the vote, with worker supported Bolsheviks 23.6% of the vote The Assembly meet once on 18 January 1918 & closed by Bolshevik troops when Bolshevik power was diluted by the other parties

Why did the assembly fail? Lack of parliamentary tradition and a mouthpiece of the Bolsheviks Lenin was scared of being undermined Lenin saw the assembly as unnecessary The Bolsheviks weren’t able to make the transition from revolutionaries to politicians

3.1 The Promise of Land Organised peasants seized the land they wanted Bolsheviks simply legitimised this, issuing a decree from the All Russian Congress of Soviets stating private ownership of land was banned, now owned and worked on equally by the people

3.2 The Promise of Bread Same problem, different government! The food crisis remained, compounded by the poor harvest of 1917 and the economic impact of the Civil War

3.3 Peace: the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk WW1 had already toppled the Tsar & Prov. Govt. Lenin didn’t want a repeat! Humiliating and severe demands caused rifts in the Bolshevik Central Committee Lenin had to demand that the committee accept the treaty or he would quit Was signed on 3 March 1918. Germany lost the war in November, making the treaty void

Losses in Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Germans wanted 1-third of European Russia that included 45 million people & 1 million square km’s 3 Billion in gold Control of Ukraine’s grain farms Demobilise the armed forces

4. Transform Society Private ownership to large houses banned Marriage & divorce equality Universal Suffrage for men & women Education became the right of the state Banks and gold nationalised Julian calendar adopted on 31 Jan 1918 Free religious choice, church separated from the state and education

Activities Analysis Activity 1 pg. 125 Focus Questions 1-4 pg. 129 Do an essay plan for 1 of the 2 essay questions on page 131. Then write a full paragraph or two of your essay. Remember your last SAC is an essay. Remember TEEL

Caption: ‘The Proletariate of all the countries’ Aspit’s ‘The Year of Proletarian Dictatorship’(1918) First anniversary of Bolshevik Rev Oct 1917-Oct 1918

Symbolic Literal A sun is rising which depicts a new day The new day represents the beginning ofa new age, and implies hope for the future. The cheering crowds imply that all workers and peasants support the soviet government. Crowds of workers and peasants wave red flags, illustrating a celebration of the first anniversary of the revolution

The two armed men show that they are protecting the revolution, and the worker carries a hammer, the peasant carries a scythe. Red flags and red sashes symbolise the international red flag of the workers The baby being held up to the peasant is, like the sun, a symbol of hope for the future- a baby born who will not know the oppression Crown Double headed eagle of the tsars Chains of oppression lie broken

The Worker The Peasant Both standing on the ruins of the past, of the old tsarist regime, and the symbolic chains of servitude and oppression. On this side of the arch it is grey and dark. Through the arch is the future, it is bright, sunny and colorful. It shows a prosperous future for all Russian’s people, industrial worker or peasant.