Creation of the Bolshevik Dictatorship Learning Objective: To understand the methods used by the Bolsheviks to consolidate their control

1921 - 1924 What happened next Do not make the mistake that in addition to a freeing up of economic life there was also a freeing up of political life: far from it. The introduction of the NEP saw a loosening of economic controls but a tightening of political control. From March 1921, Russia was governed by a dictatorship more absolute than any government under the tsarist autocracy. See following slides

Developments 1921 Lenin passed the ban on factionalism in the Party during the NEP years The Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic proclaimed in 1918. 1922 USSR was formed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxyISsA0Oh0

The Creation of the USSR

1917-1924: How the Bolsheviks consolidated their control of Russia Getting rid of the political opposition 2. The National Minorities 3. Other sources of opposition 4. Centralising within the party 5. Attacks on the church Headings for the sorting activity word doc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxyISsA0Oh0 Back in the USSR

Was Lenin a Red Tsar? Read page 90 and 91 (Lenin’s dictatorship onwards) and make bullet point notes on the main features of Lenin’s dictatorship.

How accurate is it to say that Lenin’s leadership was the most important reason for the Bolsheviks’ success in the revolution of November 1917? How far do you agree that the brutality of the Bolsheviks was the main reason why they remained in power in the years 1917–24? How far was Lenin responsible for the Bolsheviks’ growing hold on power in the years 1917–24? To what extent were the weaknesses of their opponents responsible for the survival of the Bolshevik government in the years 1917–24?

Censorship Censorship increased 1922 – dozens of writers and scholars deported Pre-publication censorship brought in. New body - Glavlit – to oversee

Attacking Rivals Political pressure on rival parties intensified 5,000 Mensheviks arrested in 1921 Mensheviks and SRs outlawed Show Trials – SRs rounded up and put on public trial. Often accused of collaboration with Denikin or of trying to assassinate Lenin. 34 SR leaders condemned as terrorists, 11 executed

Secret Police Cheka renamed the GPU (later the OGPU) in 1922 Continued to arrest opponents and deal out death sentences Attacked Nepmen as well as “class enemies” such as the church

Crushing Peasants & Church Peasants who opposed the government dealt with harshly Tambov region – destruction of whole villages – 240,000 killed and poison gas used in some cases By 1921 Lenin directly challenging the Church 1922 – Orders given to seize wealth from churches to help famine victims Opposition led to large numbers of arrests

Attacks on political rivals Communist party members were no longer allowed to form groups independent of Lenin’s leadership. Mensheviks & Socialist Revolutionaries arrested for supporting strikes & civil disturbances 1921, 5000 Mensheviks arrested for counter-revolutionary activities Mensheviks & SRs outlawed Show trials: 34 Socialist Revolutionaries condemned as terrorists; 11 executed

Crushing of peasants Harsh punishments for civil disturbances 1922, Tambov region ‘purged’ by Red Army Loyalty rewards – salt, manufactured goods Propaganda campaign extolling benefits of NEP

Censorship 1922 writers & scholars deported Pre-publication censorship introduced Main Administration for Affairs of Literature & Publishing Houses (Glavlit) estd.

GPU (Cheka) GPU (Main Political Administration) founded in 1922 Arbitrary imprisonment & death penalty extended Nepmen focus for attacks

Attacks on the Church Church a potential opponent 1921, Union of the Militant Godless estd. 1922, churches stripped of wealth Russian Orthodox Church leaders executed 1000s priests imprisoned

On the Bolshevik Plan Figes: “There was no master plan. When the Bolsheviks came to power they had no set idea – other than the general urge to control and centralize – of how to structure the institutional relationships between the party and the Soviets…Only during the civil war, when they stressed the need for strict centralized control to mobilize the resources of the country, did the Bolsheviks plan the general structure of the party-state”.

The government and party Politburo (7-9 members chosen by CC – met daily – made key decisions for Party) Increasingly took power from Sovnarkom by making key policy decisions Sovnarkom (15-25 members – Lenin Chairman – met daily – key decisions) Central Committee (Ran Party affairs when Congress not meeting. Continued to vote on key issues) Central Executive Committee (Oversaw governance – overlapped role with Sovnarkom – little power) Congress (Representatives chosen from city and regional parties – democratic decision making for Party – elected members to CC & Politburo) All Russian Congress of Soviets (Delegates came from provincial and city soviets, met twice a year. Supreme law making body) Key people in the Congress of Soviets were also members of the Party Congress City and Provincial Parties (powerful leaders) City and Provincial Soviets Local Parties Local and District Soviets (elected by local people – sent delegates to provincial/city soviets)

1919, Lenin had created the Politburo – small guiding group for Party – became more important than Central Committee Met weekly as opposed to the monthly meetings of the CC Decisions were meant to be approved by CC and then the Party

Summary Use the diagram from p121 in the old SHP book Use this to plan an essay answer to the question below: How effectively was the Bolshevik State Consolidated 1921-1924?

Summarising Read the Murphy 90-91 and summarise it in no more than 10 bullet points

From autocracy to dictatorship With someone you haven’t worked with before this year… Copy and complete the table on page 91 of Murphy – use as many resources as you can to help you complete it.

1917-1924: The Bolsheviks centralised control The collapse of Industry It was essential to keep this going through the Civil War. The government brought it under control By 1918 about 80% of workplaces were under government control Why? 4. The Railways The railway system was collapsing. The railway unions were dominated by the Mensheviks who could not be trusted. So it was taken under direct control 2. The Civil War This made it difficult to consult other bodies about decisions. Decisions had to be taken more quickly and therefore decision making was centralised 3. Peasants The refusal of the peasants to supply the cities with food meant that the government had to set a up a system to collect and distribute food