Bolshevik Government in power

Peace, Land, & Bread All Power to the Soviets Moved quickly to offer Land & Bread Peace – Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Oct 1917) Did not share power with Soviets

Decrees to help Russian people Immediate peace without penalties Land to be taken from monarchy, Church & landowners & given to peasants. All private ownership of land stopped 8 hour working day Insurance for unemployment, illness or injury Factories under control of workers Women legally equal to men Banks taken over by government Name “Comrade” replaced all other titles, (like “sir”)

Decrees to Control Russian people Kadet Party was banned All non-Bolshevik newspapers were banned Nov 1917 – elections to Constituent Assembly, BUT Social Revolutionaries won First meeting of Assembly (Jan 1918), Red Guard shut it down – it never met again. Dec 1917 – Cheka – Secret Police force

Red Terror Following Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Bolsheviks faced opposition from their only allies – the Left Social Revolutionaries Social Revolutionaries used a campaign of terror & violence against Government. Social Revolutionaries arrested, & all non-Bolsheviks removed from senior Soviet organisations. Campaign of terror against opponents of Bolsheviks Thousands executed in 1918

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk End of First World War for Russia Treaty with Germany – March 1918 Germans demanded land & money in exchange for peace Lenin ordered Trotsky to sign Treaty Russia’s former allies, (Britain & France) felt betrayed & supported those trying to get rid of Communist government.

Russia lost: Lands in Finland, Ukraine, Estonia & Lithuania 74% of iron & coal output 16% of population 27% of farmland 26% railways 300,000,000 roubles in “reparations” to Germany

Power During Civil War (1918-21): Power moved from Soviets to Communist Party Power moved to a few Communists at the top of the party - in a new small body called the Politburo Politburo made all important decisions