1. Bolshevik Government in power

2. 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

3. 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”)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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