1. RUSSIA UNDER THE BOLSHEVIKS 1917-1924

2. RUSSIA UNDER
THE BOLSHEVIKS

3. RUSSIA UNDER THE BOLSHEVIKS 1917-1924
By 26 Oct 1917, Russia had a Bolshevik Government
Enormous support from workers in Russian cities, esp Petrograd and Moscow
Support also from ordinary soldiers
However, events were to show that they did not have support from most of the Russian people

4. the Bolshevik dictatorship
Bolsheviks had no intention of sharing power
They believed they knew what was best for the Russians
Dealt ruthlessly with anyone who thought otherwise
Evidence : Elections in Nov 1917
Bolsheviks obtained only 25% of the votes
Lenin allowed parliament to meet for one day and then closed it down
It never met again

5. the Bolshevik dictatorship
Bolsheviks tried to establish their rule wherever they could
Set up the CHEKA, a secret police force
Does this ring a bell?
Dictatorship : Ruler or government has complete power and does not give people opportunities to decide if they want to ruled by other parties
Russia was ruled by a dictatorship for most of the 20th century
Communism only collapsed in the early 1990s

6. the Bolshevik dictatorship
Lenin set up a Congress of Soviets to govern Russia
Most members were Bolsheviks
Mar 1918 : the party name was changed to the Communist Party
1924 : Country’s name was changed to the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) a union of four republics - Russia, the Ukraine, Byelorussia and Caucasus
The old Tsarist regime had become the new communist Soviet Union

7. the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918
Lenin’s first act was to fulfill his promise of peace to the people
In Mar 1918, he signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Russia was out of World War I
The treaty gave away a huge amount of land in the west to Germany together with 1/3 of its population, 1/3 of its farmland, 4/5 of its coal mines, over half of its factories
Lenin thought it was a price worth paying
Lenin also issued other decrees official orders

8. the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918

9. Lenin’s decrees
Land : took land from the Tsar, nobles and the landowners
Redistributed it to the peasants
Factories : Put under the control of elected committees of workers
Press : All non-Bolshevik newspapers were banned
Secret Police : The Cheka was set up to suppress opposition
Peace : The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

10. The Russian Civil Wars, 1918-1921
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
Out of WWI, into the Russian Civil Wars
Bolsheviks (the Reds) vs the Whites a mixed group of Tsarists, Liberals, Social Revolutionaries and Mensheviks
The Whites were brought together only by their common hatred of the Bolsheviks
Joined at various times by foreign powers Britain, France, US, Poland, Japan
Different reasons for being involved
Bring Russia back to WWI to play its part in trying to defeat Germany
Taking over Russia’s land at a time when it was prr-occupied with its own problems
Fear that communism might spread to their countries

11. Why the Whites lost Reasons
Initially successful by eventually driven back by the Reds by 1921
Reasons
1. Reds control the centre and two main cities
Whites had to fight around the edges
Affected the movement of troops
2. Disunity among Whites
Whites had different armies, each with their own leaders
Set up their own “governments”; at one point, 20 govts co-existed
Quarrelled among themselves, no strong leader
3. Whites were on the same side as foreign invaders
Unpopular because of this

12. Why the Whites lost Reasons 4. Red Army was efficient
Built up by Trotsky
Trotsky’s leadership played a vital role
Introduced conscription
Boost morale and discipline
outstanding military strategist
5. Offer of a united government
Whites were linked to the old aristocracy
Thus did not win the support of the peasants
Peasants hated Whites more than the Bolsheviks
Did not want to lose their lands or the control of factories

13. Why the Whites lost Reasons 6. Control of Resources
Reds controlled factories, railways
Thus had access to resources
“War Communism” to ensure that the Red Army was well-kept and well-fed

14. Lenin’s Economic Policies, 1918 - 1924
Revolutions, wars and strife affected economic life
Normal economic activities suffered
fields uncared for
railway lines pulled up
factories burnt
millions starved or died because of epidemics
Natural disasters - Great Drought in southern Russia in severe famine
Russian economy was on the verge of collapse

15. War Communism
A harsh economic policy designed to keep a tight state control on the economy
An emergency measure to help Bolsheviks win the war
3 parts
Nationalisation of all businesses employing more than 10 people businesses taken over by the state
Banning of private trade goods can only be sold by the state
Requisitioning (seizing) grain from peasants in order to supply the cities and the army
WC helped Bolsheviks win the civil war

16. War Communism Peasant reaction
some attacked govt collectors sent to seize their grains
hid spare food
some simply grew less
one of the causes of famine
Effect : Discontent in the countryside spread to the towns and the cities

17. War Communism Kronstadt Mutiny
Mar 1921 : sailors at the naval base of Kronstadt who strongly supported the Bolsheviks in 1917 rebelled
Rebellion was brutally crushed but Lenin learnt a lesson
A limit to the suffering that the people were prepared to put up with the Bolshevik govt
Put in place a New Economic Policy

18. Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
WAR COMMUNISM
State took over all factories and decided on the goods they made
State took over the transport system
Strikes were made illegal
NEW ECONOMIC POLICY
Factories with less than 20 workers could be privately owned
State still controlled transport system and major industries

19. Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
WAR COMMUNISM
Private trade was banned
NEW ECONOMIC POLICY
Workers were offered extra food or money for extra work done
Anyone could open a shop, or sell or hire out goods

20. Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
WAR COMMUNISM
Food rationing
Food was taken from the peasants by force to feed the town workers and the army
NEW ECONOMIC POLICY
Peasants could sell off surplus food, paying a 10% tax on profits
Peasants could take on more land and hire workers
A group of rich farmers, called kulaks, soon sprang up

21. What do you think of the New Economic Policy?
Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
What do
you think
of the
New Economic Policy?
Possible Answer : A temporary compromise which signalled a return to a certain degree of private enterprise until recovery was certain.

22. Lenin’s New Economic Policy, 1921
The policy was soon successful
Led to an increase in the amount of food and industrial goods produced
However, the NEP did not mean that Lenin stopped believing in socialism
NEP was just a short-term measure to overcome Russia’s economic problems
The govt still controlled major industries such as coal and iron, banking, power supplies and others

23. Lenin’s death Lenin had a series of stroke in 1922-23 Died in 1924
Founder of the first modern communis state
Tremendous impact on people all over the world
First time that people could see for themselves what communism meant in practice
Some tried to bring to their own countries
While no one disagrees about Lenin’s importance, people have very different views on the values of communism
What about you?