The russian revolution_pt_3
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Transcript of The russian revolution_pt_3
The End of the Russian Revolution
Civil War
&
New Economic Policy
Land, Bread, Peace• The Party recognized the peasant
seizure of land—inefficiency in production.
• Worker committees controlled the factories —inefficiency in production.
• Soldier committees controlled the military—no military.
• Peace w/Germany was needed—Peace of Brest-Litovsk (Mar 1918)
• Russia lost 32% of land and 60 M citizens—Bolsheviks were unpopular and SR left the Gov’t
The Civil War• No exact time when the Civil
War started but by Summer of 1918 the Bolshevik Gov’t was beset on all sides.
• At the lowest point the Bolsheviks controlled 1/5 of the old Russian Empire.
• The White Armies –divided/ Moscow/peasants/Bol. ruthless
• By Oct 1920 the Bolsheviks had defeated their enemies.
• Final foreign armies left by 1922—Japan in Far East.
Two Sides of Civil WarReds Whites
• Bolsheviks
• Kronstadt Sailors
• Red Guards
• Some workers and soldiers
• Trotsky was War Commissar
• Former Tsarists
• Liberals
• Nationalists and Separatists
• Socialist Revolutionaries
• Supported by former WWI Allies
Dictatorship: Revolution Betrayed• The Party used the Civil War
to justify its dictatorial rule—would have done it without Civil War.
• Felt they were the ‘engine of history’ anyone who got in its way was wrong.
• By Summer of 1918 recognized that world wide revolution might not happen now.
• Imposed One-Party rule.
Government vs Peasants
• Bolshevik gov’t soon in
conflict with peasants—kulaks• Not enough food
to feed the cities
• Lenin tried a twin approach:– Class warfare—
– divide the peasants– War Communism
“Down with Lenin and Horsemeat! Give us the Tsar and Pork!
Government vs Workers• The Revolution led to
workers controlling the factories—lower production
• Unemployment rose and workers left cities to return to countryside—fewer supporters for Bolsheviks
• Spring 1918 Lenin restored control of factories to gov’t—nationalization
• State planning of economy
‘Red Terror’• August 1918 –
assassination attempt on Lenin
• The USSR became a one-party state
• Very different than what the October Rev had envisioned.
• Opposition was eliminated by secret police—Cheka
• Arrests and executions took place
Cost• Party now controlled
everything.• Heavy loss of life—10 million
died between 1917-21• Cheka alone kills app.
300,000• Economy was in ruin and
needed to be rebuilt.• Revolutionary ideals betrayed
—Kronstadt Revolt Feb 1921• Lenin believed there needed to
be changes—NEP
The New Economic Policy (NEP)
• War Communism was a failure.
• Lenin felt a relaxation was needed to revive economy.
• He eliminated party debate—rigid controls on society
• Allowed private enterprise in small business—gov’t controlled big business
Why did Bolsheviks Win Control?
• Self-belief & ruthless determination
• Divided opposition• Able to generate support—
used divisions in society• Civil War—lesser of two
evils• Concessions to mixed
economy—NEP