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HOW DID THE BOLSHEVIKS CONSOLIDATE POWER 1917-24 (Control of Opposition…
HOW DID THE BOLSHEVIKS CONSOLIDATE POWER 1917-24
Ruthless methods and terror
Cheka
The Cheka was set at the very start of the Bolshevik regime (dec 1917) indicating that this was not going to be the democratic state they had promised
They existed to deal with opposition to the regime and could arrest, imprison and execute whomever they pleased
They arrested political opposition, first the Kadets, then the SRs and Mensheviks
Some historians see the Cheka as
the
key factor of Bolshevik survival
Use of force
The Constituent assembly was stopped from meeting on their first meeting by armed guards. The Bolsheviks did not want to cooperate with the 'petty bourgeoisie'
They also used force to break the civil service strikes and demonstrations against them. For instance they sent 100 000 Red Army soldiers to Tambov during the revolution there
Class Warfare
This was used to terrorise the middle classes and all hostile social groups
The Cheka were given the task of carrying out class warfare, the excuse was the bourgeoisie were plotting counter-revolution
However, the victims came from all levels of society including workers and peasants and all ages even children
They seemed to use arbitrary violence as a means of frightening all section of society into compliance
Pragmatic decisions to ensure survival
Initial/keeping promises
In the thier first few months in power they gave the workers and peasants what they wanted to appease them and appear to be following through on their promises before the revolution (peace, bread, land)
Decree on on Land
this legitimised peasant seizures and won their support
Workers' Decree
established a maximum 8 hour day
Decree on Peace
promised an end to the war and concluded in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
War Communism
This provided food for the soldiers who were in dire need of it and ultimately helped them to win the Civil War. It also gave food to the factories It may have been unpopular, but it was effective in helping them reach their aims
NEP
This was an economic concession and in some of the Party members' eyes a step backwards. However, it was a necessary measure, especially if we consider the Tambov revolt and the Kronstadt rebellion of 1920 and 1921
It appeased many sections of society who had been pushed to breaking point in the Civil War and although it did endorse some capitalist values it helped to consolidate their control and gain support
Control of Opposition
CA
Forcibly shut down the CA and when people demonstrated against this, 12 of the protesters were shot and killed. This showed that the Blvks would not tolerate opposition early on and would not cooperate or compromise
Political oppostion
In 1921, the SR and Menshevik organisations were banned and several thousand Mensheviks arrested.
Some SRs given a show trial and accused of counter-revolutionary activities eg. attempts to assassinate Lenin.
11 were executed
Centralised state
This made sure thier policies were carried out
The capital moved to Moscow to be more central, however this can also be seen as a retreat in the Civil War
Religion
The State became a secular state, with the government giving them no support
The separation decree removed the Church's judicial powers and its right to own property and its assets were seized
Religious printing presses closed down and the clergy disenfranchised, left without civil rights and subject to persecution
Russia's move to the Gregorian calendar, in feb 1918, was partly to bring them into line with the rest of Europe but also a statement against traditional religious practice.