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the impact of the Bolshevik consolidation of power, including the creation…
the impact of the Bolshevik consolidation of power, including the creation of the USSR
SOCIAL
NEGATIVES
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Poverty, deprivation and hunger under War Communism eg. food been taken from peasants
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Middle classes and prosperous peasants alienated - class enemies and not allowed to work; kulaks persecuted
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Increasing discontent with conditions-workers, peasants and socialists/sailors
NEP: ‘get rich quick’ mentality-social divisions due to new, conspicuous wealth; progress and benefits were uneven eg Nepmen and peasants benefited BUT repression was a feature of NEP and opposition was crushed
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POSITIVES
Creation of proletarian society: reforms such as 8 hour day, Social Insurance and workers controlling factories and
railways; adopting proletarian culture
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Bosheviks goal was to remake society-dismantling the old system BUT created a new elite and new inequalities
ECONOMIC
Nationalisation of resources: Church land nationalized; Banks nationalized; industry nationalized-economic control centralized (Veshenka)
Brest Litovsk: massive, negative impact - lose people, land, access
Decree on Land: appeased peasantry BUT is an ideological compromise and creates divisions in the party and the problem of WHEN to collectivise land
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Bolsheviks were creating a communist economy (no private property and resources), to be state controlled ie a command economy BUT adopted capitalist policies to survive politically
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War Communism: Bolsheviks gain control over resources and economy; control workers with harsh discipline and sideline trade unions (workers discontented); class based rationing. Peasants rebelled against Grain requisitioning- not enough grain was grown leading to shortages; small scale free markets persist despite repression and punishment
NEP: creates wealth by allowing peasant proprietors and small scale capitalism; an ideological and economic
compromise which embeds capitalism in some sectors and creates divisions in the party BUT Party consolidates control over heavy industry (=goal of communism)
POLITICAL
Treaty of Brest Litovsk: demonstrated divisions within the Bolshevik party, world revolution/ideology v pragmatism - terms
were harsh and led to Civil War
Civil War: Party dominated/sidelined Trade Unions so Bolsheviks had control of workers and factories ie increased and
centralized their power
Bolsheviks dominated the political system (Sovnarkom= Bolsheviks-ruled by decree, Lenin is determined Bolsheviks will
rule alone)
War Communism: gave Bolsheviks enormous power over resources BUT alienated peasants, workers -
leading to Kronstadt Rebellion and the Tambov Rebellion
From1917-24 the Bolsheviks crushed opposition, gained control over the countryside and created a one party dictatorship
Creation of
USSR
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legalised a union of several Soviet republics that had existed since 1919 and created a new centralised federal government
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Dismantling of former political order eg CA shut down; separation of Church and State, abolition of justice system; civil service
purged; creation of Red Army-political control by Bolsheviks; Church land nationalized and church power taken away; titles
abolished and nobles/middle class are class enemies
With creation of Sovnarkom the Soviet was sidelined. During the Civil War: soviets in the countryside were sidelined and/or
taken over by the Bolsheviks
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Civil War victory: eliminated forces of counter revolution (Whites) and SR rebellion(Greens); Tsar and family assassinated
Opposition crushed-state reliance on terror and coercion - approx. 300,000 die at the hands of the Cheka
Kronstadt Mutiny and Tambov rebellion brutally crushed: Bolsheviks willing to crush opposition from leftists/socialists to stay
in power/create a Bolshevik dictatorship in the consolidation of their power
NEP: NO political freedom; GPU established; Show Trials and attacks on the Church, political rivals; censorship
The Bolshevik Party was in control of vast territory but there were many difficulties in implementing socialism and in governing
The Bolshevik Party was the dominant political party in the USSR BUT there were serious practical instabilities and ideological contradictions within their government