SQG 8

QW's:


1. “The aims and policies of single-party state rulers rarely followed their declared ideology.” To what extent do you agree with this assertion?
2. Compare and contrast the rise to power of two rulers of single-party states, each chosen from a different region.


MWH 349-358


How successfully did Lenin and the Bolsheviks deal with their problems (1917-1924?)


I. How much support did the Bolsheviks have from the people?
Not a lot and Lenin realized that so he attempted to nationalize alll land so that it could be redistributed among the peasants.
a. the elections of November 1917
i. Bolshevik seats -175

ii. Social Revolutionary seats - 370

iii. Mensheviks seats -15

iv. "left wing" groups -40

v. nationality groups -80

vi. Kadets -17


b. How did Lenin respond to the election results?
Lenin still wanted the Bolsheviks in power so he used military control to gain his power.



II. What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and what were its conditions?
a. It was a treaty between...Russia an dGermany


b. Russia gave up
i. a third of Russia's farming land

ii. a third of the population

iii. two-thirds of their colamines and half her heavy industries



III. Why did the Bolsheviks resort to violence?
a. Violence from others
i. Petrograd and Moscow - Lenin did not want a famine in the land so he resorted to violence if any of the peasnats were hoarding grain and the Cheka shot them.

ii. Ukraine - the majority of the wheat was grown in the Ukraine and this only made the famine worse resorting to more violence to cut off hoarders

iii. Social Revolutionaries - assainated the German ambassador and leading Bolshevik member of the Petrograd soviet adn they attempted to sieze power for themselves

iv. violence aimed at Bolshevik leaders -the head of the Petrograd Cheka was assasinated and Lenin was shot at
*desperate times=desperate measure

b. Lenin's flawed reasoning

i. Marx's predictions

1.capitialists would overthrow the autocratic monarchy and set up systems of parlimetary democracy

2. when industrilaztion was complete, the industrial workers, who were now in a majority, would overthrow the capitilatists and set up a classless society

ii. Russia's reality

1. isolated

2. facing a capiltilaists Europe who was deeply suspicious of the new regime

iii. Lenin's expectations for the rest of Europe

that they too would participate in this worldwide socialist revolution.

c. Liberal historical interpretation
they are convinced that the Bolsheviks were commited to the use of violende and terror from the beginning

IV. The Red Terror
a. against peasants - they felt that they hoarded too much grain so they excuted them

b. against political opponents - social revolutionaries were shot down to stop oppostion

c. against the former Tsar - in order to take total control the tsars family had to be killed


V. Civil War
a. Which groups made up the "Whites"?social revolutionaries, Mensheviks, ex-tsarist officers, and any other groups which did not like the Bolsheviks

b. What was the Whites' main goal? continue war against Germany and to destroy the Bolshevik government

c. What was the role of other nations? to stop the Bolshevik revolultion

d. What was the result of the Civil War?communist victory

e. How were the communists able to win the Civil War?

i.the whites were not centrally organized

ii. red army had more troops

iii. Lenin took measures known as war communis

iv.Lenin was able to present the Bolsheviks asa nationalist government fighting against foreingers



VI. What were the effects of the Civil War?
a. civilian deaths - loads of civilian deaths (peasants)

b. economic changes - was in ruins and the ruoble was worth only 1% of its value, more centralized


VII. What was done about economic problems?
a. effects of war communism

i. food shortages

ii. industry was at a standstill

b. reforms of the New Economic Policy

i.peasnts werent allowed to keep a surplus produceafter payment of tax representing a certain proportion of the surplus

ii.foreign investment was encouraged
iii. reintroduction of private trade, recieved incentive, and food production increased

c. successes of the NEP

i. economy began to recover

ii. production levels were improvin

iii, electirfication of industry