The U.S.S.R. Lenin’s Seizure and Consolidation of Power to 1922
Post Feb / March Power sharing Provisional Government - liberals, socialists - democracy & human rights - continuation of war - revolution now complete Petrograd Soviet (workers council) -conditional support war continuation -next stage of revolution far off
Lenin and Bolsheviks Germany allows transit April Theses – –All Power to the Soviets –Revolution –End the War
Challenges to Kerensky’s Provisional Government Democratic reform Liberal democracy new Power sharing War continuation
Events leading to Oct / Nov revolution Bolsheviks promote “Peace, Land, Bread” Bolsheviks replace leadership in Soviet Relatively bloodless coup of key Petrograd buildings Kerensky’s government steps aside
Making the revolution secure Consolidate Support Deal with opposition
Consolidating Support “Peace, Land, Bread”
“Peace” Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Peace at any cost 30% pop 75% iron ore, coal
“Land, Bread” (and a classless society?) Decrees of Nov, Dec 1917 Constituent Assembly
Opposition? From the right –Romanov family -Nobility /landowners -Military officer class
Russian Civil War Reds Bolsheviks Cheka Whites Tsarists SR / Men Allies
War Communism Campaign to extract “surplus” wheat Campaign against “Kulaks” Results – –Grain decline from 78 million tons (1913) to 48 million (1920) –Kronsdat Naval Base mutiny 1921 –Famine kills 5 million plus –Helps success of Civil War
Red Victory – Why? “War Communism” Red Army / Leadership Organization / Logistics Peasant support
Leon Trotsky
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Lenin’s Terror “Socialist Fatherland in Danger Decree” –Execution on the spot (without trial) of “enemy agents, speculators, burglars, hooligans, counter-revolutionary agitators, and German spies”
Lenin’s Policies New Economic Policy Comintern