Notes for World History
RUSSIA AND THE REVOLUTIONS (5)
How successfully did Lenin and the Bolsheviks deal with the problems(1917-1924)?
- The Bolsheviks had nothing like majority support in the country as a whole. One problem therefore was how to keep themselves in power and yet allow free elections.
- The next problem was how to withdraw from the first world war as Russia was suffering huge losses.
- Almost immediately after the October revolution, the Bolsheviks began to resort to coercion and violence in order to get things done and to stay in power. For instance, the Red Army was used to enforce the procurement of grain from peasants.
- By 1918, armed opposition to the Bolsheviks was breaking out in many areas, leading to civil war.
- From early 1921, Lenin faced the formidable task of rebuilding an economy shattered by the First World War and then by civil war.
- Political problems such as criticism within the Communist Party were solved decisively.
RUSSIA AND THE REVOLUTIONS (6)
CIVIL WAR
- By 1918, armed opposition to the Bolsheviks was breaking out in many areas, leading to civil war.
- The opposition known as the Whites was a mixed bag consisting of Social Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, ex-tsarist officers and any other groups which did not like Bolsheviks.
- There was a great discontent in the country side, where peasants hated the food-procurement policies of the govt; even soldiers and workers who had supported the Bolsheviks in 1917, resented the way in which the Bolsheviks treated the soviets ( elected councils).
- The situation was complicated by the fact that Russia’s allies in the First World War intervened to help the Whites.
- However, White armies began to suffer defeats, the interventionist states lost interest and withdrew their troops.
- Thus, Lenin and the Bolsheviks ( now calling themselves communists) won the civil war.
- There were a number of reasons for the communist victory:
- The whites were not centrally organized. O The Red armies had more troops.
- Lenin took decisive measures known as war communism, to control the resources of the state.
- Lenin was able to present the Bolsheviks as a nationalist govt fighting against foreigners.
RUSSIA AND THE REVOLUTIONS (7)
LENIN AND THE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
- From early 1921, Lenin faced the formidable task of rebuilding an economy shattered by the First World War and then by civil war.
- War communism had been unpopular with the peasants, who, seeing no point in working hard to produce food which was taken away from them without compensation, simply produced enough for their own needs. This caused severe food shortages aggravated by droughts in 1920-1. In addition, industry was almost at a standstill.
- There was a serious naval mutiny which convinced Lenin that a new approach was needed to win back the support of the peasants; this was vitally important since peasants formed a large majority of the population.
- He put into operation what became known as the New Economic Policy ( NEP)
- Peasants were now allowed to keep surplus produce after payment of tax representing a certain proportion of the surplus.
- Along with the above, reintroduction of private trade, revived incentive and food production increased.
- Small industries and trade in their products were also restored to private ownership, though heavy industry remained under state control.
- Foreign investment was encouraged to help develop and modernize Russian industry.
- NEP was moderately successful: economy began to recover and production levels were improving. Great progress was made with the electrification of industry.
- Towards the end of 1927, when NEP began to be abandoned, the ordinary Russian was probably better off than at any time since 1914. Industrial workers were being paid real wages, eight-hour working day, holidays, allowances. The peasants were enjoying a higher standard of living.
- The downside of NEP was that unemployment was higher than before, and there were still frequent food shortages.
- Lenin defended NEP vigorously; he said that they needed the experience of capitalists to get the economy blooming again. They had to take into account the fact that instead of introducing socialism in a country dominated by industrial workers-the true allies of Bolsheviks-they were working in a backward, peasant-dominated society. Therefore, NEP was not a retreat- it was an attempt to find an alternative road to socialism in less than ideal circumstances.
RUSSIA AND THE REVOLUTIONS (8)
LENIN AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS
- Russia was now the world’s first communist state, the USSR; power was held by the Communist Party, and no other parties were allowed.
- The main political problem now for Lenin was disagreement and criticism within the Communist Party.
- Lenin banned ‘factionalism’ within the Party. This meant that discussion would be allowed, but once a decision had been taken, all sections of the Party had to stick to it .
- Anybody who persisted in holding a view different from the official party line would be expelled from the party. About one-third of the Party’s members were ‘purged’ (expelled) with the help of the ruthless Cheka; many more resigned, mainly because they were against NEP.
- Lenin also rejected the claim of the trade unions that they should run industry. Trade unions had to do as the govt told them, and their main function was to increase production. The governing body in the Party was known as Politburo which acted as the govt.
- Control by Lenin and the Communist Party was now complete. However, the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’ was nowhere in evidence; nor was any prospect of the state ‘withering away’. Lenin defended this situation on the grounds that the working class were exhausted and weak; this meant that the most advanced workers and their leaders – the Communist Party m- must rule the country for them.
