R.R.+Notes+Part+3+InNo.+Ho+Yun+Cheon+Oct.+29th,+2010.

11. ‘Peace At Any Price’ · The first decrees of Sovnarkom o Sovnarkom was Lenin’s advisor. o He issued decrees, that affected the Russian people. · November 8th, 1917 o The church, the nobles, and the Tsar’s land was taken over because of a ** decree on land **. o It was approximately 540 million acres. o The confiscated land was given to the peasants. o Also, ** a decree on peace ** was established, stating that Sovnarkom wanted to clear things up with Russia’s enemies immediately. · November 12th, 1917 o There was an improvement in work conditions of laborers. o A ** decree on work ** was made, and the employers of laborers could not force a worker to work more than eight hour a day, and forty eight hours per week. · November 14th, 1917 o When a ** decree on unemployment ** was issued, the workers were guaranteed many rights. o The workers had the right to an insurance, for injury, illness and prevented employers from firing a worker for his injuries / illness. · December 1st, 1917 o All non-Bolshevik newspapers were now banned, due to a ** decree on the press **. · December 11th, 1917 o ** Constitutional Democratic Party ** – Russia’s main liberal party, was banned by Sovnarkom. o Their leaders were also arrested. · December 20th, 1917 o Lenin had founded a police force called the ** Cheka **. o Cheka specialized in fighting espionage in Russia, and take down the enemies of Bolsheviks. · December 27th, 1917 o The factories in Russia was under workers’ control, as a ** decree on workers’ control ** let them set up a committees. o Sovnarkom also gained control of all the banks in Russia by making a ** decree on banking **. · December 31st, 1917 o People found it easier to marry and divorce, as ** a decree on marriage ** let them have a non-religious wedding. · The Constituent Assembly o Russia made up a new parliament. o It was called the Constituent Assembly. o Bolsheviks were wildly unpopular in the elections. o Socialist Revolutionaries won the election votes. o Sovnarkom disapproved of its meeting and immediately asked for its stop. o The Red Guard killed people who opposed the Bolsheviks decision to eliminate the meetings. · The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk o Lenin thought it was important for Russia to stop the war with Germany and Austria if he wanted the Bolsheviks to stay in power. o Leon Trotsky, Russia’s Commissar, wanted the socialist revolution to begin in Germany and Russia. o However, this did not work and Germany invaded Russia, quickly proceeding to Petrograd. o The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was very hard to negotiate. o Russia has lost many people, land, money and resources. o However, Russia was now at peace. Lenin thought that now the Bolsheviks will not be unhappy. However a different type of war broke out, civil war.

12. Civil War and Foreign Intervention · The Czech Legion o May 1918, Czech prisoners from the war was taken into Russia, to transport them back to their own country. o However, the Czech prisoners of war caused riot at a small town and took control of that town. o More Czech people joined in, and by December, almost all the Siberian train railway was taken over by the Czech. o The enemies of Bolsheviks, after being repressed for a while, decided to help the Czech, and make their own government. o Their new government was called Komuch. o Komuch quickly established army, and started stealing the country’s money to build power. o The Bolsheviks were in big trouble, they moved to Moscow and had to take desperate measures, such as making it mandatory for men to join the Red Army. o The army was very forced. The recruits were new and didn’t have any experience, the officers of the army was forced to lead and command. · Red and Whites o To fight against the Red Army, their enemies formed ‘Whites’. o The White army was not only people who supported the Tsar, but also was anyone who was against Bolsheviks. o White Armies began to take over Russia. o Foreign countries helped them, as Britain and France, America and Japan all disliked the Bolsheviks. o The war was very brute, and there were many casualties. o The Bolsheviks, fearing that the Whites will take the ex-Tsar and put him back on the throne, killed the Tsar and his family. o Lenin was almost assassinated by his enemies, but he survived. o He announced the “Red Terror” · The Red Terror o Also known as the Cheka, they tortured prisoners to get confessions. o Cheka used unorthodox methods to eliminate its enemies. o They kept a strict rule for the Red Army, so that they do not fall apart. o Trotsky showed an example by killing a group of soldiers that ran away from the battle scene. o With strict rules and good supplies, the Red Army slowly began winning its battles. o The foreign countries left Russia, so it was Whites alone. o By 1919, the Bolshevik government knew it was safe, as the Whites were almost all defeated.

Summary · Many things broke out during this time. The Bolsheviks were finally getting an equal opponent, the Whites. The Whites contained many people who opposed the Bolsheviks’ Reign. However, the Bolsheviks managed to keep them at bay with their Red Guards.

Question · Why did Lenin feel the need to create “the Red Terror” · Why was Decree on Work so important for the laborers? · Why did the Constitutional Democratic Party gain Sovnarkom’s dislike? · How was Constituent Assembly made? Which party led the assembly? How did the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk both help and harm Russia?

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