JohnsonK2013+INO-+Russian+Revolution+October+27+2010+(Part+3)

= Russian Revolution Notes Part 3 = toc

= Awesome =

= Notes =

The First Decrees of Sovnarkom
- Lenin's govt. = Sovnarkom . began issuing decrees

8 November 1917- a decree on land
- 540 mil acres of land away from the Tsar etc - given to peasants

8 November - a decree on peace
- Sovnarkom intended to make peace with its enemies at once

12 November - a decree on work
- established an 8 hr day and 48 hr week for all workers - laid down rules about overtime and holidays

14 November - a decree on unemployment insurance
- insurance to all workers

1 December- a decree on the press
- banned all non-Bolshevik newspapers

11 December
- banned Russia's main liberal party, Constitutional Democratic Party - arrested its leaders

20 December
- Lenin set up a political police force - "All- Russian Extraordinary Commission to fight Counter-Revolution and Espionage" = Cheka

27 December- decree on workers' control
- factories under control of elected committees of workers

27 December- decree on banking
- all banks under govt. control

31 December- decree on marriage
- allowed couples to have non-religious weddings - easier divorces

Constituent Assembly
- November 1917, election for new parliament . Constituent Assembly, first free elections - Socialist Revolutionaries gained more seats than all others combined - met first time on 18 Jan 1918 . less than 24 hrs later, Sovnorkom ordered to stop . Red Guards killed more than a hundred people who supported the Assembly outside . prevented elected Deputies from entering . closed down the Assembly permanently

The Treaty of Brest- Litovsk
- Lenin believed that a quick victory against Germany and Austria was needed to stay in power . might lose support of the army . 3 Dec 1917, peace treaty conference at Brest-Litovsk - Leon Trotsky, Russia's commissar, minister of foreign affairs . hoped for a socialist revolution in Germany . would make a fair and democratic peace with each other - Trotsky span out the talks for 9 weeks, no revolution . Feb 1918, German forces advanced into Russia, close to Petrograd . Lenin "peace at any cost" - Treaty, harshest ever . gave up all western lands (richest) . lost 26% of population . 27% farmland, 26% railway, 74% iron ore and coal . 300mil fine - now at peace . would give the Bolsheviks "a breathing space" to help them get a grip of the country . Civil war started

12. Civil War and Foreign Intervention
- enemies of the Bolsheviks got ready to fight . May 1918, serious, took control of the railway

The Czech Legion
- 45000 Czech POW were moved to Vladivostok by trains . some got in an argument with the Soviet of a town on the way . became a fight, Czech took control of the town . when Bolsheviks arrived, more joined the fight . taking over towns in the area . end of 1918, nearly all the railway and the towns along its way were under Czech control - Enemies of the Bolsheviks joined the Czechs . set up their own govt . most important: Komuch, committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly . organized into a People's Army which advanced into Moscow . captured 650mil gold, at Kazan (gold reserve) - Bolsheviks govt. (in Moscow) tried to protect themselves . men aged 18-40 had to serve in a new Bolshevik army - Red Army . Trotsky in contorl . no officers, therefore called back former officers of the Tsar army . if refused, prison camps . found 22000 officers to command 330000 men

Reds and Whites
- Whites, enemies of Reds . White = traditional color of the Tsar . no supporter of Tsar, many Socialist Revolutionaries . anyone who opposed the Bolsheviks - end of 1918, 4 White Armies were attacking important areas led by the Bolsheviks . many allies with Whites, 'armies of intervention' from Britain, France, USA, and Japan . angry at Russia's withdrawal form the Great War - fightings were savage . many casualties . Bolsheviks afraid of ex-Tsar families being captured and restored to power . shot Nicholas and his family - Bolsheviks almost lost their leader in August 1918 . S.R. Fanya Kaplan shot Lenin . Lenin recovered soon after . Bolsheviks convinced that ruthless methods were needed to solve this issue - Sovnarkom ordered the Cheka, the secret political police to begin a 'Red Terror'

The Red Terror
- led by Felix Dzerzhinsky . HQ in Lubyanka St. in Moscow . agents tortured prisoners to extract confessions before executing . in the countryside: they hanged, beat, shot and burned any who helped the Whites - Leon Trotsky carried out his own form of terror 1. anyone who tries to escape the army or not to fulfill a military order will be shot 2. Every soldier of the Red Army who deserts his post will be shot 3. every soldier who throws away his rifle or sells a part of his equipments will be shot 6. guilty of harboring deserters = shot 7. houses in which deserters are found are liable to be burned down - when an army tried to run away from a battle, 1 in every 10 got shot - Trotsky was not just a tyrant . good military leader . directed movements of the army, delivered supplies . made sure that the army was effective and united - Gradually, the army began to win the war . 1919 foreign intervention army withdrew . Whites, not united . end of 1919, isolated Whites left . Bolsheviks gained back control

13. 'One Step Backwards...' War Communism and the NEP
- During the war, the Bolsheviks took strict measures to organize industry and food supplies in the areas under their control . 2 aims: keep the army supplied with food and weapons and to introduce a system of communism . together = war communism

War Communism
1. all factories more than 10 workers are nationalized. A govt. body called Vesenkha (Supreme Council of National Economy) decided what each industry should produce 2. All workers under govt. control. Military discipline in the factories. Death penalty for strikers. Unemployed = 'Labour Armies', cutting trees or building roads etc 3. Private trading was banned. Peasants had to give their surplus food to the govt. they could not sell it for profit 4. Govt. allowed money to lose its value through inflation. Abolished rents, railway fares, postal charges and many other money payments. People were encouraged to barter 5. City foods were strictly rationed

- succeeded on of its aims: army kept supplied . failed to sure wealth - countryside, peasants didn't grow more food than they needed . 1919, peasants started to sow less grain and breed fewer animals . food shortage in 1920, famine in 1921 . Starvation, cold, disease killed 7mil people . 25mil living under subsistence level

New Economic Policy
- March 1921, revolt of 10000 sailors at Kronstadt, naval base near Petrograd . were loyal but said War Communism was not what the Bolsheviks had promised in 1917 - Trotsky and other Red Army generals surrounded Kronstadt with 60,000 troops . bombed and many were killed - Kronstadt rising was crushed . Lenin realized that a change of policy was needed . March 1921 Lenin abandoned War Communism and introduced the New Economic Policy NEP 1. Peasants could sell their suplus food for profit 2. Peasants who increased their food production would pay less tax 3. Factories with fewer than 20 workers, given back to owner 4. People could use money again - Bolsheviks shocked . said it was a step backwards towards the old capitalist system - 1925 NEP begun . food production went back up . industrial output increased

1923 Constitution
- 1923 new constitution . Union of Soviet Socialist Republics . Russia in a union of 4 republics Russia, Byelorussia, Ukraine, Caucasus . each had own govt., controlled over, public health, welfare and education . Sovnarkom retained control over national concerns such as the army, industry, communications and the secret police

Lenin's Death
- Lenin did not live to see the USSR grow to be one of the great powers during the 20th centruy . 1922 and 1923 suffered from strokes, Jan 1924 died, age 53 - Lenin was not buried or cremated . embalmed and put on display in a tomb in Red Square in Moscow . every year, people all over the USSR comes to see him . a sign that he is regarded in the USSR as on of the greatest leaders of the 20th century

= Summary = Russia's new government, Sovnarkom was under Lenin's control. He tried his best to make peace with Germany but in a cost of a harsh treaty, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The Czechs started the rebellion and the Whites were formed, with other enemies of the Bolsheviks. Trotsky recruited all well-bodied men and formed the Red Army. The Red Terror started, when the Chekas beat, torture people who helped the whites. Lenin also had his way of terror to control the army. In the end, the Reds won. Later, Lenin started War Communism but soon abandoned and started the NEP. Lenin died before seeing the USSR grow in power.

= Quesitons = 1. What is NEP? 2. What is USSR? 3. Who are the Reds and Whites? 4. Explain the Red Terror. 5. What role did the Czech play in the rebellion?