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REVISION NOTES – Russia 1905-1941

Key Topic 2: Revolution and Civil War, 1917-24

The October Revolution

 In September Leon Trotsky became leader of the Military Committee of the
Petrograd Soviet and the Bolsheviks became the largest party in the Petrograd
Soviet.
 Leon Trotsky had been a Menshevik until September, but when he joined the
Bolsheviks he soon became Lenin's right hand man.
 In September and October, when Lenin was in still in hiding in Finland, Trotsky
became the leading important Bolshevik in Petrograd.
 Lenin eventually returned, without his beard, wearing a wig and in disguise. He
remained in disguise until after the seizure of power. Nevertheless it was Lenin
who forced the Bolsheviks to accept the idea of a seizure of power.
 On the other hand it was Trotsky who organised the seizure of power and carried
it out.
 He planned the events of 24-25 October, cutting telephone wires, seizing control
of the post office, railway stations and other key buildings and isolating the
Winter Palace, where the Provisional Government met.
 Trotsky used his position in the Military Committee to move army units loyal to
the Provisional Government out of Petrograd and ordered them to defend the
city from an advance by the Germans.
 On 24/25 October the Bolsheviks attacked of the Winter Palace. Kerensky sent
repeated messages to the army appealing for help, but only a few hundred
assorted troops turned up, including some students, 140 women and forty
soldiers who had been crippled by wounds.
 There were only a few thousand Bolsheviks and it took them two days to win
control of the Winter Palace. The Petrograd Garrison could easily have stopped
them, but it did not.

Why did the Bolsheviks succeed?

 No one was interested in saving the Provisional Government. Kerensky had
virtually no support in Russia.
 There were 340,000 troops in the Petrograd garrison who stood idly by and
refused to come to Kerensky’s aid.
 Most of the garrison were raw recruits who did not want to fight. They believed
that the Bolsheviks would end the war.

Imposing Bolshevik control, 1917-21

 Lenin immediately issued the Peace Decree and the Land Decree. The Peace
Decree declared that the war with Germany was over. The Land Decree declared
that land belonged to the peasants who farmed it.
 The general election was held in November and was won by the Socialist-
Revolutionaries.
 In the meantime, Lenin continued to govern Russia and issued a series of
decrees. The CHEKA (secret police) was set up in December.
 When the Constituent Assembly met on 5 January (18 January) 1918, it was
crushed by Lenin.
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 He now began to rule as a dictator. All businesses were taken over and at first
workers were allowed to elect the managers.
 The lands and wealth of the Russian Orthodox Church were confiscated.
 All ranks in the Army were abolished and soldiers were allowed to elect their
officers.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

 Negotiations to end the war began in January. Trotsky was sent by Lenin to do a
deal, but was horrified at the German demands. Lenin ordered him to sign in
March 1917/
 At the Treaty, Russia lost 25% of its population, 25% of its iron and wheat and
had to pay 300,000,000 gold roubles.

Why did Lenin accept the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

 He expected a revolution in Germany in which the workers would seize power
and the lands would be returned.
 He expected a civil war and would not be able to fight two enemies at the same
time.
 He believed that Germany would soon be defeated and the land would be
recovered.
 He had to keep his promise to end the war.

Lenin’s actions led to the outbreak of civil war in the summer of 1918.
 The Bolsheviks were surrounded by ‘White’ forces; Kolchak in the east, Denikin in
the south and Yudenich in the north-west.
 The Whites were supported by the Allies: GB, France, the USA and Japan.
 The Czech Legion, which had been fighting for the Austrians, changed sides and
supported the Whites.
 Poles, Ukrainians, Tartars and many nationalities joined in to win freedom from
Russian control.
 At first the Whites were very successful and the Bolsheviks (Reds) were forced
back.
 In 1919, the tide turned when Trotsky took over the Red Army and Lenin
imposed War Communism.

Why did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War?

 Their opponents, the Whites, were divided and never worked together. They
were fighting for different purposes.
 Some wanted to restore the Tsar, Ukrainians wanted independence, army
officers wanted to continue the war against Germany.
 The total forces of the Whites numbered about 250,000. The Red Army
eventually had 2,000,000 men.
 The Bolsheviks controlled the centre and the railway network. They had most of
the industry. They were able to keep the Red Army supplied much more
effectively.
 Trotsky recruited many officers from the Imperial Russian Army and made them
join the Red Army. These provided the organisation and discipline that the Red
Army needed.
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 Each unit had a Commissar, who reported to the Bolshevik Party, in case the
officers did not obey orders. The Red Army was, therefore, better trained and
better supplied.
 At first the western Allies sent men and aid to the Whites, but this was never
sufficient to turn events their way and the Allies pulled out in 1919.
 The Whites were often more brutal than the Bolsheviks. To most Russians the
Reds were a slightly better bet.
 Trotsky was a good organiser and travelled around the battlefields urging the Red
forces to fight. He had a war train to take him from front to front. Most of the
fighting took place along railway lines.
 Lenin introduced War Communism in 1918 to take supplies from the peasants
and give them to the Army. The army took priority for all industrial production.

Creating a new society

What was War Communism?

 The Bolsheviks attempted to abolish all private trading, put control of all
distribution and labour in the hands of the state, nationalise all large scale
industry and replace money with a form of rationing controlled by the state.
 In May 1918 Lenin introduced the grain monopoly; this stated that all surplus
grain would now become the property of the state.
 Food brigades were set up that roamed the countryside terrorising villages and
searching for hoards of food. Anyone suspected of concealing food could be shot
on sight.
 In November 1917 the Decree on Workers' Control had allowed committees of
workers to run factories; this led to chaos.
 From the spring of 1918 the Bolsheviks had begun to appoint managers to run
factories. All factories became state property.
 Whatever was produced was taken by the state and the workers were given
rations in return.
 Workers were also controlled by being prevented from moving from one job to
another without approval
 War Communism was imposed by the CHEKA through the Red Terror. At least
50,000 Russians were murdered in the years from 1918 to 1921.
 The Tsar and his family were short on 18 July 1918, to prevent them being
recaptured by the Whites.

What were the effects of War Communism?

 The most serious result was a major famine in which 5,000,000 people died. This
was brought on as peasants refused to hand over food and simply destroyed it
instead.
 Many tried to evade state control by bringing food into the big cities and selling
in. Patrols were put on railway stations to try to catch these 'bagmen' as they
were called.
 In some provinces, particularly Tambov, there were uprisings against the
Bolsheviks.
 More and more resources had to be diverted to keeping order, when they would
have been better used fighting the Civil War.
 The Kronstadt Rebellion was the final straw that convinced Lenin that the system
was not working.
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What effects did the Civil War have on Russia?

 There was a massive famine from 1919 to 1921. 5,000,000 people died.
 The famine was partly brought on by the actions of the Bolsheviks before War
Communism.
 When peasants took over land they were not nearly as interested in producing
for the market as big landowners. There was a fall in the amount of food being
produced.
 The situation became much worse during War Communism. Peasants were
forced to hand over food supplies and were allowed to keep enough for
themselves. Many began to destroy crops and animals rather than hand them
over.
 The power of the Cheka, led by Felix Dzherzhinsky increased dramatically.
Altogether about 50,000 people were killed, usually without a trial. The favourite
method was to shoot the victim in the back of the neck.

The Kronstadt Mutiny

 Even when the Civil War ended, the situation did not improve. Eventually there
was a mutiny at the naval base of Kronstadt in February 1921. Until then the
sailors at Kronstadt had been loyal to the Bolsheviks.
 Trotsky ordered the Red Army to attack the base and crush the rebellion, but it
made Lenin realise that things had gone too far too quickly.

The New Economic Policy

 The New Economic Policy was introduced into Russia in 1921. It marked a
reversal of the policy of War Communism that Lenin had begun in 1918.
 It is now believed that War Communism was in fact an attempt to introduce a
fully socialist society, rather than just an attempt to win the Civil War.
 The New Economic Policy (NEP) signalled the failure of Lenin's plan.

How did the New Economic Policy change Russia?

 The buying and selling of goods was allowed once more. Soon markets
developed and private trade reappeared.
 People were allowed to own small businesses with up to 25 employees. This
encouraged private enterprise, especially in agriculture. This led to the
emergence of the Kulaks and NEPmen.
 People were allowed to make a profit and then pay taxes, instead of having
goods confiscated by the state.
 1921 to 1928 the Russian economy began to recover, food production rose.

Why did Lenin introduce the NEP?

 The period from 1913 to 1921 saw a collapse of the Russian economy.
Industrial output in millions of tonnes/kilowatts
1913 1921

Coal 29 9
Oil 9.2 3.8
Iron 4.2 0.1
Steel 4.3 0.2
Sugar 1.3 0.05
Electricity 2039 520
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 The collapse was brought about by the effects of seven years of warfare, first of
all against the Germans and then during the Civil War. There had been
widespread destruction in European Russia in particular.
 During the Civil war both sides had destroyed factories and farms to prevent
them falling into enemy hands.
 War Communism had brought about a severe famine. 5,000,000 people had died
in the years 1918 to 1920, when peasants all over Russia either refused to hand
over food supplies or destroyed them.
 In 1920, there was a series of local rebellions sparked off by seizures of food. The
most serious was that in Tambov Province, which began in August 1920 and
lasted for nearly a year. The rebels destroyed bridges and roads and fought a
guerrilla war against the Red Army.
 In February 1921, sailors in the naval base at Kronstadt rebelled and had to be
crushed by the Red Army led by Trotsky.
 This was even more significant for Lenin as the Kronstadt sailors had played a key
role in the events of 1917 and had been loyal supporters of the Bolsheviks.
 The NEP lasted for seven years until 1928. It was then destroyed by Stalin's Five
Year Plans.
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Revolutionary Russia – Past Paper Questions

Source Based Questions – These questions seem to be the ones tackled the worst by
GCSE students, and it could be through fear of the unknown, sources that they think
they can’t understand because they’re foreign. There is no reason to panic with
these, they are just like British sources (and any essential Russian that you will
require has been translated into English for you!) You will have to answer three such
questions and there are a variety of different types which come up, they tend to
pose themselves as follows:
 What is the message of this cartoon?
o Do exactly as you would with the British Political Cartoon.
 Who do you think published this poster?
o This is often looking for which side made this source and therefore
what were they hoping to achieve by making it?
 Why do you think this source was produced?
o Don’t forget that many sources are made to win people over or
convince them of an idea. Look out for excessive bias as the source
might have been propaganda in order to recruit people to their own
cause
 How useful is this source as evidence to us about…?
o These types of questions usually hint at a part of the answer for
something happening, but the source only suggests one reason, you
MUST think about what else occurred. Such as a quote about Trotsky
with the question asking “How far does this photograph explain why
the Provisional Government collapsed at the end of 1917?” In this
case you should describe what the photo shows and add your own
knowledge to it but also discuss other causes such as the popularity of
the Bolsheviks, and that there was still hunger in Russia.

Sources on Revolution – The only sources that tend to come up about Revolutionary
Russia seem to be on the Civil War and the methods that both sides used, including
War Communism and the leadership of Trotsky. These are some examples:

A photograph of Russian deserters in

the autumn of 1917

 How far does this photograph explain why the Provisional government
collapsed at the end of 1917? Use the source and your own knowledge to
explain your answer.
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Revolutionary Russia – Past Paper Questions

A photograph of
people queuing for
food in Moscow in
1917.

 How far does this photograph prove that the Provisional Government was a
failure? Use the source and your own knowledge to explain your answer.

A Bolshevik cartoon published in 1921. Lenin is

shown with a broom.

 What is the message of this cartoon?

Use the source and your own
knowledge to explain your answer.

Our poverty and ruin are so great that we cannot at one stroke restore large-
scale socialist production. We must try to satisfy the demands of the peasants
who are dissatisfied and discontented. There must be some freedom to trade
and freedom for the small private owner. We are now retreating, but we are
doing this so we can run and leap forward more vigorously.

Lenin introducing the New Economic Policy at the Party Congress, 1921.

 Are you surprise by this source? Use the source and your own knowledge to
explain your answer.
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Revolutionary Russia – Past Paper Questions

A cartoon published in 1919. The figures at the back represent foreign governments (The
USA, France and Britain) and the dogs represent the White Russian generals.

 Do you think this cartoon was published by the Bolsheviks or their

opponents? Use the source and your own knowledge to explain your answer
OR
 What is the message of this cartoon? Use the source and your own
knowledge to explain your answer

Trotsky paid a visit to the front lines. He made a speech. We were all lifted by
his energy. The situation, which had been disastrous 24 hours earlier, was
improved by his coming as though by a miracle.

Comments of a Red Army soldier about Trotsky’s visit to the front line.

 How far does this source explain the success of the Bolsheviks during the Civil
War? Use the source and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
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Revolutionary Russia – Past Paper Questions

A Bolshevik poster published in 1919.

The slogan says ‘Shoulder to shoulder in defence of Petrograd’.

 Why did the Bolsheviks publish this poster in 1919? Use the source and your
own knowledge to explain your answer.

In the villages, peasants will not give grain to the Bolsheviks because they hate
them. Armed companies are sent to take grain from the peasants and every day,
all over Russia, fights for grain are fought to a finish.

Comments made by a British businessman in Russia in 1918.

 This source shows what happened to the peasants in 1918. Did the
Bolsheviks continue to treat the peasants in this way up to 1923? Use the
source and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
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Revolutionary Russia – Past Paper Questions

Description Question – this is worth 4 marks and only expects a quick description of
an event, place or person. You will get one mark for each piece of description so
four bullet points will do.

Descriptions of Revolutionary Russia – The only description questions that come up

about Revolutionary Russia seem to be on the Bolsheviks, the November revolution
and who fought in the Civil War. These are some examples:

 What was the Petrograd Soviet?

 What problems did the Provisional Government face in 1917?
 What was the Bolshevik party?
 What were the main events of the revolution of November 1917?
 Describe how the Bolsheviks seized power in the autumn of 1917.
 Who supported the Whites in the Russian Civil War?

Explanation Question – this is worth 6 marks and requires you to answer a question
which asks you why something happened. In order to answer a why question
effectively you need to be able to describe the background information and use
words like because, therefore, as a result of, this led to in order to explain as clearly
as possible.

Explanation of Revolutionary Questions – The only explanation questions that come

up about Revolutionary Russia seem to be on why the Bolsheviks came to power, the
causes of and reasons for victory in the Civil War, and War Communism. These are
some examples:

 Explain why the Provisional Government failed.

 Explain why the Bolsheviks gained popularity during 1917.
 Explain the problems faced by the Bolsheviks when they came to power in
November 1917.
 Explain why Civil War began in 1918.
 Explain why the Bolsheviks won the Civil War.
 Explain why Lenin introduced War Communism.
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Revolutionary Russia – Past Paper Questions

Judgement Question – This is the most difficult question and is worth 10 marks. It
requires you to describe and explain more than one event or reasons for an event
and, crucially, give YOUR VIEW on which one you think is the most important and
explain why you think this. Sometimes they appear in the style of a quote and you
need to judge whether or not you agree with it and say why you think this.
Occasionally a judgement question will give you three points to discuss, you must
talk about all three and decide which one is the most important. If a question
suggests a reason for something, think about what reasons are not included in the
question and write about them as well.
E.g. ‘The most important reason why the Bolsheviks won the Civil War was Trotsky.’
Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
In the case of this question you need to describe Trotsky’s role in the Bolshevik
victory (e.g. his great leadership kept the Reds organised and united) but then also
explain who or what else enabled the Red victory, such as Lenin’s political
leadership, the role of War Communism and the disorganisation of the Whites.

Judgement of Revolution – The only judgement questions that come up about

Revolutionary Russia seem to be on why the Bolsheviks won the Civil War, War
Communism and the New Economic Policy – you should know the reasons why you
believe the Bolsheviks won the war before you go into the exam. Remember there is
no one right reason, it’s up to you to decide but you must make it clear why you
think this. These are some examples:

 ‘Lenin was the most important reason why the Bolsheviks were able to establish
themselves in power between 1918 and 1924.’ How far do you agree with this
statement? Explain your answer.
 ‘The most important factor that enabled the Bolsheviks to win the Russian Civil War
was the Red Army.’ Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
 ‘The most important reason why the Bolsheviks won the Civil War was Trotsky.’ Do
you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
 The following were all equally important to the Communist victory in the Civil War:
o War Communism;
o The role of Trotsky;
o The ‘Red Terror’
How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer referring to the
above points.
 ‘The Bolsheviks were able to gain complete control over Russia by the end of 1921
only because of the leadership qualities of Lenin.’ Do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer.
 How far was the New Economic Policy more successful that War Communism?
Explain your answer.
 The following were all equally important reasons why Lenin introduced the New
Economic Policy in 1921:
o The failure of War Communism;
o To win the support of the people;
o To help the economy to grow.
Which of these reasons do you think was the most important? Explain you answer
referring only to the above points.