Theme 1- Communist government in the USSR, 1917-85

How did the Bolsheviks establish a one-party state between 1917-24?

The creation of the one-party state and the party congress of 1921

The Bolsheviks were a very small party and didn't have enough support to lead a popular revolution. They faced opposition from many groups, who they needed to overcome
Left-wing groups - Socialist revolutionaries and Mensheviks
Right-wing groups - Tsarists and the middle class
Nationalist groups - Ukranians, Poles, FIns etc.

How did the Bolsheviks deal with the other left-wing groups?

Lenin had no desire to share power, and calls for a socialist coalition were rejected
Constituent assembly - democratically elected; SRs emerged as single largest party. This posed a threat to Bolshevik rule
Lenin quickly dissolved the assembly so there was no real forum for opposition

The destruction of other political parties

Removal of the vote from bourgeoisie (priests, business owners), stopped them voting for right-wing parties
Placed restrictions on Menshevik and SR newspapers
March 1918 - Bolsheviks renamed themselves the communist party. 1921 - all other parties effectively banned
Mensheviks and SRs arrested

The treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918

A treaty that took Russia out of 1st world war at great cost. They lost the Baltic states, and was seen as a national humiliation for conservatives.
Conservatives needed to overthrow Bolsheviks to reject the treaty
Allies wanted Russia in war - were willing to supply arms, money, troops to the Whites, who wanted Russia in the war.
Lenin pulled out because on the strain on resources, and the need to resolve internal conflicts first

The Russian civil war, 1918-21

Fought between the Reds (Bolsheviks) and the Whites (opposition)
The Whites included: Tsarists, liberals, military leaders, Mensheviks and SRs. They recieved aid from the allies
Bolsheviks attacked at Pulkovo heights near Petrograd - the Reds won, but was just the start of the war. Bolsheviks only defeated the Whites in 1920

How did the Bolsheviks win the civil war?

The Reds were surrounded by the Whites from their core in Moscow
The Reds were well organised, but Whites weren't as they were made up of different groups
Bolsheviks held major cities, industry hubs and transport links
Leon Trotsky was an incredible military leader- organised Red Army very well
Bolsheviks controlled the economy - could distribute resources to the Red Army from peasants through war communism.
Large-scale nationalism of industry gave adequate supplies for the Red Army
Active support from the workers

The key results of the civil war

The 10th party congress, 1921

The party had grown hugely - posed a threat to party stability
Lenin banned factions within the party
This came at a time of political uncertainty - Kronstadt mutiny (revolt by sailors) and Tombov uprising (major peasant uprising)

The nature of Government under Lenin

The apparatus of government

Governing Russia demanded a clear line of authority with efficient decision making
Trade unions and factory commitees brought…

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