Edexcel Russia 1917-91: from Lenin to Yeltsin - TOPIC ONE ALL SOLUTION 2025 EDITION GUARANTEED GRADE A+

Edexcel Russia 1917-91: from Lenin to Yeltsin - TOPIC ONE ALL SOLUTION 2025 EDITION GUARANTEED GRADE A+ When was the All-Russian Congress of Soviets handed all the power? October 1917 (October Revolution) What was the group of elected officials who ran the country called? Sovnarkom How many members were in the Sovnarkom? 13 members Other than Lenin what other main political figures were elected to be in the Sovnarkom? 1. Trotsky 2. Stalin What decrees were passed following the October Revolution? 1. Land - Oct 1917 2. Peace - Oct 1917 3. Workers' - Nov 1917 4. Workers' Control - Apr 1918 What did the decrees allow Lenin to do? Gain more control over Russia How did the decrees allow Lenin do gain greater control over Russia? 1. They were popular with the workers 2. Ended the Russian involvement in WWI What was the main problems following the revolution? People refused to take orders from Lenin (e.g. Russian State Bank and State Treasury) What was the main problem with the Sovnarkom in the beginning? It was extremely disorganised What did Lenin say about the level at which Russia was democratic? Russia was more democratic than Britain, USA, and France What said the Sovnarkom responsible to the Congress of Soviets The Russian Constitution of 1918 What was the Congress of Soviets? Contained representatives from many political parties - Such as Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries What did Soviets like Kamenev and Zinoviev try to convince Lenin to do? Become a coalition government with other political parties. When was the nationwide election? November 1917 What did the nationwide election create and opened in January 1918? The Constituent Assembly What was the biggest problem in the Constituent Assembly for Lenin? It had a Bolshevik minority What did Lenin do, the following day, in response to the opening of the Constituent Assembly? He closed it by force What did Lenin sign in March 1918? The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk What did the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk do? 1. Ended Russian involvement in WWI 2. Gave significant land to the Central Powers What did the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk mean for the Bolsheviks? Lack of support for the Bolsheviks What did Lenin refuse to acknowledge in April and May 1918? The Soviet Elections What did Lenin do in reaction to the unfavourable Soviet elections? Expel SRs and Mensheviks from the Soviets Lenin postponed the new elections due to what? The Civil War When was the Russian Civil War? How did the government change during the Civil War? 1. Became increasing centralised 2. The Communist Party became increasingly powerful What was introduced to centralise the economy? War Communism Who did Lenin work with rather than the Soviets? Nomenklatura Who was in charge of the Red Army? Trotsky What did Trotsky introduce? Conscription and harsh punishments What replaced the 'Soviet-State' The Party-State Who did Lenin prefer working with rather than the Sovnarkom? The Politburo How many members were in the Politburo? Between 5-7 Who did the Politburo contain? 1. Stalin 2. Trotsky 3. Kamenev 4. Zinoviev What did the Politburo become the government in Russia? 1920 What happened to the Sovnarkom? Ceased to function By 1921, what happened to the Soviet-state? Lost power to the Communist party What was created in December 1917? The All-Russian Emergency Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage (Cheka) What were War Chekists tasked with doing? 1. Eliminating anarchists organisation 2. Closing down opposition newspapers 3. Expelling Mensheviks and SRs from the Soviets What was the Cheka willing to do to anyone? 1. Arrest 2. Torture 3. Kill What happened to church leaders in Ukraine? Impaled on spikes What did the Cheka routinely do to women? Rape them What did Lenin argue was necessary during a revolution? Terror and a Civil War Who did Trotsky put back in charge of the Red Army? Tsarist Generals What were the strikes and rebellions against the Communist Government called in 1921? The Crisis of 1921 What did the Civil War cause? A crippling economy What did peasants in Tambov and Aleksander Antonov do? Rebel against grain requisitioning What did the Red Army do to strikers in Petrograd in early 1921? Open fire on unarmed workers What did the Kronstadt sailors want? A return of democracy How did Lenin respond to the up-rest? Suppressed all oppositional political parties What did banning oppositional parties create? A One-Party State What happened at the 1921 Party Congress? Ban on Factions - Workers' Opposition - Democratic Centralists What was also announced at the 1921 Party Congress to replace War Communism? The New Economic Policy (NEP) What banned factions within the Communist Party? 'One Party Unity' What was the main key way in order to gain power in the Communist Party? Gain the respect and trust of the Politburo Who were Stalin's main rivals? 1. Zinoviev 2. Bukharin 3. Trotsky How did Stalin transform the Party? 1. Established ideological orthodoxy 2. Destroyed all authority in his opposition 3. Changed nature of Party membership 4. Created a patronage system What was ideological orthodoxy? CONTINUED..