Nature of Government
Ideology:
Key ideas of Marxism- Superstructure, labour theory of value (proletariat are not rewarded
for their efforts under capitalism), dictatorship of the proletariat.
Marxist-Leninism - set out in pamphlet ‘What is to be Done?’ (1902)
He argued that the dialectical phase of Marxism could be sped up in Russia.
Proposed that a Party Central Committee led by professionals could govern in the
interest of workers, until they were ready to take control themselves. Lenin’s
approach caused uproar in the RSDLP (Russian Social Democratic Workers’ Party)
which split in 1903 between the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Bolsheviks
implemented Marxist-Leninism after October 1917. They faced opposition which led
to the Civil War (which they won). Lenin was tolerant of moderates - embrace of New
Economic Policy (NEP) meant he was criticised for making bourgeois/capitalist
concessions. He also did not focus on the international expansion of communism as
Trotsky proposed he should.
Overall - made practical concessions but with a constant aim of establishing a
dictatorship that would benefit the proletariat.
Issues before consolidating power:
● The Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets met on 25th Oct - Right-wing SRs
and Mencheviks who favoured a coalition government walked out of the congress in
protest. Left Bolsheviks with little opposition - easier to rule!
● The ‘Petrograd Revolution’ refers to the fact that the October revolution was limited
to Petrograd so it was necessary for the Bolsheviks to spread their influence further.
This was difficult - resistance throughout the empire resulted in Civil war.
● The Constituent Assembly was established and Bolsheviks allowed elections to
occur in November to avoid opposition. Bolsheviks failed to win a majority, so Lenin
declared that the CA was an expression of the old regime and shut it down after one
day.
● The Decree on Land sanctioned the requisition of private land by peasants, but
stated that the division and redistribution of could only be carried out by village
soviets. Policy was very much supported by SRs.
● The Issue of the War was prominent so the Bolsheviks called for an immediate truce
and peaceful settlement in their Decree on Peace. Laid foundation for 1917
armistice. Then 3rd March 1918, signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - ceded a huge
portion of territory, & 3 billion roubles in reparations.
Central Administration:
Promoted democratic centralism - people led by a small professional group of elected
officials in Moscow, until a genuine workers’ govt could be put in place. In reality this was not
very democratic and senior Bolsheviks held most of the posts. Opposition to this one-party
state was eradicated in the Civil War. If you wanted to be in politics, you essentially had to
join the Bolshevik party - membership reached 1 million by 1928. Many got positions as part
of the Nomenklatura (approved communist administrators with specialist skills). The Party
became very hierarchical, centralised and nepotistic. Lenin Enrolment Campaign tried to
change this by encouraging peasants to join the party, but this failed.
New structure made of 3 core components:
1. The All-Russian Congress of Soviets and The Central Executive Committee
, In theory, commissars reported to these groups. Summer 1918, Mensheviks and SRs were
expelled from the Executive Committee and it became dominated by Bolsheviks. Russia was
not far off being ruled as a one-party state.
2. The Council of People’s Commissars (SOVNARKOM)
Made up of commissars/ ministers with specific govt responsibilities. E.g. Trotsky in charge
of foreign affairs, and Stalin dealt with nationalities. Chairman (PM) was Lenin. Initially the
Council also had some left-wing SRs
3. The Cheka
Established Dec 1917. Main aim was to prevent the emergence and growth of counter-
revolutionary movements. Disbanded in 1922.
Overall - the system appeared to be democratic. Members of sovnarkom were elected by
village, district and provincial soviets. However, these soviets were dominated by Bolsheviks
Central Executive Committee - members chosen through a chain of elections starting at a
local, grassroots level. Committee is in charge of 3 political offices:
1. The Politburo (elite group of Bolsheviks that run the party & formulate policy)
2. The Orgburo (organised party affairs)
3. The Ogburo (maintained order and dealt with opposition)
Local Government;
Judicial Administration:
Communist rule was dominated by the idea of ‘revolutionary justice’. This was epitomised by
a new Criminal Code in 1921 with legalised the use of terror to deter crime
Methods of Repression and Enforcement:
Secret Police:
Dec 1917 - Bolsheviks established the Cheka to deal with counter-revolutionaries. By
summer 1918, they had begun to clamp down on left-wing SRs, especially after
members of this group were linked with attempts to assassinate Lenin in August.
What distinguished the Cheka from previous forms of secret police was its
willingness to use terror to victimise people based on who they were, not just the
crimes they committed.
The Cheka formally implemented the Red Terror which involved:
● Grain requisitioning/ Enforced War Communism
● The ‘Labour Code’ (rules for working)
● Elimination of the kulaks
● Administration of labour camps
● Militarisation of labour - workers were either soldiers or labourers.
In 1922, after the Civil War, the Cheka was disbanded & replaced by the State Police
Administration (GPU). In 1924, the GPU was expanded into the United State Police
Administration (OGPU) which was less brutal than the Cheka but still inspired
widespread fear.
Army:
Deployed the military to consolidate Bolshevik power. Troops were used to deal with
flash strikes.Replaced General Dukhonin with general Krylenko in order to end
Russia’s involvement in WW1.
Under Trotsky, the Red Army was instrumental in enabling the Bolsheviks to win the
Civil War. At the start of the war it barely existed but by the end had over 5 million
conscripts (in comparison to white which only had 500,000).
Army also used alongside the Cheka to impose war communism by forcefully
requisitioning grain.
Ideology:
Key ideas of Marxism- Superstructure, labour theory of value (proletariat are not rewarded
for their efforts under capitalism), dictatorship of the proletariat.
Marxist-Leninism - set out in pamphlet ‘What is to be Done?’ (1902)
He argued that the dialectical phase of Marxism could be sped up in Russia.
Proposed that a Party Central Committee led by professionals could govern in the
interest of workers, until they were ready to take control themselves. Lenin’s
approach caused uproar in the RSDLP (Russian Social Democratic Workers’ Party)
which split in 1903 between the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Bolsheviks
implemented Marxist-Leninism after October 1917. They faced opposition which led
to the Civil War (which they won). Lenin was tolerant of moderates - embrace of New
Economic Policy (NEP) meant he was criticised for making bourgeois/capitalist
concessions. He also did not focus on the international expansion of communism as
Trotsky proposed he should.
Overall - made practical concessions but with a constant aim of establishing a
dictatorship that would benefit the proletariat.
Issues before consolidating power:
● The Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets met on 25th Oct - Right-wing SRs
and Mencheviks who favoured a coalition government walked out of the congress in
protest. Left Bolsheviks with little opposition - easier to rule!
● The ‘Petrograd Revolution’ refers to the fact that the October revolution was limited
to Petrograd so it was necessary for the Bolsheviks to spread their influence further.
This was difficult - resistance throughout the empire resulted in Civil war.
● The Constituent Assembly was established and Bolsheviks allowed elections to
occur in November to avoid opposition. Bolsheviks failed to win a majority, so Lenin
declared that the CA was an expression of the old regime and shut it down after one
day.
● The Decree on Land sanctioned the requisition of private land by peasants, but
stated that the division and redistribution of could only be carried out by village
soviets. Policy was very much supported by SRs.
● The Issue of the War was prominent so the Bolsheviks called for an immediate truce
and peaceful settlement in their Decree on Peace. Laid foundation for 1917
armistice. Then 3rd March 1918, signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - ceded a huge
portion of territory, & 3 billion roubles in reparations.
Central Administration:
Promoted democratic centralism - people led by a small professional group of elected
officials in Moscow, until a genuine workers’ govt could be put in place. In reality this was not
very democratic and senior Bolsheviks held most of the posts. Opposition to this one-party
state was eradicated in the Civil War. If you wanted to be in politics, you essentially had to
join the Bolshevik party - membership reached 1 million by 1928. Many got positions as part
of the Nomenklatura (approved communist administrators with specialist skills). The Party
became very hierarchical, centralised and nepotistic. Lenin Enrolment Campaign tried to
change this by encouraging peasants to join the party, but this failed.
New structure made of 3 core components:
1. The All-Russian Congress of Soviets and The Central Executive Committee
, In theory, commissars reported to these groups. Summer 1918, Mensheviks and SRs were
expelled from the Executive Committee and it became dominated by Bolsheviks. Russia was
not far off being ruled as a one-party state.
2. The Council of People’s Commissars (SOVNARKOM)
Made up of commissars/ ministers with specific govt responsibilities. E.g. Trotsky in charge
of foreign affairs, and Stalin dealt with nationalities. Chairman (PM) was Lenin. Initially the
Council also had some left-wing SRs
3. The Cheka
Established Dec 1917. Main aim was to prevent the emergence and growth of counter-
revolutionary movements. Disbanded in 1922.
Overall - the system appeared to be democratic. Members of sovnarkom were elected by
village, district and provincial soviets. However, these soviets were dominated by Bolsheviks
Central Executive Committee - members chosen through a chain of elections starting at a
local, grassroots level. Committee is in charge of 3 political offices:
1. The Politburo (elite group of Bolsheviks that run the party & formulate policy)
2. The Orgburo (organised party affairs)
3. The Ogburo (maintained order and dealt with opposition)
Local Government;
Judicial Administration:
Communist rule was dominated by the idea of ‘revolutionary justice’. This was epitomised by
a new Criminal Code in 1921 with legalised the use of terror to deter crime
Methods of Repression and Enforcement:
Secret Police:
Dec 1917 - Bolsheviks established the Cheka to deal with counter-revolutionaries. By
summer 1918, they had begun to clamp down on left-wing SRs, especially after
members of this group were linked with attempts to assassinate Lenin in August.
What distinguished the Cheka from previous forms of secret police was its
willingness to use terror to victimise people based on who they were, not just the
crimes they committed.
The Cheka formally implemented the Red Terror which involved:
● Grain requisitioning/ Enforced War Communism
● The ‘Labour Code’ (rules for working)
● Elimination of the kulaks
● Administration of labour camps
● Militarisation of labour - workers were either soldiers or labourers.
In 1922, after the Civil War, the Cheka was disbanded & replaced by the State Police
Administration (GPU). In 1924, the GPU was expanded into the United State Police
Administration (OGPU) which was less brutal than the Cheka but still inspired
widespread fear.
Army:
Deployed the military to consolidate Bolshevik power. Troops were used to deal with
flash strikes.Replaced General Dukhonin with general Krylenko in order to end
Russia’s involvement in WW1.
Under Trotsky, the Red Army was instrumental in enabling the Bolsheviks to win the
Civil War. At the start of the war it barely existed but by the end had over 5 million
conscripts (in comparison to white which only had 500,000).
Army also used alongside the Cheka to impose war communism by forcefully
requisitioning grain.
