Authoritarian States – Russia
Lenin – establishment of authoritarian state
Stalin – consolidation and maintenance of authoritarian state
Revolutionary Russia:
− Less of an international superpower, more a regional power
− Focus on Russian Revolution in 1917, but arguably started much earlier
− Tolstoy participated in the move towards revolution
− 1890s Marxism emerged, questioning why movement to industrialisation had resulted in
impoverishment of people
− The Great Terror 1937: consolidation of the system
− Khrushchev secret speech 1956 – denouncement of Stalin, attempt to consolidate himself and the
party from Stalin’s immoral actions
− Gorbachev – from a family that was repressed under Stalin, new generation of reforms and
Communism
− The Great Terror and the war wiped out whole generations of people
− Soviet baby boom becoming adults in 1960s, more interesting in western material items than war and
revolution
− After that, focus more on economic policy for the people than world domination
− Legacy of revolution still apparent under Putin, nationalism and resentment of west
− Acceptance of violence for national interests and security – legacy of the Russian revolution
Lenin:
− Brother was executed for trying to assassinate the Tsar – family shunned by community
− Joined a radial socialist movement
− Targeted by the police, 1897 arrested and exiled
− 1899-1903 played a leading role in the foundation of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party
(RSDLP) and became leader of the Bolshevik faction within this
− 1903 organised the first conference of the Communist Party in London
Establishment of an authoritarian regime:
− 1905 Revolution – Tsar responded to tensions and protests with the army, reasserting his control
− Economic chaos, military defeat in WWI, political mismanagement led to revolution in February 1917
− Provisional Government put in place – promised democratic elections, but continued to fight WWI
− Lenin argued for a second revolution. Wanted the immediate end to WWI and the redistribution of
land to the peasants ‘Peace, Land and Bread’ – based his ideas on Marx
− By October 1917, Lenin and the Bolsheviks had enough support to overthrow the Provisional
Government
− Returned to Russia from exile in March 1917
− April Thesis – set out his programme
− Provisional Government’s authority steadily collapsed, culminating in the ‘July Days’
− Evidence appeared that the Germans had helped Lenin, causing a fall in support for the rebellion – fled
to Finland and rebellion crushed by army
− Sept 1917, army troops marched to Moscow to destroy the Bolsheviks and Provisional Government to
restore order
− Provisional Government and Bolsheviks worked together against the army
− By Sept 1917 there were Bolsheviks majorities in the Petrograd and Moscow states
− Lenin was convinced that it was time for the Bolsheviks to seize power
,− Night of 6 Nov, Red Guards took control of post offices, bridges and the State Bank. Took more the next
day
− 7 Nov stormed the Winter Palace and arrested ministers of the Provisional Government
− Organised military revolutionary committee in towns and cities to seize power
− Initially created a democratic state but by summer 1918 it had become more authoritarian
− Created a new Russian cabinet (Sovnarkom) including Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin. Refused any other
socialist parties into his government
− Control of the army was vital to the survival of the new government – ordered General Dukhonin to
sign an immediate armistice with the Germans but he refused. Found murdered by his own troops as
they wanted an end to the war. Armistice quickly signed
Cheka:
− Set up in Dec 1917 as Sovnarkom’s own secret police
− Arrested opponents, including several hundred anarchists in April 1918
− Growing size of the organisation showed its important role in maintaining the Bolsheviks in power – by
1921 had 143,000 employees
− Not restricted by the law, executing supposed enemies without trial
− 1918 estimated the Cheka killed 50,000 people
− First labour camps created to contain political prisoners
− Chekists were responsible for raiding anarchist organisations, closing opposition newspapers – willing
to imprison, torture or kill anyone the Communists viewed as a threat
− Feb 1921, Cheka authorised to destroy opposition political parties
− Between 1921 and 1922 the communist dominance of Russia was consolidated by crushing opposition
political parties
− Closed the Constituent Assembly, effectively ending democracy. Announced the setting up of The
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) which had its own constitution
Established control by gaining popular support through a series of decrees:
o The Decree on Land – abolished the landlords’ right of property. Confiscated large estates from
monasteries, churches and the nobility. Redistribution of land to peasants
o The Decree on Peace – withdrawing from WWI
o Workers’ Decree – established the 8-hour day and minimum wage
o Decree of Workers’ Control – allowed workers to elect committees to run factories
o Poor families relocated into the houses of the wealthy
o Civil marriage and divorce introduced and made easier
o Education taken out of the Church’s hands
o Titles abolished
o Institute for the Protection of Mothers and Children formed
− Gave Lenin breathing space to rebuild the economy and construct a new government
− Disorganised and had no control over major cities or the vast rural areas
− By Nov, new government was dominated by people who wanted the Bolshevik Party to govern alone.
Also support among workers
− Refused to recognise the results of elections in Nov 1917, April 1918 and May 1918
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 1918:
− Armistice signed 2 Dec 1917
− Gave away Russian territory to end involvement in WWI
− Lenin thought that the government had no choice but to sign the treaty since Russia couldn’t continue
to fight
− Lost one third of European land, half of industrial capacity and Ukraine’s grain
, Suppression of opposition 1917-18:
− Banned all bourgeois parties and their newspapers. Later extended to all other political parties
− Used Cheka and loyal troops to prevent anti-government demonstrations
− Opposition groups disbanded by force or went underground
− By July 1918, a Bolshevik dictatorship in place
Reasons for civil war:
− Russia already divided before the collapse of the Provisional Government – June 1918 there were 33
sovereign governments in Russia
− Political opposition – The Union for the Defence of the Motherland and Liberty, founded in Jan 1918,
organised revolts and murdered the German ambassador
− Other opponents joined groups when they were banned from the Executive Committee of the Soviets
in June 1918
− Allied opposition:
o Nov 1917, ‘Morning Post’ in London called for direct military action against the Bolsheviks
o 23 Nov Trotsky published the ‘secret treaties’ signed by the Tsar with the Allies, showing that
they planned to seize territory when Germany and her allies were defeated
o Bolsheviks seized all foreign property and cancelled the Tsar’s vast debts to the Allies
o Treaty of Brest-Litovsk left France and Britain to face renewed attacks on the Western Front.
Willing to send support to anyone who would reopen an Eastern Front
− Food requisitioning – May 1918 Lenin urged villages to set up committee of poor peasants to seize
surplus food from their better off neighbours. Not successful and made more enemies for the
Bolsheviks
Civil War 1918-21:
− Bolshevik seizure of power accelerated the move into anarchy already sweeping the whole country.
Fighting continued until 1922 and plunged an already impoverished people into more hardship and
misery
− Between the Bolsheviks (Russian soldiers, industrial workers and demobilised soldiers) and the Whites
(represented the traditional conservative forces: landowners, businessmen and army officers)
− Bolshevik Party renamed Communist Party in 1918
− July 1918, ex-Tsar and his family executed
− Cost of the Civil War:
o 10,000,000 deaths in total
o 5,000,000 deaths from famine 1920-21
o 350,000 dead in combat
o 4,500,000 deaths from disease – cholera, typhus and flu
− Membership of the Communist Party: March 1919 250,000 → March 1920 612,000
Red Army:
o 1920 had 5 million members
o 1918 introduced conscription – suffered heavy desertions, but had almost limitless human
resources to draw on
o Trotsky reintroduced ranks and military discipline
o Recruited Tsarist officers to remedy the lack of experienced officers
o Appointed Bolshevik political commissars to supervise the officers to ensure their loyalty and
maintain the troops’ morale
− Communists in control of most of industry and population, so reorganised this to produce materials
and men for the war effort
− White armies had to rely on the Allies for their weaponry
Lenin – establishment of authoritarian state
Stalin – consolidation and maintenance of authoritarian state
Revolutionary Russia:
− Less of an international superpower, more a regional power
− Focus on Russian Revolution in 1917, but arguably started much earlier
− Tolstoy participated in the move towards revolution
− 1890s Marxism emerged, questioning why movement to industrialisation had resulted in
impoverishment of people
− The Great Terror 1937: consolidation of the system
− Khrushchev secret speech 1956 – denouncement of Stalin, attempt to consolidate himself and the
party from Stalin’s immoral actions
− Gorbachev – from a family that was repressed under Stalin, new generation of reforms and
Communism
− The Great Terror and the war wiped out whole generations of people
− Soviet baby boom becoming adults in 1960s, more interesting in western material items than war and
revolution
− After that, focus more on economic policy for the people than world domination
− Legacy of revolution still apparent under Putin, nationalism and resentment of west
− Acceptance of violence for national interests and security – legacy of the Russian revolution
Lenin:
− Brother was executed for trying to assassinate the Tsar – family shunned by community
− Joined a radial socialist movement
− Targeted by the police, 1897 arrested and exiled
− 1899-1903 played a leading role in the foundation of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party
(RSDLP) and became leader of the Bolshevik faction within this
− 1903 organised the first conference of the Communist Party in London
Establishment of an authoritarian regime:
− 1905 Revolution – Tsar responded to tensions and protests with the army, reasserting his control
− Economic chaos, military defeat in WWI, political mismanagement led to revolution in February 1917
− Provisional Government put in place – promised democratic elections, but continued to fight WWI
− Lenin argued for a second revolution. Wanted the immediate end to WWI and the redistribution of
land to the peasants ‘Peace, Land and Bread’ – based his ideas on Marx
− By October 1917, Lenin and the Bolsheviks had enough support to overthrow the Provisional
Government
− Returned to Russia from exile in March 1917
− April Thesis – set out his programme
− Provisional Government’s authority steadily collapsed, culminating in the ‘July Days’
− Evidence appeared that the Germans had helped Lenin, causing a fall in support for the rebellion – fled
to Finland and rebellion crushed by army
− Sept 1917, army troops marched to Moscow to destroy the Bolsheviks and Provisional Government to
restore order
− Provisional Government and Bolsheviks worked together against the army
− By Sept 1917 there were Bolsheviks majorities in the Petrograd and Moscow states
− Lenin was convinced that it was time for the Bolsheviks to seize power
,− Night of 6 Nov, Red Guards took control of post offices, bridges and the State Bank. Took more the next
day
− 7 Nov stormed the Winter Palace and arrested ministers of the Provisional Government
− Organised military revolutionary committee in towns and cities to seize power
− Initially created a democratic state but by summer 1918 it had become more authoritarian
− Created a new Russian cabinet (Sovnarkom) including Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin. Refused any other
socialist parties into his government
− Control of the army was vital to the survival of the new government – ordered General Dukhonin to
sign an immediate armistice with the Germans but he refused. Found murdered by his own troops as
they wanted an end to the war. Armistice quickly signed
Cheka:
− Set up in Dec 1917 as Sovnarkom’s own secret police
− Arrested opponents, including several hundred anarchists in April 1918
− Growing size of the organisation showed its important role in maintaining the Bolsheviks in power – by
1921 had 143,000 employees
− Not restricted by the law, executing supposed enemies without trial
− 1918 estimated the Cheka killed 50,000 people
− First labour camps created to contain political prisoners
− Chekists were responsible for raiding anarchist organisations, closing opposition newspapers – willing
to imprison, torture or kill anyone the Communists viewed as a threat
− Feb 1921, Cheka authorised to destroy opposition political parties
− Between 1921 and 1922 the communist dominance of Russia was consolidated by crushing opposition
political parties
− Closed the Constituent Assembly, effectively ending democracy. Announced the setting up of The
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) which had its own constitution
Established control by gaining popular support through a series of decrees:
o The Decree on Land – abolished the landlords’ right of property. Confiscated large estates from
monasteries, churches and the nobility. Redistribution of land to peasants
o The Decree on Peace – withdrawing from WWI
o Workers’ Decree – established the 8-hour day and minimum wage
o Decree of Workers’ Control – allowed workers to elect committees to run factories
o Poor families relocated into the houses of the wealthy
o Civil marriage and divorce introduced and made easier
o Education taken out of the Church’s hands
o Titles abolished
o Institute for the Protection of Mothers and Children formed
− Gave Lenin breathing space to rebuild the economy and construct a new government
− Disorganised and had no control over major cities or the vast rural areas
− By Nov, new government was dominated by people who wanted the Bolshevik Party to govern alone.
Also support among workers
− Refused to recognise the results of elections in Nov 1917, April 1918 and May 1918
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 1918:
− Armistice signed 2 Dec 1917
− Gave away Russian territory to end involvement in WWI
− Lenin thought that the government had no choice but to sign the treaty since Russia couldn’t continue
to fight
− Lost one third of European land, half of industrial capacity and Ukraine’s grain
, Suppression of opposition 1917-18:
− Banned all bourgeois parties and their newspapers. Later extended to all other political parties
− Used Cheka and loyal troops to prevent anti-government demonstrations
− Opposition groups disbanded by force or went underground
− By July 1918, a Bolshevik dictatorship in place
Reasons for civil war:
− Russia already divided before the collapse of the Provisional Government – June 1918 there were 33
sovereign governments in Russia
− Political opposition – The Union for the Defence of the Motherland and Liberty, founded in Jan 1918,
organised revolts and murdered the German ambassador
− Other opponents joined groups when they were banned from the Executive Committee of the Soviets
in June 1918
− Allied opposition:
o Nov 1917, ‘Morning Post’ in London called for direct military action against the Bolsheviks
o 23 Nov Trotsky published the ‘secret treaties’ signed by the Tsar with the Allies, showing that
they planned to seize territory when Germany and her allies were defeated
o Bolsheviks seized all foreign property and cancelled the Tsar’s vast debts to the Allies
o Treaty of Brest-Litovsk left France and Britain to face renewed attacks on the Western Front.
Willing to send support to anyone who would reopen an Eastern Front
− Food requisitioning – May 1918 Lenin urged villages to set up committee of poor peasants to seize
surplus food from their better off neighbours. Not successful and made more enemies for the
Bolsheviks
Civil War 1918-21:
− Bolshevik seizure of power accelerated the move into anarchy already sweeping the whole country.
Fighting continued until 1922 and plunged an already impoverished people into more hardship and
misery
− Between the Bolsheviks (Russian soldiers, industrial workers and demobilised soldiers) and the Whites
(represented the traditional conservative forces: landowners, businessmen and army officers)
− Bolshevik Party renamed Communist Party in 1918
− July 1918, ex-Tsar and his family executed
− Cost of the Civil War:
o 10,000,000 deaths in total
o 5,000,000 deaths from famine 1920-21
o 350,000 dead in combat
o 4,500,000 deaths from disease – cholera, typhus and flu
− Membership of the Communist Party: March 1919 250,000 → March 1920 612,000
Red Army:
o 1920 had 5 million members
o 1918 introduced conscription – suffered heavy desertions, but had almost limitless human
resources to draw on
o Trotsky reintroduced ranks and military discipline
o Recruited Tsarist officers to remedy the lack of experienced officers
o Appointed Bolshevik political commissars to supervise the officers to ensure their loyalty and
maintain the troops’ morale
− Communists in control of most of industry and population, so reorganised this to produce materials
and men for the war effort
− White armies had to rely on the Allies for their weaponry
