Emergence of the Communist dictatorship 1917-1941
Key:
L = Lenin
T = Trotsky
S = Stalin
Bs = Bolsheviks
Ms = Mensheviks
SRs = Socialist Revolutionaries
Lenin’s Russia- ideology and change
o Marxist ideology became less important- consolidating power was priority- act first ‘justify’ later.
o Initially ideologically divided:
Whether to end war and what type of government should be established.
Ideology:
o Both L + T assumed B seizure of power would spark revolutions elsewhere in Europe.
o Ideologically committed to rousing German workers/soldiers against Imperial government- but also to pursuing
peace.
o T began peace negotiations Dec 1917- Imperial government demanded large amount of Russian territory- split Bs.
o Divisions:
Some wanted war- Bukharin led ‘revolution war group’- argued necessary to defend both socialism/Russia.
T proposed ‘neither peace nor war’.
L prepared to give in to German territorial demands to bring peace + consolidate revolution.
o L took pragmatic approach- Treaty of Brest-Litovsk March 1918.
Set a precedent: in future ‘socialism at home’ would take priority over spreading international revolution.
This commitment provided intellectual foundation for Stalin’s later ‘Soviet first- approach’
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk- March 1918.
o Russia lost 1/6 of population + 2m square kms of land including area producing 1/3 of it’s agricultural produce.
o 26% rail line/74% Iron ore/coal supplies taken.
One-party government: problem over what type of government should be established
o Ideological division:
Favoured broad socialist government- coalition with Bs/other socialist parties (Zinoviev + Kamenev).
Or exclusively a Bs state.
o L suggested conventional Marxist view- government in the hands of ‘the people’- ‘all power to the soviets’
‘State + Revolution’ (before Oct revolution)- reduction in state bureaucracy/‘the people’ manage own affairs.
Early decrees- land/workers’ control appear to support theorizing.
Likely he had little choice- peasants already seizing land + workers taking over factories.
Decrees didn’t actually help create conditions necessary for ‘socialism’.
o Bolshevik only Sovnarkom- no intention of sharing power with other socialists especially Ms/SRs (despite shared
M heritage).
Ruled by decree without seeking Soviet’s approval e.g. peace talks began without reference to Soviet.
Met 1 or 2 times a day but Soviet met increasingly less- power undermined.
Local soviets retained importance but brought into new B/Communist structure.
L allowed some Left-wing SRs to join but after protests about purely B state- hostile to power-sharing.
Zinoviev + Kamenev temporarily resigned.
Clash between Marxist principle/L’s determination to retain dominant voice.
o Constituent Assembly Jan 1918- civilians demonstrated against L’s actions- fired on + 12 killed.
Appeared to contradict Marxist principle ‘power to the people’.
But in his ‘State + Revolution’ L stressed need for strong party- provide ‘dictatorship of proletariat’/crush
bourgeois attitudes.
Claimed dissolution of Constituent Assembly meant ‘open repudiation of democracy in favour of
dictatorship’.
L claimed since B working in coalition with SRs- represented ‘the people’/higher form of ‘democracy’.
o Coalition government broke up- Left-Wing SRs walked out of Sovnarkom in protest at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
o March 1918- B formally adopted ‘Communist Party’ title.
Key:
L = Lenin
T = Trotsky
S = Stalin
Bs = Bolsheviks
Ms = Mensheviks
SRs = Socialist Revolutionaries
Lenin’s Russia- ideology and change
o Marxist ideology became less important- consolidating power was priority- act first ‘justify’ later.
o Initially ideologically divided:
Whether to end war and what type of government should be established.
Ideology:
o Both L + T assumed B seizure of power would spark revolutions elsewhere in Europe.
o Ideologically committed to rousing German workers/soldiers against Imperial government- but also to pursuing
peace.
o T began peace negotiations Dec 1917- Imperial government demanded large amount of Russian territory- split Bs.
o Divisions:
Some wanted war- Bukharin led ‘revolution war group’- argued necessary to defend both socialism/Russia.
T proposed ‘neither peace nor war’.
L prepared to give in to German territorial demands to bring peace + consolidate revolution.
o L took pragmatic approach- Treaty of Brest-Litovsk March 1918.
Set a precedent: in future ‘socialism at home’ would take priority over spreading international revolution.
This commitment provided intellectual foundation for Stalin’s later ‘Soviet first- approach’
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk- March 1918.
o Russia lost 1/6 of population + 2m square kms of land including area producing 1/3 of it’s agricultural produce.
o 26% rail line/74% Iron ore/coal supplies taken.
One-party government: problem over what type of government should be established
o Ideological division:
Favoured broad socialist government- coalition with Bs/other socialist parties (Zinoviev + Kamenev).
Or exclusively a Bs state.
o L suggested conventional Marxist view- government in the hands of ‘the people’- ‘all power to the soviets’
‘State + Revolution’ (before Oct revolution)- reduction in state bureaucracy/‘the people’ manage own affairs.
Early decrees- land/workers’ control appear to support theorizing.
Likely he had little choice- peasants already seizing land + workers taking over factories.
Decrees didn’t actually help create conditions necessary for ‘socialism’.
o Bolshevik only Sovnarkom- no intention of sharing power with other socialists especially Ms/SRs (despite shared
M heritage).
Ruled by decree without seeking Soviet’s approval e.g. peace talks began without reference to Soviet.
Met 1 or 2 times a day but Soviet met increasingly less- power undermined.
Local soviets retained importance but brought into new B/Communist structure.
L allowed some Left-wing SRs to join but after protests about purely B state- hostile to power-sharing.
Zinoviev + Kamenev temporarily resigned.
Clash between Marxist principle/L’s determination to retain dominant voice.
o Constituent Assembly Jan 1918- civilians demonstrated against L’s actions- fired on + 12 killed.
Appeared to contradict Marxist principle ‘power to the people’.
But in his ‘State + Revolution’ L stressed need for strong party- provide ‘dictatorship of proletariat’/crush
bourgeois attitudes.
Claimed dissolution of Constituent Assembly meant ‘open repudiation of democracy in favour of
dictatorship’.
L claimed since B working in coalition with SRs- represented ‘the people’/higher form of ‘democracy’.
o Coalition government broke up- Left-Wing SRs walked out of Sovnarkom in protest at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
o March 1918- B formally adopted ‘Communist Party’ title.
