Last Name 1
Raul Patel
History
Timed Essay
Time Taken; 52 minutes
To what extent does Lenin’s use of terror explain the establishment of the Bolshevik
rule in Russia by 1924?
After defeating the Whites (a group of monarchists and militarists) in 1921, Lenin sought
to consolidate his personal position, and that of the Bolsheviks in a post-civil war Russia. Chaos
plagued the nation, as the devastating effects of WW1, exile of the monarchy, and the Famine of
1921, made it difficult for the Bolsheviks to consolidate their power without taking extreme
measures such as the use of fear. Though terror was essential to consolidating power, there were
many other contributors such as economic policies and propaganda. This essay will evaluate the
impact Terror; with a Secret Police Force, against the importance of War Communism, NEP and
propaganda, in establishing the Bolshevik rule in Russia by 1924.
One of Lenin’s first challenges after taking power was the fact of the Constituent
Assembly elections. The Constituent Assembly was a sovereign decision-making body in Russia,
which at the time had more power than Lenin’s Council of the People’s Commissars. Lenin
allowed the elections to take place, but it soon became clear that the Bolsheviks performed
badly. Given their appeal both to the peasants and the workers, it was unsurprising that the SRs
won the elections with over 40% of the vote and controlling a majority of the seats. This forced
Lenin to suppress the Constituent Assembly. Although the representatives of the Constituent
Assembly would form an alternative government in Samara, Lenin was able to consolidate his
control of the Russian heartland, which was vital for his prosecution of the Civil War.
Raul Patel
History
Timed Essay
Time Taken; 52 minutes
To what extent does Lenin’s use of terror explain the establishment of the Bolshevik
rule in Russia by 1924?
After defeating the Whites (a group of monarchists and militarists) in 1921, Lenin sought
to consolidate his personal position, and that of the Bolsheviks in a post-civil war Russia. Chaos
plagued the nation, as the devastating effects of WW1, exile of the monarchy, and the Famine of
1921, made it difficult for the Bolsheviks to consolidate their power without taking extreme
measures such as the use of fear. Though terror was essential to consolidating power, there were
many other contributors such as economic policies and propaganda. This essay will evaluate the
impact Terror; with a Secret Police Force, against the importance of War Communism, NEP and
propaganda, in establishing the Bolshevik rule in Russia by 1924.
One of Lenin’s first challenges after taking power was the fact of the Constituent
Assembly elections. The Constituent Assembly was a sovereign decision-making body in Russia,
which at the time had more power than Lenin’s Council of the People’s Commissars. Lenin
allowed the elections to take place, but it soon became clear that the Bolsheviks performed
badly. Given their appeal both to the peasants and the workers, it was unsurprising that the SRs
won the elections with over 40% of the vote and controlling a majority of the seats. This forced
Lenin to suppress the Constituent Assembly. Although the representatives of the Constituent
Assembly would form an alternative government in Samara, Lenin was able to consolidate his
control of the Russian heartland, which was vital for his prosecution of the Civil War.
