The making of modern Russia, 1855–1991 - 3 The end of the Romanovs and the…

The idea

After seizing power in October 1917, the Bolsheviks faced the challenge of consolidating a minority revolution. They made concessions to secure support: the Decree on Land legitimised peasant seizures, and the Decree on Workers' Control gave factory committees a role. But they also used violence: the Cheka was established in December 1917 to suppress counter-revolution and sabotage, and the Red Army was created in early 1918 to defend the regime. When elections to the Constituent Assembly in November 1917 produced a Socialist Revolutionary majority, the Bolsheviks dissolved the assembly in January 1918. In March 1918, they signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, making peace with Germany at the cost of vast territories. These measures show how the Bolsheviks combined ideological flexibility with coercion to survive.

What earns the marks

• Explains that concessions such as the Decree on Land and Workers' Control were designed to win popular support and divide opponents.
• Analyses the significance of dissolving the Constituent Assembly in January 1918 as a rejection of democratic legitimacy in favour of one-party rule.
• Assesses the role of the Cheka, founded in December 1917, in establishing a system of revolutionary terror to eliminate opposition.
• Evaluates the creation of the Red Army in early 1918 as a necessary step to defend the revolution and later to fight the Civil War.
• Explains the terms and consequences of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, including the loss of Ukraine, the Baltic provinces, and Finland, and the political impact of making peace with Germany.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the sequence of events.

  Put it right by placing the election in November 1917 and dissolution in January 1918.

• Assuming the Cheka was created after the Civil War began.

  Put it right by noting it was established in December 1917, before the main Civil War conflicts.

• Overlooking that the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace with Germany and its allies, not a general armistice.

  Put it right by specifying it was signed on 3 March 1918 and ended Russia's participation in the First World War.

Exam tips

• Use precise dates and names to show chronological understanding, such as December 1917 for the Cheka and March 1918 for Brest-Litovsk.
• Link each measure to the Bolshevik aim of consolidating power, explaining how it addressed immediate threats or secured support.
• When discussing violence, distinguish between the Cheka's extrajudicial actions and the Red Army's military role, and consider their impact on Bolshevik control.