Option 30: Key topic 2: The Bolsheviks in power, 1917–24 - 1 Early consolidation of power, 1917–18 — Edexcel GCSE History
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Option 30: Key topic 2: The Bolsheviks in power, 1917–24 - 1 Early consolidation of power, 1917–18 explained
Upon seizing power, the Bolsheviks urgently needed to consolidate control and win popular support.
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Between November and December 1917, Lenin's government issued a series of early decrees designed to deliver on their promise of 'Peace, Bread, Land'. The Decree on Land abolished private ownership, legitimising peasant land seizures. The Decree on Peace called for an immediate end to Russia's involvement in the First World War. Other significant measures included the Decree on Workers' Control, giving factory committees the right to supervise management, and decrees establishing the eight-hour working day, setting up the Cheka, and banning opposition press. These decrees were crucial for securing the immediate survival of the new regime.
The removal of opposition, including the Constituent Assembly and the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.
To secure their fragile grip on power, the Bolsheviks systematically removed political and royal opposition. Elections for the Constituent Assembly in November 1917 resulted in a majority for the Socialist Revolutionaries. When the Assembly met in January 1918, Lenin forcibly dissolved it after one day using Red Guards, claiming it did not represent the workers. This removal of democratic opposition sparked outrage. Furthermore, to prevent the deposed royal family from becoming a rallying point for the anti-Bolshevik White armies, Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Cheka in Yekaterinburg in July 1918. These actions demonstrated the Bolsheviks' willingness to use extreme violence to eliminate threats to their authority.
The reasons for, main terms, and significance of, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Different reactions in Russia to the Treaty.
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918) formally ended Russia's involvement in the First World War. Lenin pushed for peace because the Russian army was disintegrating and the Bolsheviks needed breathing space to consolidate power. The main terms were exceptionally harsh: Russia lost vast territories including Ukraine and the Baltic states, equating to a third of its population and agricultural land, and half its industry. The significance of the treaty was profound. It saved the Bolshevik regime from German conquest but provoked furious reactions in Russia. Patriotic Russians were outraged by the humiliating losses, swelling the ranks of the White armies. Even Left Socialist Revolutionaries resigned from the government in protest, leaving the Bolsheviks to rule alone.
Your focus
- Identify the key decrees passed by the Bolsheviks in November and December 1917.
- Explain how these decrees helped the Bolsheviks gain support from different social groups.
- Evaluate the role of these early decrees in the Bolshevik consolidation of power.
Show all 9 objectives
- Describe the events surrounding the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly.
- Explain the motives behind the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.
- Evaluate the impact of removing opposition on the consolidation of Bolshevik power.
- Explain the reasons why the Bolsheviks signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
- Describe the main terms of the treaty and the extent of Russian losses.
- Analyse the significance of the treaty and the various reactions it provoked within Russia.
Option 30: Key topic 2: The Bolsheviks in power, 1917–24 - 1 Early consolidation of power, 1917–18 exam tips
Marking Points
- Identify the Decree on Land and explain how it won peasant support by legitimising land seizures.
- Describe the Decree on Peace and its role in addressing the army's demand to end the war.
- Explain the Decree on Workers' Control and the introduction of the eight-hour working day to satisfy the urban proletariat.
- Analyse how decrees establishing the Cheka and banning opposition press helped the Bolsheviks suppress political rivals.
- Explain the results of the Constituent Assembly elections and why they posed a threat to Bolshevik power.
- Describe the methods used by Lenin to dissolve the Constituent Assembly in January 1918.
- Identify the reasons for the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in July 1918.
- Analyse how the removal of the Constituent Assembly and the Tsar contributed to the outbreak and dynamics of the Russian Civil War.
- Identify Lenin's practical and ideological reasons for signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
- Detail the main territorial, demographic, and economic losses imposed on Russia by the treaty's terms.
- Explain the significance of the treaty in allowing the Bolsheviks to survive the immediate threat of German invasion.
- Analyse the different reactions within Russia, including the outrage of conservatives, the boost to the White armies, and the split with the Left Socialist Revolutionaries.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Link specific decrees to the social groups they were designed to appease, such as peasants, workers, or soldiers.
- 💡Use the decrees as evidence when explaining how the Bolsheviks survived their first few months in power.
- 💡Remember to mention the coercive decrees, like the creation of the Cheka, alongside the popular ones to show a balanced understanding of Bolshevik consolidation.
- 💡Use the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly as a key example of Lenin prioritising Bolshevik control over democratic processes.
- 💡When discussing the Tsar's execution, link it directly to the context of the Civil War and the threat posed by the White armies.
- 💡Consider how these actions alienated other socialist groups and contributed to the formation of armed opposition against the Bolsheviks.
- 💡Memorise key statistics regarding the losses (e.g., population, land, industry) to provide strong supporting evidence in your answers.
- 💡Use the reactions to the treaty as a major cause for the escalation of the Russian Civil War.
- 💡Contrast Lenin's pragmatic need for peace with the ideological and patriotic outrage it caused among other Russian groups.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Confusing the Decree on Land with later collectivisation policies. Correction: State that the 1917 Decree on Land allowed peasants to take and divide privately owned estates themselves, rather than forcing them into state farms.
- Error: Assuming the Decree on Peace immediately ended the war. Correction: Clarify that it was only a declaration of intent to seek peace; the actual end to fighting came later with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
- Error: Believing the Bolsheviks had complete control over Russia when issuing these decrees. Correction: Emphasise that these decrees were partly propaganda tools to win support because Bolshevik control was initially limited to Petrograd and Moscow.
- Error: Stating that the Bolsheviks won the Constituent Assembly elections. Correction: Clarify that the Socialist Revolutionaries won the majority of seats, which is why Lenin dissolved the Assembly.
- Error: Claiming the Tsar was executed immediately after the October Revolution. Correction: Note that the execution took place in July 1918, several months later, in response to the advancing White armies.
- Error: Confusing the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly with the banning of other political parties. Correction: Distinguish between the specific event of closing the Assembly in January 1918 and the broader, gradual process of outlawing opposition parties.
- Error: Stating that the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed with the Allies. Correction: Specify that the treaty was signed between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers, primarily Germany.
- Error: Underestimating the severity of the treaty's terms. Correction: Provide specific examples of the losses, such as the loss of Ukraine (a vital agricultural region) and a significant portion of Russia's coal and iron resources.
- Error: Assuming all Bolsheviks supported the treaty. Correction: Mention that there was fierce debate within the party, with figures like Trotsky initially advocating for a 'neither peace nor war' approach before Lenin forced the decision.