Bolshevik Revolution Essay Research Paper Bolshevik revolutionThe

Bolshevik Revolution Essay, Research Paper

Bolshevik revolution

The Bolshevik revolution occurred in November of 1917, its aim was to create a workers paradise and a dictatorship of the proletariat. By 1930, the Bolsheviks had imposed a totalitarian rule over Russia. This period can be divided into two distinct eras. Firstly, there was the period from 1917-1924, which included the decision to seize power, the civil war and a consolidation of power under the new economic policy. The second period occurred after Lenin’s death, where opposing factions emerged in the party, and a leadership struggle occurred. Out of this, Stalin emerged as an authoritarian leader and used various forms of terror and economic policy to gain complete control by 1930.

When examining the period between 1917 and 1924, an important theme question is developed by Russell Cowie, he asks, “how were the Bolsheviks, a subdivision of the Russian Social Democrat Party, able to impose their will upon the whole of the former Russian Empire by 1923. ” Certainly, the Bolsheviks were an obscure and radical political party before the revolution of March 1917, and played little part in the overthrow of the Tsar. They did however see it as a step towards the dictatorship of the proletariat. “The Marxists found themselves in the paradoxical position of welcoming the revolution as bourgeois, liberal and capitalist and deferring the idea of socialism to some time in the future. ”

Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik party returned from exile in April 1917, while a member of the intelligentsia, he also appeared to read the general mood of the people acknowledging that they were more interested in food rather than the decrees of the Provisional Government such as freedom of speech. He developed simplistic slogans such as “Peace, bread, land,” and “All power to the Soviets” to appeal to the Russian proletariat. According to V. Serge, Lenin has the “ear of the man in the street, and of the man in the factory and in the barracks! His whole genius consists only in his ability to say what these people want to say but don’t know how to say. ”

Lenin’s genius combined with the harsh conditions suffered in the cities during the first world war, and the failure of the provisional government meant that the Bolsheviks were able to gain a majority of in both the Petrograd and Moscow soviets by October 1917. The Provisional Government became increasingly separate from mainstream society, because it continued the war and misread the mood of the people who “said that all the party had managed to do during its term of office was put up tram fares. ”

Consequently, Lenin demanded that the Bolsheviks seize power because, “the Bolsheviks, having obtained a majority in the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ deputies of both capitals can and must take state power into their own hands.” After threatening to resign, the party reluctantly gave in to Lenin, who claimed that “History will not forgive us if we don’t take power now.” On November 7, red guards raided the winter palace, headquarters of the Kerensky Government and arrested the members of the Provisional Government. That evening, at the Second All Russian Congress of Soviets, Lenin announced that the Bolsheviks had taken power and the November revolution was complete. According to Simon Welfare, “it had been a virtually bloodless coup, and it was over very quickly. ”

The Bolshevik revolution was from above, it was not a spontaneous uprising. According to Welfare, “there was one Bolshevik for every six hundred Russians. ” This explains why, “In January 1918 Russia’s Bolshevik Government had a precarious hold on power. The key question of who could establish military superiority remained to be resolved and the Government’s decrees were not accepted as binding. ” This precarious position was further exacerbated by the Constituent assembly, which was subsequently dissolved by Lenin, the threat posed by Germany, the Civil war and War Communism.

A Constituent assembly had been promised under the Provisional Government and all though reluctant, Lenin permitted elections to go ahead, the result was a resounding victory for the Right SR’s, who gained 370 seats as opposed to the Bolsheviks 175. The Bolsheviks received their support in the industrial centres of Russia, they viewed the peasants as part of a feudalistic system, that would ultimately be destroyed. This limited the support base for the Bolsheviks explains why less than a quarter of the population voted for them. On January 18-19, the Constituent assembly met, and there was wide spread criticism of the Bolshevik usurpation of power. Red guards and groups of sailors under Lenin’s orders dissolved the constituent assembly and single party state was formed. Despite minority support, they did have the support of the armed forces, which meant that they were able to stay in power.

Another problem was the armistice signed on December 15, 1917, which ended Russia’s involvement in the First World War. The treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on March 16, 1918 and meant that Russia underwent a humiliating loss of territory including Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Lenin’s wisdom probably saved the Bolshevik’s, he claimed that “to carry on a revolutionary war, an army is necessary, and we do not have one. It is a question of signing the terms now, or of signing the dea