The End of the Russian Revolution

Civil War

&

New Economic Policy

Land, Bread, Peace• The Party recognized the peasant

seizure of land—inefficiency in production.

• Worker committees controlled the factories —inefficiency in production.

• Soldier committees controlled the military—no military.

• Peace w/Germany was needed—Peace of Brest-Litovsk (Mar 1918)

• Russia lost 32% of land and 60 M citizens—Bolsheviks were unpopular and SR left the Gov’t

The Civil War• No exact time when the Civil

War started but by Summer of 1918 the Bolshevik Gov’t was beset on all sides.

• At the lowest point the Bolsheviks controlled 1/5 of the old Russian Empire.

• The White Armies –divided/ Moscow/peasants/Bol. ruthless

• By Oct 1920 the Bolsheviks had defeated their enemies.

• Final foreign armies left by 1922—Japan in Far East.

Two Sides of Civil WarReds Whites

• Bolsheviks

• Kronstadt Sailors

• Red Guards

• Some workers and soldiers

• Trotsky was War Commissar

• Former Tsarists

• Liberals

• Nationalists and Separatists

• Socialist Revolutionaries

• Supported by former WWI Allies

Dictatorship: Revolution Betrayed• The Party used the Civil War

to justify its dictatorial rule—would have done it without Civil War.

• Felt they were the ‘engine of history’ anyone who got in its way was wrong.

• By Summer of 1918 recognized that world wide revolution might not happen now.

• Imposed One-Party rule.

Government vs Peasants

• Bolshevik gov’t soon in

conflict with peasants—kulaks• Not enough food

to feed the cities

• Lenin tried a twin approach:– Class warfare—

– divide the peasants– War Communism

“Down with Lenin and Horsemeat! Give us the Tsar and Pork!

Government vs Workers• The Revolution led to

workers controlling the factories—lower production

• Unemployment rose and workers left cities to return to countryside—fewer supporters for Bolsheviks

• Spring 1918 Lenin restored control of factories to gov’t—nationalization

• State planning of economy

‘Red Terror’• August 1918 –

assassination attempt on Lenin

• The USSR became a one-party state

• Very different than what the October Rev had envisioned.

• Opposition was eliminated by secret police—Cheka

• Arrests and executions took place

Cost• Party now controlled

everything.• Heavy loss of life—10 million

died between 1917-21• Cheka alone kills app.

300,000• Economy was in ruin and

needed to be rebuilt.• Revolutionary ideals betrayed

—Kronstadt Revolt Feb 1921• Lenin believed there needed to

be changes—NEP

The New Economic Policy (NEP)

• War Communism was a failure.

• Lenin felt a relaxation was needed to revive economy.

• He eliminated party debate—rigid controls on society

• Allowed private enterprise in small business—gov’t controlled big business

Why did Bolsheviks Win Control?

• Self-belief & ruthless determination

• Divided opposition• Able to generate support—

used divisions in society• Civil War—lesser of two

evils• Concessions to mixed

economy—NEP