Elective History Chapter 3: Rise of Authoritarian Regimes (Communist Russia)
Introduction
This set of notes will cover:
1. Reasons for the failure of the provisional government, (Appendix: Page 4 of Russia_text.doc)
2. How the Bolsheviks gain power (How the Bolsheviks made their rule more secure)
3. The Rise of Stalin (How Stalin managed to control the Soviet Union),
Note: This document does not cover the social, political and economic impacts of Stalin.
Chapter 3.1: Failure of the Provisional Government
Summary
The Provisional Government's main mistake was to carry on the war. The burden proved disastrous as it
tried to face the threat of the Bolshevik Communists, who were working through the Soviets to bring down
the government.
Factors that lead to the failure of the provisional government include:
Factor Cause Consequences Effects
Established after the abdication of the Tsar.
Hold elections for the Russian people to choose their own government by 1917, grant full and
Introduction
immediate amnesty to all political and religious prisons and exiles and cooperate with the
committees of workers, peasants and soldiers which had taken over the major Russian cities.
The Petrograd Soviet was Order Number 1 forbade soldiers People lost faith in the Provisional
very powerful – it built up a and workers to obey the Government as they felt that the
nation-wide network of provisional Government unless the government had not much control
Government
Soviets which took their Soviet agreed. (ie the govt. was over the Soviets.
orders from it. powerless to act unless the
Soviet agreed.)
Inflation and hunger got The Provisional Government didn’t This made people lost faith in the
worse because the war manage to end the food shortages government. Hence many people
Terrible
didn’t end. (ie the people or inflation. started supporting other parties
conditions
stayed angry.) like the Bolshevik Party.
Started taking the nobles The Provisional Government sent This created greater disregard
land. (ie anarchy in the troops to take back the land. for the Provisional Government
countryside.) The wealthy This made the peasants very and hence many people started
landowners in the angry. looking towards the Bolshevik
Peasants
Government delayed or Party which promised them
slowed land reforms for “Bread, Peace and Land”.
selfish reasons. Peasants
were killed or chased away
by landowners.
War The Provisional Government Resources that could improve the It caused more suffering as
tried to continue the war. lives of the Russia people was there were food and fuel
It attacked Austria in June used up, in addition causing large shortages, people became more
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1917, but after initial numbers of Russian soldiers dissatisfied at the Provisional
successes, the Germans demoralized at the continuing Government.
moved in and the Russians military setbacks, causing many
were defeated. Soldiers soldiers to desert the army.
deserted. There was a
naval mutiny (ie the war
was a disaster.)
Lenin returned and The Provisional Government This HELPED the Bolsheviks. In
published his plans for allowed freedom of speech and what way?
Russia: the ‘April Theses’ the press, and released political
(‘Peace, Bread, Land’; ‘all prisoners
power to the Soviets’;
state ownership of After the July Days, the
Bolsheviks
factories and banks). Provisional Government arrested
the leaders, but let the Bolshevik
They tried to take over the Party continue.
government by rioting in
the ‘July Days’. (ie
government under attack)
Kornilov tried a right-wing/ The Provisional Government had This made the government seem
pro-Tsar army coup in no control of the army and had to weak AND made the Bolsheviks
Kornilov
August 1917. (ie ask the Bolsheviks to help it. popular (they took control of the
government under attack) Soviets). People lost faith in the
Provisional Government.
Chapter 3.2: How the Bolsheviks made their rule more secure
Factor Description
Support of 1. Promised Bread, peace and land.
the 2. The Bolsheviks enforced true communism and the power of Red Army
Peasants 3. Victory of the Civil War generated more support for the Bolsheviks.
4. Secret Police was set up and anyone suspected anti-communist was shot without a fair trial. It
was a great deterrent and ensured the rule of the Bolsheviks in Russia.
War The Bolsheviks’ enemies tried to destroy the government, so in 1918-1921 the new government had to
Communism fight a Civil War. During the war, especially severe rules were introduced, called ‘War Communism’:
1. Larger factories taken over by the government.
2. Military discipline in factories and strikers shot.
3. Peasants had to give all surplus food to the government.
4. Rationing = very harsh tyranny.
It was unpopular among the people but was aimed at keeping a tight state control.
New 1. Introduced to ease the negative impact of War Communism.
Economic 2. Hoped to pull Russia up economically through increase of industrial and agricultural output.
Policy 3. It was a success and factories and peasants increased their productions, helping to regain the
support of the people for the Bolsheviks.
Conclusion 1. The Bolsheviks made their rule more secure through the implementation of the various policies.
2. However, they managed to secure their rule partly through the introduction of popular policies
but it is mainly by force and terror.
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Chapter 3.3: How Stalin rose to power
Factor Description
Stalin’s 1. Clever at deceiving people
Personality 2. Sharp, cautions and organised
3. Ambitious and Vicious
4. Opportunistic (Wait for opportunities to attack)
A Centralised 1. Stalin used his position of Secretary General to appoint Party Members to important positions
Party Machine and transferred supporters of opponents to remote positions. He also emphasized party unity.
2. It became regarded as the loyal representative of Party line/champion
3. Important position gave him the power to influence other members towards supporting him.
The growth in 1. By 1933 there were 3 and a half million members.
Party 2. Many members were young, inexperienced and uneducated.
membership. 3. These were “malleable recruits”. They were much more likely to obey instructions than some
older party members, thus would listen to Stalin’s instructions.
Used Lenin’s 1. Made himself Chief Mourner at Lenin’s funeral to help portray an image of being close to Lenin.
Death Legacy This helped made him look like Lenin’s successor.
2. Gave Trotsky the wrong date for the funeral, gave people a bad image of Trotsky.
Trotsky 1. Considered by Party members to be arrogant.
Weaknesses 2. Idea of permanent revolution made him unpopular
3. Underestimated Stalin.
4. Excessive self-confidence prevented him from building support within the Party
5. Accused for betraying Lenin
6. Allowed Stalin to take advantage and turn Party members against Trotsky.
Politic 1. Stalin used Zinoviev and Kamenev to get rid of Trotsky.
Maneuvers 2. Then he used Bukarin to get rid of them
3. Accused Bukharin of opposing economic revolution
4. Got rid of all possible a contender of power, what remained was a tamed Party machine that
supported Stalin.
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