In Gaining Power In Russia By 1922 Essay, Research Paper
??????????? In February
1917, the Bolshevik party was small and irrelevant.? The leadership was abroad and there was little consistency of
purpose among the party in Russia.?
However, by the summer of 1922, the Bolsheviks had become the dominant
force, and a new communist state had emerged from their success.? The purpose of this essay is to explain this
transformation.? The abdication of Tsar Nicholas
II and the collapse of the Romanov dynasty threw Russia into a state of
turmoil. The elites had withdrawn their support for the Tsar after a series of
disastrous defeats in the war and continued social and economic problems. In
the wake of the Tsarist collapse, a power vacuum was left behind.? The Provisional Government, a government
that was fundamentally unstable and unsure how to govern, temporarily filled
this space. ??????????? The
Provisional Government opened the door for a seizure of power. It lacked
legitimate power to justify its actions. There was no tradition of Russia being
ruled by a government such as this, indeed, many people were opposed to it. It
was self-appointed and therefore many people questioned its authority.? The lack of an able and charismatic leader
simply compounded the problem. This was their chance to seize charismatic
legitimacy and gain the support of the people. When Kerensky took over the
leadership, the changes his charisma brought were marked, but even he lacked
the ability to repair the situation.? The Provisional Government
decided to continue the war.? This
decision was to become more important with the benefit of hindsight than it
appeared at the time. The decision was made with some justification, Russia was
virtually bankrupt and continuation with the war provided much needed western
financial assistance. Despite the financial considerations, the Provisional
Government felt obliged to continue the war out of a sense of loyalty to
Britain and France. In addition, they were reluctant to leave the war without
salvaging some prestige and pride from the current situation. They were still
hopeful of an allied victory.? However,
the decision to continue with the war was to prove extremely unfortunate. It
was unpopular, as there appeared to be few aims to the continued fighting. The
government quickly lost the support of a large proportion of the troops. These
disillusioned peasants in uniform provided excellent targets for Bolshevik
propaganda.? What is more, the Russian
situation in the war worsened and humiliating defeat began to loom large on the
horizon. Russia was a poverty stricken,
backward power in 1917. It also had a majority peasant population. The
continuation of the war meant that the key issues of ?peace, bread and land?
that Lenin so aptly highlighted could not be addressed. Reforms and visible
improvement in the peasant way of life were vital if the government wished to
gain their support and maintain its power. ?
However, revolutionary forces, suppressed under Tsarist Russia came to
the surface under the new, weaker and less repressive Provisional Government to
create a body known as the Soviet.? This
body created a duality of power. Whilst, in principle, the Provisional
Government ran the country, they were only in command whilst the Soviets
allowed them to be so. (Soviet Order Number One stated that the people were to
obey orders given by the Provisional Government provided they did not
contradict orders given by the Soviets.)?
The Petrograd Soviet consisted of a multitude of different socialist
revolutionary parties, such as the Social Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and
Bolsheviks. These parties were united in their ambition of turning Russia into
an independent socialist state although they had very different ideas of how
this should be accomplished. The Bolsheviks manipulated this body once they
achieved a majority on 31st of August 1917, when the first Bolshevik
resolution was passed.? ??????????? In the
interim between the collapse of the Tsarist Regime and the election of the
Constituent Assembly, the Provisional government gave the revolutionary parties
an unmistakeable opportunity.? On German
authority and in a German train, Lenin returned to Russia with many other
revolutionary leaders in order to stir up revolution, invoke civil war, and end
the war with Germany. He became the charismatic leader the party needed, and
set about gaining support for his ideas and far reaching ambitions. In his
April Thesis, Lenin spelt out the future of the party.? He insisted that the February revolution had
been a government coup and advocated a second revolution in which the Soviet
would seize power. ?
Lenin was a ruthless leader. He brought a new direction to the party and
non-cooperation with other parties. He ensured that his party was not
influenced by the policies of the Soviet, whilst advocating a Bolshevik control
of the same body. (?All Power to the Soviet? was a slogan from the April
Thesis.) Lenin?s return resulted in a key alteration in the Bolshevik party as
a whole. The party changed from a small party in cooperation with others to a
well-organised disciplined party capable of seizing power and gaining support
within a few months. Lenin?s Bolsheviks became committed to carrying out a
revolution on behalf of the workers, and Lenin set about ensuring the party was
strongly associated with them. Through propaganda he attracted his power base,
the workers, to support Bolshevik policy.?
The Bolshevik party, slowly and surely became the peoples party. By advocating a revolution of
behalf of the workers, Lenin proved himself to be flexible. He took the part of
the peasants over the issue of land, emphasised this point and furthered his
support.? Lenin?s willingness to adapt
Marxist ideology to the Russian situation was vital. The catch phrase ?Peace,
Bread, Land? formed part of the April Thesis and became extremely popular
with the peasantry.? Using a stolen
policy, Lenin was able to appeal to the peasants promising land reform, an end
to the war and an improvement in Russia?s food supply.? It was flexibility that enabled Lenin to
appeal to a wide cross section of Russian society.? However, Lenin was fortunate that
non- Bolshevik elements of the Soviet were not committed to the organisation.
This left the Bolsheviks in control. ?All Power to the Soviet? was a
dangerous policy to pursue. Lenin risked gaining support for a Soviet that was
not Bolshevik controlled. However, the element of daring within Lenin?s
policies played an essential part in their success. Yet Lenin should not receive too
much credit for the Bolshevik seizure of power.? Lenin played an unusual role in the revolution, during the months
between February and October, Lenin spent a considerable amount of time abroad
and whilst in Russia he spent much of his time in hiding.? Despite being an influential and charismatic
leader, he was not the driving force behind the day to day running of the
party. ??????????? Perhaps one
of Lenin?s most influential actions in the seizure of power was recruiting
Trotsky.? Trotsky, originally a
Menshevik was a vital Bolshevik acquisition.?
He brought a disciplinarian approach, whilst remaining an inspirational
character.? Whilst Lenin masterminded
much of Bolshevik policy, the organisation of action was largely due to
Trotsky.? Despite Lenin giving the
order, the storming of the Winter Palace and the relatively bloodless takeover
was organised and supervised by Trotsky. The success of the October coup can be
attributed to his organisation and supervision. His position as Chairman of the
Soviet was also of vital importance as he managed to gain the support of the
MRC (Military Revolutionary Council) for his actions during the October
coup.? This meant that the actions of 25th
October 1917 were carried out on behalf of the Soviet and not the Bolsheviks.
Furthermore, his Red Guards, an extremely well trained private army loyal to
the Bolshevik revolutionary cause, disciplined and inspired by his charisma,
played a vital part in the seizure and maintenance of power.? ??????????? The
manipulation of events and the ability to deal with setbacks owed much to the
vision of Lenin and Trotsky.? The ?July
Days? as they have come to be known were the result of the Bolshevik ?workers
party? being carried along by the workers. The workers rose of their own accord
and did not heed the advice of the Bolshevik leadership. The Bolsheviks,
anxious to maintain solidarity with the workers, supported the revolt. The
Provisional Government, at this stage had enough loyal regiments to put down a
relatively minor revolution and the success of their swift action gave the
Provisional Government and Kerensky new confidence and gained them
support.? It was a set back for the
Bolsheviks who were nearly destroyed by this sequence of events.? Lenin was forced to flee to Finland and
Trotsky and Bukharin were imprisoned.?
It also illustrated that the Bolsheviks were still an insignificant
force and were certainly not capable of mustering enough support to seize
power.? Nevertheless, the Bolsheviks
manipulated these events in their favour as they became associated with the
workers. The workers realised that the Bolsheviks were willing to join a
revolution with them and this resulted in the workers looking towards the
Bolshevik leadership for guidance. It was a setback the Bolsheviks used to
their advantage. ??????????? As with many successful revolutions, the end result
was partially due to extremely good fortune.?
In August 1917, Kerensky, who was still Prime Minister of the
Provisional Government, invited General Kornilov to bring an army to help him
maintain order in Petrograd.? Kornilov
proceeded to mar
Kerensky realised that Kornilov?s army was intent upon an armed coup and
panicked. The Provisional Government lacked sufficient military support to
defend the city.? Kerensky appealed to
the citizens of Petrograd to protect the city against the advancing forces and
offered weapons to all who were willing to fight.? The Bolsheviks realised the opportunity that the Provisional
Government had given them, and used it to great effect in order to improve the
party?s position and recover from previous failures. The leadership were
released from prison or came out of hiding to receive the weapons that were
given to them by the Provisional Government. The attack never took place,
railway workers under Bolshevik influence refused to operate Kornilov?s train
bringing his army to Petrograd and faced with a people?s militia, his support
dwindled and he allowed himself to be arrested. ??????????? The real significance of these events was
twofold.? Firstly, the Provisional
Government looked impotent in the face of a military threat. A Russian army
turning against the Provisional Government which in turn could only raise a
people?s militia to defend itself resulted in a huge loss of confidence and
support for a self ?appointed organisation, a loss that the Government could not
afford.? These two factors combined
practically negated any increase in confidence achieved during the ?July
Days?.? Secondly, it strengthened the
Bolsheviks by presenting them as the defenders of Petrograd and consequently,
increasing their support in the city.?
Large amounts of munitions were given to the Red Army that they kept and
used in the October coup and the civil war. These events were fortunate, but
they were used to maximum affect by the leadership. These events pushed the
party into a position from which they could seize power. After
the Bolsheviks seized power in the October Revolution in Petrograd and Moscow,
the question was how to secure and increase their gains.? The Bolsheviks went on to control the whole
of Russia.? This was achieved to a great
extent, by Trotsky?s organisation of the Red Army.? The eventual victory over the ?Whites? was due partially to
Trotsky?s ability as a general and leader and partially to the disorganisation
among the ?Whites? forces.? The term
?Whites? tends to give the impression of unity, organisation and common
purpose.? This was not the case.? The ?Whites? were, by definition, any party
that was opposed to the ?Reds? i.e. the Bolsheviks.? They included forces of the allied powers, Britain, France and
the USA. They were not a united force and attacks on the Red Army defending the
main cities were sporadic and normally carried out by a single group.? There was never an attack by the ?Whites? as
a whole. In
contrast, although the Red Army was not yet the mighty force it was to become
in the years that followed, the sporadic, individual attacks enabled Trotsky to
move his troops quickly, by train, to the area under threat. The transport, and
in particular, the railways were essential to the Bolshevik success.? They controlled the trains that ran between
Moscow and Petrograd, which were also some of the best and most efficient in
the country. The movement of troops was therefore fast and efficient under
Trotsky?s organisation. The contrast between the brilliant organisation and
discipline of the Bolsheviks, and the weakness and disorganisation of the
?Whites? as a whole, was the main reason for the Red Army?s civil war victory
in 1920. ?In addition, the Bolsheviks were able to
supply their forces efficiently from their city strongholds.? Moscow and Petrograd both contained the vast
majority of Russian industries, and this allowed the Bolsheviks to keep the Red
Army well supplied with what was needed for them to operate efficiently.? The ?Whites? had no such industrial base
from which to operate. However, these ?fortunate? blessings were also due to
careful planning on the part of the leadership. By taking both cities, they had
effectively cut the main supply lines for the ?Whites? and kept hold of an
excellent transport system.? Furthermore,
many Russian people associated the ?Whites? with the old regimes, the
autocratic, antiquated Tsarist system and the repression of the landowning
nobility. The new communist regime promised much and acted quickly to bring
about change.? They ended the war,
despite the harsh terms of the Brest-Litovsk treaty and in doing so they
stopped the drain on Russian resources.?
They took the land from the landowners, bringing it instead under state
control, they brought factories under workers control, and they modernised the
calendar. The Bolsheviks seemed to be bringing about a new utopian society with
a brighter future and rapidly gained support. The
maintenance of power was made possible by the tactics employed by the
Bolsheviks once power had been seized.?
Lenin realised that power once seized, must be secured.? He astutely closed down the Constituent
Assembly once he realised that the Bolsheviks did not have a majority.? Once again he manipulated Marxism to suit
his purposes claiming that the Assembly belonged to a bourgeois phase of
history with had now been superseded. The Bolshevik party had sufficient power
in Petrograd to overthrow the new elected parliament without too much complaint
from the people. The
transition between revolutionary party and government bureaucracy did not prove
easy for the Bolsheviks.? The difference
between theory and practice quickly became apparent to those with no experience
in running a country, the initial policy of ?War Communism?, which was
introduced in 1919, was extremely unpopular and ineffective. The peasants began
to revolt, the towns began to depopulate and production of most goods including
food fell, the final straw was the revolt of the Kronstadt sailors who had been
the most loyal of Bolshevik supporters.?
Lenin realised that the policy was unsuccessful and that Russia was not
yet ready to become a fully communist state.?
The result was the New Economic Policy (NEP).? This returned Russia to and essentially capitalist system whereby
the government took a tax in kind from small businesses, and the individual was
allowed to sell any surplus. This was primarily aimed at allowing farmers and
small businesses to make a profit and provide an incentive for them to continue
to work.? However, the state did not
entirely return to capitalist ways, 84% of workers, all large scale industry
and banking remained under government control. Lenin also introduced a new
currency to replace the devalued rouble. The result of this plan was a
widespread temporary recovery within Russia. However,
despite his attempts to improve the standards of living in Russia under the
NEP, he was intent upon maintenance of power at all costs. He introduced a
repressive secret police force known as the CHEKA; they were responsible for removing
any revolutionary threats after the victories of the Red Guards.? This body was extremely effective in its
repression of the ?Whites? and through the use of coercion the ?Whites? were
pacified.? This repression is often
referred to as the ?Terror?, which commenced in September 1918 and resulted in
the deaths of about fifty thousand people.?
However, the ?Terror? achieved its objective in securing power for the
Bolsheviks, and repressing the revolutionary forces within Russia that sought
to overthrow them. Lenin?s
multiple strokes during 1922 and his eventual death in 1924 brought an end to
his plans for Russia, the result is that we will never know what his long term
plans were. Lenin?s primary objective at this stage was to retain power, and he
was willing to go against his own ideologies and beliefs in the short term, in
order to achieve his future ambitions.?
This shows that, perhaps had Lenin lived, Stalin?s tyranny and
repression would never have come into being, resulting in a less repressive more
Marxist communist state. In
conclusion, the Bolsheviks successful seizure of power in 1922 was due to
several reoccurring factors.? Lenin?s
genius combined with Trotsky?s organisation and discipline allowed the party to
seize power.? Without these two, the
Bolsheviks would have remained a revolutionary party. The fortunate Kornilov
affair was an unexpected bonus for the Bolsheviks who exploited it to full
effect. The gain of weapons and support was vital to the eventual Bolshevik
success.? The capture of the main
industrial centres and the transport between them (Moscow and Petrograd) gave
the Bolsheviks excellent transportation and supplies, vital to their victory in
the civil war.? The disorganisation and
lack of cooperation between the ?Whites? as a whole made the ?Reds? victory in
the civil war much easier than it could have been.? The CHEKA and the ?Terror? repressed after Red Army victories had
been obtained removing revolutionary elements of society that could have risen
up once more.? Finally, the ability of
the Bolsheviks and Lenin is particular to adapt to situations.? Lenin was determined to secure power at all
costs, for example, when he realised the theory of war communism was not
working in practise, he introduced the NEP which satisfied the people and got
Russia back on its feet.? These factors
all contributed to the success of the Bolsheviks in attaining what they set out
to achieve.? However, the deciding factor
in the success of failure of the revolution was the leadership of the Bolsheviks.? Without Lenin and Trotsky, the revolution
would have never occurred, nor would power have been secured, the combination
of these two inspirational leaders was vital to the outcome of the seizure of
power and civil war.? They can be held
accountable for the Bolsheviks gaining power in 1922.? ???