Unit 3: VCE History1917 to 1924
Unwelcome Democracy
CausePromise of elections
Lenin demanded control
Continuity or Change?
Dismissal of assembly/duma
Lenin had a vision
Analysis Bolsheviks represent
proletariat.
Democratic Centralism
Civil War
CauseTreaty of Brest-
Litovsk
War at home and abroad
Continuity or Change?
Lenin dismissed assembly
Revolution was divided
Terror was stronger
Analysis Lenin established
Bolshevik unity
Trotsky led the military
War Communism
Economic Breakdown
CauseConstant war and economic policies caused Civil War
Different to and worse than 1891
famine
Continuity or Change?
Both peasants and proletariat worse
under War Communism
NEP improved outlook but was it
communism?
AnalysisWar communism was
both a failure economically and
ideologically
Comprise of NEP needed but at a cost
Internal Dissent
CauseCriticisms from
within (Zinoviev and Kamenev)
Opposed treaty and lack of democracy
Kronstadt
Continuity or Change?
Internal dissent remained in Political
Will
Still a change from Tsarism, though
terror was worseAnalysis
Lenin’s attempts to unite were
unsuccessful
NEP debated by left-wing idealists
Imposed from above
Analysis Activity 1
1) I would argue for ruthless and self-confident but against fanatical. This was a thoughtfully planned takeover with longer term ambitions.
2) We will never know. Certainly the circumstances that allowed power to be gained made it very difficult for the ideal of communism to develop freely.
3) I wouldn’t agree with the takeover as being ‘criminal’ (it was dodgy but that’s politics!). However the terror used to maintain power and the famine caused by poor economic policies can be seen as an atrocity (arguably).
Analysis Activity 2
1) The Hammer and Sickle represents the peasants and the industrial workers. The red flag represents the Soviet. ‘CCCP’ represents the Council of People’s Commissar's (Sovnarkom). The book may represent the Communist Manifesto. The varied members of the working class represents the ‘friendship of peoples’.
2) That it is moving forward, there are sunny days ahead with everyone working together towards a better, communist USSR.
3) It represents the peasantry, the true victims of War Communism as their food was requisitioned and many died from famine.
4) That it was desperate and poor, the man is frail and starving.
http://riowang.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/for-birthday.html
SCAMPER
S Trotsky disagreed with the NEP. Would he have continued with the failed war communism policies? I don’t think so…
C I think that it would have faced considerable challenges following the war (think Weimar Germany). Yes, the political and social freedoms would have been granted but would economic stability have been possible?
A Disaster
M He would have lost control and the civil war may well have continued for an even longer period. By gaining control and then making compromises he was able to stop civil war but at the cost of pure communism.
P I think that they were a unified political power who would have had a strong influence. However, was a leader like Lenin ever likely to be a team player?
E Every possibility of a return to the old system. Yes, the social revolutionaries were a big part of the ‘Whites’ (and opposed to tsarism) but the leaders were the tsars generals. What if they had won?
R Hard to tell. The Kaiser may have supported a return to tsarism (even after his differences with Nicky) or even seen a weakness and invaded. They may have shown loyalty to Lenin and helped him to stay in power.