October revolution 1917 and Lenin's russia

• What did the Bolsheviks condemn the Provisional Government for?

  Not pulling Russia out of the war
• Why did the Bolsheviks issue a series of decrees?

  To show they were different from the Provisional Government
• What was the Decree on Peace passed by?

  The All-Russian Congress
• What did the Decree on Peace call for?

  Peace talks among all countries in the war
• What was the significance of the Decree on Land issued on November 8, 1917?

  It legalized land redistribution to peasants
• What happened to church-owned land in December 1917?

  It was nationalized by the state
• What did the decree on workers' rights introduce?

  An eight-hour working day and unemployment insurance
• What did the decree on nationalities allow?

  National minorities to rule themselves
• How did the Soviets react to the decrees?

  They supported the decrees enthusiastically
• What titles were abolished by the Bolsheviks?

  'Your honour' and 'Your excellency'
• What was Trotsky's role as Commissar for War?

  To negotiate Russia's exit from the First World War
• When was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed?

  March 1918
• Why did the Bolsheviks agree to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

  To quickly end the war and focus on internal issues
• What territories did Russia lose in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

  Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia
• How did soldiers feel about the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

  Relieved they no longer had to fight
• What was the reaction of nationalists to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

  They felt offended by Russia's humiliation
• What were the main decrees issued by the Bolsheviks in late 1917?

  • Decree on Peace: Initiated peace talks
  • Decree on Land: Land redistribution to peasants
  • Decrees on Workers’ Rights: Introduced working hours and unemployment insurance
  • Decree on Nationalities: Allowed self-rule for national minorities
• What were the consequences of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk for Russia?

  • Loss of territories: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia
  • Loss of population: 26% of its population
  • Loss of farmland and industrial areas
  • Imposition of reparations: 300 million roubles
• What were the Bolsheviks' motivations for issuing decrees and signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

  • To demonstrate their difference from the Provisional Government
  • To gain support from workers and soldiers
  • To quickly end the war and focus on internal opposition
• What was the purpose of the Constituent Assembly started by the Bolsheviks?

  To avoid criticisms of the Provisional Government
• What was the outcome of the November 1917 election held by the Bolsheviks?

  The Bolsheviks secured 168 seats
• How did the Bolsheviks' election results compare to the SRs?

  The SRs received 40% of the vote
• What happened to the Constituent Assembly after its first session?

  It was shut down by the Bolsheviks
• Why did the Bolsheviks shut down the Constituent Assembly?

  They lacked control of enough seats
• What is the term used by historians for the Bolsheviks' struggle for control over railways?

  'Railway War'
• What was the Sovnarkom?

  It was Lenin's government council
• Who were the Left SRs?

  They were part of Lenin's initial government
• Why did the Sovnarkom break down?

  Left SRs refused to sign a peace treaty
• Where was the former tsar and his family housed?

  Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg
• Why were Britain and France embarrassed by the former tsar?

  He led a backward and autocratic society
• What suspicion arose by spring 1918 regarding the tsar?

  White armies might try to release him
• When was the tsar and his family executed?

  17 July 1918
• What was the Cheka?

  First version of Soviet secret police
• What is the full name of the Cheka?

  All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage
• When was the Cheka formed?

  December 1917
• What role did the Cheka play under the Bolsheviks?

  Rooting out enemies of the regime
• Who was the first director of the Cheka?

  Felix Dzerzhinsky
• What was Felix Dzerzhinsky's background?

  He was an aristocrat who became a communist
• What did Dzerzhinsky experience under the tsarist regime?

  He was imprisoned many times
• What are the key events leading to the end of Tsardom in Russia?

  • Nicholas II's autocracy
  • Growth of revolutionary opposition
  • The 1905 Revolution
  • The impact of WWI
  • Tsar's abdication