Faction And Opposition In The 1920s

• From their early days in power the Bolsheviks face opposition from political groups former tsarist officers capricious peasants and ideological opposition- the bourgeoisie.
• But the main concern was opposition in Petrograd.
• Menshevik opposition destroyed themselves by walking out of the Soviet Congress in October 1917.
• Sovnarkom banned opposition and ordered the arrests of Kadet Menshevik and SR leaders. This avoided pressured for a coalition government. So many prisoners were put in Petrograd’s gaols that real criminals had to be released.
• The Cheka was created in December 1917 under Dzerzhinsky. It symbolised that the Bolsheviks would do all they could do to destroy their enemies. Cheka controlled Red Guards and military.
• The consolidation of Bolsehvik power was accompanied by class warfare. Bourgeoisie property was destroyed and social privilege ended. Discriminatory taxes levied on burzhui. Ideological opponents equally as targeted as political ones.
• The Civil War was the culmination of Bolshevik fight against opposition forces between 1918-21. This led to a new weave of coercian against both real and assumed enemies creating 'Red Terror'.
• In August 1918 the attempt on Lenin’s life provided the excuse for a frenzied written attack on the ‘bourgeoisie’. Thousands were rounded up who had any connection and the names of ‘accomplices’ were obtained by torture.
• In September 1918 the Sovnarkom gave the Cheka authority for the Terror. 500 000 to 1 million were estimated to have been killed between 1918-21 and many other were tortured or sent to labour camps where many died as a result of physically demanding work and meagre rations.
• All the remaining SRs and Mensheviks were branded traitors and 500 were shot in Petrograd alone. Political opposition came to an end when 34 SRs were given show trials and force to admit their crimes.
• Victims of the Terror included the Tsar and his family who were shot on 17 July 1918 ordinary workers suspected of ‘counter revolution’ because they were associated with a ‘class enemy’ or had a neighbours with a grudge.
• Merchants and traders professors prostitutes and peasants (particularly kulaks) and their family and friends were targeted. Priests Jews Catholics and to a lesser extent Muslims. Around 8000 priests were executed in 1921 for failing to hand over valuable Church possessions supposedly required for the relief of famine victims.
• There were serious political and economic policy disagreements between 1920-21. Groups such as the 'Worker's opposition' demanded that workers had more control but Lenin believed this was weakening the party.
• Therefore Lenin placed a ban on factions in 1921 meant all party members had to accept the decisions of the central committee or face expulsion from the party.
• The ban on factions meant the opportunity for debate and challenge was removed and the highly centralised authoritarian one party state emerged.