Ruthlessness

• Under Lenin’s leadership, the Bolsheviks displayed total ruthlessness in making sure they didn’t face rebellion and revolt in areas they controlled.
• The Constituent Assembly had been organised by the Prov Gov to help decide a constitution for Russia. When elected, the majority of delegates happened to be Social Revolutionaries.


  The Bolsheviks feared opposition and closed the assembly.
• Once the civil war began, Bolsheviks banned all political parties and arrested their leaders (they also closed opposing newspapers).
• They had the Cheka, who were the Bolsheviks secret police.


  Hunted down anyone who was suspected of hostility towards the Bolsheviks and by the end of the civil war had executed 100,000 political opponents.
• “War Communism” was introduced to help supply war - effort.


  In May 1918, a Food Dictatorship was established where there was a grain requisitioning.
• Much of Russia’s industry was nationalised, giving the Bolsheviks total control of goods production.