Bolsheviks after the oct rev

• The October revolution transferred power to the all Russian congress of soviets and the first session of the 2nd All Russian congress of soviets was he,d on the evening of the first day of the revolution
• The all Russian congress if soviets were not united in its approval for the revolution, those of the left congratulated lenin but those on the right accused Lenin of using violence to seize power illegally.

  • mensheviks did not believe it would last
  • even Bolshevik, such as Zinoviev and kamenev opposed the coup
• 500 of original 670 delegates voted in favour of a socialist government, however Mensheviks and right wing Srs were outraged that the majority of seats for the new executive committee to carry out the new socialist gov out went to the Bolsheviks and extreme left SRs so in protest the moderates walked out the congress which left a Bolshevik and left wing so coalition in control
• Sovnarkom was established which wa the soviet of people’s commissars and was mostly made up of bolsheviks

  met more frequently than the soviet
• Lenin was the chairman of sovnarkom and Trotsky was commissar for foreign affairs

  ruled by decree without the soviets approval and Lenin started peace talks with Germany without reference to the soviet

  set up to take charge of running the government
• By the end of 1917 the bolsheviks dominated the larger towns and cities and controlled the railways, however huge areas of countryside were still not under their control
• Bolsheviks had to establish authority outside the capital and combat forces of kerensky who had set up a new headquarters and rallied an army of 18 cossack regiments and a small force of SR cadets and officers
• Many soldiers from the Petrograd garrison returned home and lenin had no direct contact with troops at the front so forces are smaller than those of his opponents- Bolsheviks position appeared weak
• Bolshevik position by the end of October was far from secure- civil servants refused to serve and bankers refused to provide finance, it took 10 days to persuade the state bank to hand over reserves, then only under threats of armed intervention
• What happened on October 29?

  An army cadet rising against the bolsheviks in Petrograd which was quickly defeated by the red guard
• The executive committee of railway men demanded a united socialist government and they refused to transport food
• Ntionaloties demanded independence which brought on the nationality decree which promised self determination to the people of the former Russian empire

  • in December Finland became an independent state and an elected Rada was set up in Ukraine
• Lenin spoke out against the danger of moving towards socialism too quickly, could be presented in the creation of the NEP. He had cautions abou the nationalisation of industry as he didn’t want the economy to collapse
• The Bolshevik position at the end of October was far from secure
• the executive committee of railwaymen demanded a ‘united socialist government’ and refused to transport food, Lenin ignored this and it fizzled out
• On 31 October the Bolsheviks took control in Baku and in 17 provincial capitals
• On 2 November kerenskys oppositional forces were defeated and the soviet government proclaimed ‘the declaration of rights of the peoples of Russia‘ permitting the nationalities of Russia to break away and have full independence
• on 3 November the Kremlin in Moscow was taken, ending a ten day battle for Moscow and Lenin issued an ultimatum to end division within the party, those unhappy with the new government could either accept it or leave
• On 5 October Lenin proclaimed the victory of the revolution
• By the end of 1917, the Bolsheviks dominated the major towns and railways, although large area of the countryside were still outside their control and it would take four more years of civil war before the Bolsheviks could claim full victory and military control the country
• Lenin reluctantly agreed to allow seven left wing SRs to join the Sovnarkom in November, after protests about the establishment of a purely Bolshevik state, but he was hostile to any further suggestions of ‘power sharing’
• Between the Bolshevik seizure of power and the end of 1917, Lenin issued an ultimatum large number of decrees, optimism was high during this period so Lenin needed to fulfil his promises of change and win support
• the workers decree in 1917 established a maximum 8 hour day
• The social insurance decree provided old age, health and unemployment benefits
• The press decree in 1917 banned opposition press and decree on peace promised an end to the war
• the Decree on land in October abolished private ownership of land and legitimised peasant seizures without compensation to landlords
• In November the right of the people of Russia decree abolished titles and class ranks
• In November the nationality decree promised self determination to the peoples of the former Russian empire, in December, Finland became an independent state and an elected rada was set up in Ukraine
• In November the decree on workers control of factories gave workers the right to supervise management
• In November the judicial decree established a new legal system of elected people’s courts

  The decree to outlaw sex discrimination gave women equality with men and right to own property
• In December the decree to establish the All Russian commission for the suppression of counter revolution, sabotage and speculation created the Cheka to root out opposition
• In December the Bank decree nationalised banks and ended the private flow of capital

  The military decree removed class ranks, saluting and military decorations from the army under the control of soldiers soviets
• In December the decrees on the church nationalised church land, removed marriage and divorce from church control and gave women the right to initiate divorce
• Lenin seemed to envisage a long transition to socialism, which the first stage would be a form of state capitalias throughout which there would be a degree of state control over economic affairs but private markets would remain as an important feature of economic life
• In December 1917 the Veshenka was established to supervise and control economic development
• The early months of the Bolshevik regime saw to combat opposition, a propaganda campaign was mounted against political and class enemies and anti Bolshevik newspapers were closed
• In early months there was a purge of the civil service and the Cheka was established
• Leading Kadets, right wing SRs and Mensheviks were imprisoned