Bolsheviks Consolidation

Bolsheviks consolidated power militarily, socially, economically and politically. Politically, they signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918), which marked the withdrawal from war. Armistice between Russia and Central Powers agreed in Dec 1917 ceased hostilities. Russia suffered major losses that adversely affected its economy. It was high price to pay but this allowed time for Russia’s recovery. Victory in Civil War (April 1918-1921) helped Bolsheviks consolidate power militarily. By April 1918, armed opposition to the Bolsheviks was erupting in many areas of Russia. Whites, consisting of SRs, Mensheviks, Cadets, ex-Tsarist officers & other opposition groups, aided by western powers wanted the fall of Bolsheviks and to set up a democratic government on Western lines. When Czech Legion captured Siberian towns and cities, it stirred the Allies into action. Foreign intervention was explained to be aiding Russian government to continue war against Germany. Admiral Alexander Kolchak became the leader of the... Whites but his indecisiveness and unreliable soldiers allowed the Reds to make steady advances and lots of their supplies were captured. Kolchak was handed over to the Reds for execution and General Denikin was his successor. However, Denikin’s troops were spread too thinly apart and the Reds penetrated his rear. Trotsky formed the well-disciplined Red Army based on conscription and included experienced officers from old Tsarist armies. However in 1920, invasion of Ukraine by Polish and French troops forced Russians to hand over part of Ukraine and White Russia (Treaty of Riga). By 1921, Trotsky defeated the Whites. The Bolsheviks consolidated power socially in 1918 by gaining mass support. Lenin, leader of Bolsheviks, allowed free elections and nationalized all land so that it could be redistributed among peasants. The Bolsheviks abolished the Constituent Assembly when anti- Bolshevik speeches were made, and they claimed it was the highest form of democracy as they knew the problems of the nation well and an Assembly was redundant. War communism, a measure to consolidate power militarily and economically, aimed to prevent total collapse of economy and practice communism based on Marxist doctrine. Its features included nationalization of banking, transport, large industries, rationing of basic goods and services, application of coercion whenever exhortation failed, Gosplan (sate controlled economy), labour conscription, no free trade, grain seizures, strict labour control (use of ration cards to control amount of food a person gets) and wage incentives and bonuses were paid in food and money. These serve to accumulate and mobilize resources to protect Bolsheviks from foreign threats. War communism resulted in food shortages and depopulation as workers living in cities got to scout for food out of the city. People were forced to hand over homestead and join collective farms. There was decline in food production and industrial output in 1920 was 1/5 of 1913’s. There was peasant uprisings and mutiny of sailors even held a rebellion at Kronstadt, demanding political and economic freedom. The government had lost legitimacy to rule. The Bolsheviks came up with the New Economic Policy (NEP) to win back faltering support of peasants and revive economy which was at virtual collapse. Its features included peasants allowed to keep surplus produced after payment of tax representing a certain proportion of the surplus, denationalization of small industries and enterprises, permission to hire labour, new currency introduced to stabilize economy and having former managers in charge of specialists Kamenov and Zinoviev disapproved of NEP because they thought the policy encouraged the development of kulaks (wealthy peasants), and this was an enemy of communism. NEP resulted in reintroduction of free trade, revived incentives and increased food production, small industries and trade were restored to private ownership though heavy industries such as coal, iron & steel together with power, transport & banking remained under state control and growth of finance sector. Living standards increased and kulaks emerged. Bolsheviks consolidated power politically to solve problems of disagreement and criticism inside communist party or about communists. The Bolsheviks established a one party-state as it they felt they could not live on with other political parties around and infiltrated the government with Bolsheviks. They structured the regime by introducing the 1918 Constitution followed by the 1924 Constitution (federation of Belorussia, Ukraine and Calcucus) which governed matters concerning trade, defense, education and others. This was done mainly to provide legal framework to strengthen Bolsheviks power. Lastly, Bolsheviks undermined religion (powerful rival of Communism) by introducing 1918 Land Decree, banning civil marriages, forbidding the participation of religion in political affairs and abolishing all religious institutions.