During a battle between the Bolsheviks and the provisional government, Lenin managed to creep back into Russia. In November 1917, Leon Trotsky began to recruit men to join the ‘Red Guard.’ As the government was getting week, Lenin decided to attack the government. The Red Guard stormed Petrograd and the provisional government fled. The Bolsheviks had taken control of Russia.
As Lenin was desperate to get Russia out of the war, he signed a treaty with Germany. This was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. This provided peace in Russia, but meant that 33%of Russian agricultural land, 80% of Russian coalmines, 50% of Russia’s industry, and 25% of its railways were all given to Germany.
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was not popular amongst all Russians, infact this was the cause of a civil war in Russia. The Bolsheviks and their supporters were known as the ‘Reds,’ and the supporters of the Tsar were known as the ‘Whites.’ This civil war, or had a terrible effect on the towns people. People were starving and dieing. Lenin Decided to set up a system known as ‘War Communism’ which meant that the government took over all private owned businesses, food rationing was introduced, and the Red army was sent to the countryside to take the peasants food in order to feed the people in the cities. This meant that many peasants had to resort to cannibalism to stay alive. In the end, the Reds won the civil war, which meant Lenin remained the Ruler of Russia and that there was no worry of a Tsar returning.
In December 1917, Lenin set up the ‘Extraordinary Commission for the Struggle Against Counter-Revolution, Sabotage and Speculation’ (more commonly known as the Cheka).This was set up to deal with opposition to communism. The ‘Red Terror’ was began in 1918, which was when suspected conspirators against the revolution were arrested, tortured, and killed. The Cheka was put at full stretch in August 1918 when there was an attempt on Lenin’s life. They started a terror campaign and started to kill many suspected enemies to Lenin. The Cheka were responsible for 200,000 deaths of Russian civilians.
Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy, as the idea of War Communism couldn’t carry on. The NEP was to make made to improve the Russian economy by allowing people to start up small, profit earning shops and factories. Workers were also paid for working overtime and peasants were allowed to sell food. The state would control most important industries though. This resulted in a raise in the production of food and a decrease in cannibalism.
