Post 1917 - Bolshevik Leadership

The Bolshevik party came to power seeking to improve life for the working class, but in order to ensure that their objective could be fulfilled, they had to remain in power long enough to enforce the decrees they chose to pass. The politically charged atmosphere of post-revolutionary Russia made this task exceptionally difficult for the Bolsheviks. Having been taught by the Bolsheviks themselves to make their discomforts and grievances known to the authorities, the Russian people became a highly politically changeable group. This meant that they responded violently to any negative changes, blaming the Bolshevik leadership regardless of whether the Bolsheviks had anything to do with the creation of or potential solutions to the troubles of the working class. Some factors outside of Bolshevik control, but which were still attributed to poor leadership included the heavy casualties sustained in WWI, which resulted in the loss of able-bodied young men, which in turn caused industrial and agricultural production rates to lessen dramatically. These factors could cause public opinions of the Bolsheviks to swing from majority support, to mass resentment in a matter of days. This means that reports of the events and responses post-1917 can be extremely varied. This fact is recognised by ………… who states that only revisionist historians recognise that the revolutions was “infinitely more complicated than what soviet and liberal historians make it out to be”. This means that, according to ……….. Revisionist historians can see the greyer areas of the revolution, including the fact that though the Bolsheviks engaged in a number of brutal tactics to remain in control, every action was carried out in order to , eventually, improve the lives of the working class.

The outbreak of civil war in January 1918 caused Lenin to grow increasingly desperate to retain power for the benefit of the working class. The treaty of Brest-Litovsk in February, 1918, sacrificed a quarter of Russia’s population, as well as some of their industrial and agricultural regions. Though this was not an action that Lenin was pleased to take, it eased stress placed on Lenin by the outer territories, and allowed the Bolsheviks to concentrate on winning the civil war, and gaining the support of the rest of the nation. This decision, though exceptionally difficult to make, gained Lenin support from many of the smaller territories formerly a part of Russia.

Following as the civil war worsened, the Policy of war communism was implemented in 1918 in order to supply starving troops with food. The grain was taxed from already struggling farms. Though this policy saved the lives of many soldiers, it worsened the living conditions of many agricultural workers. The policies of war communism have been condemned almost universally, considering the worsening famine.

The introduction of the NEP (New Economic Policy) in 1921 has been viewed by Michael Lynch as“surrender to the peasantry”, but in reality it was a last desperate attempt by Lenin to remedy the horrific situation faced by civilians due to the desolation of extended conflict. The NEP is described as a “turn to the right”, meaning that the Bolsheviks were making concessions to their Socialist beliefs. This should be seen as the ultimate proof that the Bolsheviks aimed only to benefit the lower classes. They were prepared to sacrifice some of their bitterly fought for ideals in order to save a crippled population.

After 1917, Russia was a country doomed to destruction. Failed economy, left by the destructive Tsarist government, combined with the increasingly radical political nature of the civilians, as well as the pressures of WWI had led to a situation which was nearly impossible to solve entirely. Short of relinquishing power entirely to the Capitalist West, who offered aid to the stricken population, the Bolshevik party could have done little more to help the working classes. They battled counter-revolution, and were forced to sacrifice their ideals, yet they are still condemned by some Liberal historians. It should be recognised that actions of Bolsheviks were purely to help the Russian people. In order to help the people, the Bolshevik party had to be in power, this fact alone should, if not entirely excuse their actions during the red terror, at least force us to understand their plight.