Russia official government became sovnarkhom or ‘The Council of People’s Commissars’. The peace decree was an important initial reform as Lenin aimed the war with Germany as he recognised the war to be the major cause for the variety of the nation’s problems after the provisional government had failed to end the war. Next was the Land Decree which attempted to solve the trouble in the countryside by granting the peasants the right to seize land and declaring that all land was to be owned collectively by the state the was essentially already occurring and lenin basically legalised it. Although the Bolshevik were reluctant to do this, it was a necessary reform as opposing the peasants’ demands would cause another revolution as they were simultaneously russias greatest strength and weakness. Other reforms for the people of Russia involved the improvement of working conditions as workers now controlled the factories where working hours were minimised. The armed forces were also under control of the Army Soviets and Soldiers Committees and had to be elected. These reforms however were not the end to Russia’s problems. The Bolsheviks tightened the control on other political parties that existed anyone who opposed the Bolsheviks was often considered an “enemy of the state” and was usually taken care of through the Cheka (Lenins Secret police). The Cheka created an atmosphere of terror and intimidation using the brutal measures to give the Bolsheviks power. Although some of these changes did not stay true to communist ideology, these initial reforms were essential to the Bolshevik consolidation of power as they extended Bolshevik control and influence in Russia.
The signing of the treaty of Brest-Litovsk was on March 1918 was a vital measure taken by the Bolsheviks in their course of establishing their rule. Initially there was a political divide between what was to be done with the war. Trotsky called for neither going to war nor agreeing to peace, “neither war nor peace” however Lenin saw the threat the continuation of the war.
War Communism was an essential aspect to the Bolsheviks consolidation of power as the victory in the civil war would have been impossible without these policies. War Communism refers to the series of policies introduced by Lenin at the start of the civil war in mid-1918 to deal with the disastrous economic and military situation that the Bolsheviks faced. It involved reinforcing extreme measures of state control and state terror. It was introduced to ensure the survival of the Bolsheviks. It would do this by solving the low food production due to the attiude of the conservative peasants, and the low factory output. One of the first changes it presented was the state control and nationalisation of all industry. This would address the industrial problems and ensure factory output was consistent to keep the army fighting.
The Red Terror was also a key factor in the civil war that was crucial to the Bolshevik consolidation of power. The Red Terror consisted of merciless arrest, torture and execution carried out by the Cheka to eliminate political enemies and anyone who opposed Bolshevik rule.
The New Economic Policy (NEP) was one of the final and most important measures taken by the Bolsheviks in order to consolidate power. The NEP was introduced almost as a direct result of the Kronstadt rebellion in 1921 where the Kronstadt sailors who were initially in favour of the Bolsheviks so their rebellion was very significant. Lenin described it as the flash in the pan that lit up reality most.
In conclusion the period of 1917 to 1924 was a time of great social, political and economic turbulence for Russia. The growing political tension and social unrest left Russia very unstable. It was necessary for the Bolshevik regime to take their hold on power and consolidate it to ensure their own survival. The initial reforms of 1917, the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the civil war, the introduction of War Communism, the Red Terror and the NEP were all significant steps in the Bolsheviks drive for the consolidation of power. These measures were key for the Bolsheviks to seize power.
