How successful were the Bolsheviks in consolidating their power between 1917 and 1924?

by mirankhan (student)

C/W Friday 21st September 2012 Miran Khan History

During 1917 to 1924 Russia was experiencing vast political, economic and social change, the Bolshevik’s took many meaures to consolidate their power.As soon as the Bolsheviks came into power it beacame apparent that the First World War had left Russia in a disastrous state where the nation, was facing alot of social unrest and facing a major uprising.

The Bolsheviks who had just seized control, undertook several measures to establish their authority including the declaration of initial reforms ie the land decree marriage decree and the decree on workers, the signing of the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, fighting the Civil War, starting the ideologies of War Communism, starting the red terror and finally introducing the New Economic Policy NEP. All of these actions were each extremely significant in helping the Bolsheviks seize power by 1924.

The year 1917 was the beginning of Russia's struggle for power as the second revolution triggered major social, political and economic changes. With the return of Lenin, the Bolsheviks had swept the nation with revolutionary ideology that would start their rise to power through his popular slogans of 'Bread, Peace, Land' and 'all power to the Soviets'. Lenin's 'April Thesis' in 1917 was a crucial step toward change as he called for a worldwide revolution, an end to the war and an end to the provisional government. The war with Germany was still happening but food production was plummeting and soon Russia was embraced by a devastating famine leading Russia to an economic crisis. As the Bolsheviks took control they immediately stopped all the freedoms that the proletariat had gained, as Lenin described Russia as "the freest country in the world." This caused major uproar with opposing political parties and the Bolsheviks faced civil war.

The Bolsheviks came under intense pressure from other political groups, such as the white army and the green army. There was also the rebellion by the sailors of Kronstadt and always coming under criticism by many world leaders and the Russian public. However the Bolsheviks came into power swiftly and made some swift decisions they decided to stop the war before they were in power for 24 hours. They gave land to peasant and he granted independence to Russia’s national minorities. These measures were very popular in Russia. A problem that the Bolsheviks encountered was at the start although ...

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They used Democratic centralism to show that the Bolshevik’s were being democratic; it was to show the people of Russia that the Bolsheviks were for democracy and not against it, but this was not typical democracy of the public voting for the public to elect there leader and to choose the government that ruled their country. This was the idea that the party would decide on what would happen on a matter, but it gave the Russian public peace of mind that there government was partly democratic.

Lenin and the Bolsheviks were also aware of how important political press was. The Bolsheviks had pumped enormous amounts of money into their own papers and periodicals before and during 1917.By banning other opposition papers, they may have prompted significant protests especially from other Socialist parties. However, they may have faced an even greater threat by allowing it to continue. So he banned it in October 1917, he started with the newspapers of the centre and right, and later the socialist press.

Lenin and the Bolsheviks were aware that other political parties enjoyed considerable support, especially the Kadet party and the Socialist Revolutionary Party both of whom had done well in the elections to the Constituent Assembly. By banning other political parties, the Bolsheviks risked sparking a civil war. However, if they remained, they posed a continued threat to the newly formed Sovnarkom. The Kadet party was outlawed. Leading Kadets were arrested and two were brutally put to death by Bolshevik sailors. They were soon followed into prison by leading right-wing Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks – all this before the end of 1917. However, other socialist parties were not banned outright although their future was very uncertain.

Lenin had built up Bolshevik support by promising land to the peasants. He was aware of the tide of popular opposition that had undermined Kerensky and the Provisional Government. But handing land over to the peasants immediately could lead to an economic crisis, violence and lawlessness in the countryside. In October 1917, the Sovnarkom passed the ‘decree on land’. This gave peasants the right to take over the estates of the gentry, without compensation, and to decide for them the best way to divide it up. Land could no longer be bought, sold or rented; it belonged to the ‘entire people’. Privately owned land was not part of the Bolshevik’s socialist vision.

Lenin and the Bolsheviks believed firmly in the principle of power being passed to the ‘workers of the world’. But they ran the risk of inefficient production, disputes and violence and economic disaster. There had been a great deal of unrest in the factories with factory committees demanding an eight-hour day, better working conditions and better pay. In November 1917, the Bolsheviks passed the ‘Workers Control Decree’. Factory committees were given the right to control production and to ‘supervise’ management. In October 1917, the Bolsheviks also agreed to a maximum eight-hour day for workers as well as social insurance

The collapse of the Romanov dynasty had prompted many national groups to present demands for more self government. The Finns and the Ukrainians were the first to do this. ‘The Rights of the People of Russia’ decree gave the right of self-determination to the national minorities in the former Russian Empire.

To conclude the Bolsheviks took many early measures to consolidate their power between 1917 and 1924, I think the most important was that the Bolsheviks took firm control and knew exactly what they wanted to do and they did it. They also stood strong during the civil war and did not show any signs of weakness. It also helped that there was only one party in charge and most decisions were made by Lenin and only Lenin, this helped to make decisions more effectively and quickly.

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