Ways in which communism influenced the Bolsheviks in their efforts to overcome the Tsarist regime in order to establish a Bolshevik state.
Intro
The Bolsheviks were a group of Russian revolutionaries who formed in 1903. They were followers of the ideas of the German socialist Karl Marx (1818-1883). Marx had a vision for a more equal world. He believed that the appalling factory conditions for workers in cities would eventually lead to them overthrowing the factory owners. He believed that after this revolution the workers would run the factories themselves and distribute wealth equally, so everyone would have enough money to live comfortably. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, believed they needed to have small, tightly knit, strictly organised party to lead the workers to a revolution. Social, economic and political conditions in Russia caused by the Tsarist regime influenced the Bolsheviks desire for a Bolshevik state where everyone was equal.
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There were many economic and social conditions of the Tsarist regime that influenced the Bolsheviks' desire to overcome the Tsar and establish their aim of a Bolshevik state.
• A law made in 1861 abolished serfdom of the peasants. This meant they could make more decisions about their own lives and were legally allowed to own land. However, the peasants had to make large redemption payments to the government in order to buy land. Taxes on the land were very high and a lot of land was not even good, fertile land. Because of the combined high taxes, low-quality land and redemption payments, many peasants could no longer support themselves by farming and moved to cities in search of work instead.
• However living conditions in the cities were hardly better. Russia had been struggling to catch up with the industrialisation of the 1890s and 1900s, and huge factories were built, mostly in the biggest cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. Many of these factories employed more than 1000 workers. In 1914, nearly 10% of Russians were workers living in the cities. However the working conditions were harsh. Workers worked for long hours with little pay. Wages were so low many could not afford to rent their own rooms and so lived in dirty, overcrowded barracks. Woman were a 1/3 of the workers but were paid less than men. There were no safety regulations and injuries happened often. Trade unions were illegal and there was no workers' compensation. The Tsar knew the conditions were bad but believed that Russia's industrial development was more important than the workers' problems.
• These harsh conditions influenced the Bolsheviks to overcome the Tsarist regime and establish a Bolshevik, communist state where workers and peasants would have more rights and better living conditions.
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The political conditions of Russia also influenced the Bolsheviks desire to overcome the challenge to their aim of a Bolshevik state that the Tsarist regime represented.
• Nicholas II was a highly conservative ruler. He believed that he had been appointed by God and that it was his duty to be a strong and stern ruler. Nicolas was an "autocrat" and in theory had complete control of Russia. However he was assisted by a number of individuals and government departments. The most senior officials were ministers, who were appointed by Nicholas. Nicholas often dismissed ministers when they told him things he didn't want to hear. This was an ineffective way to run a country.
• Non-Russian minorities were harshly suppressed by the government. Jews were highly persecuted. Peasants were encouraged to blame their problems on the Jews. Violent riots called pogroms were often part of Easter celebrations and the government did nothing to stop them.
• After the 1905 Revolution the Tsar agreed to give away some of his power. He issued a statement called the October Manifesto and he promised to call elections for a parliament or Duma, make political parties legal and allow freedom of speech. However, Nicholas limited the powers of the Duma so much that they could only discuss or suggest reforms. Two Dumas were shut down because they angered the Tsar and were "uncooperative".
• The Tsar was unwilling to allow democratic reforms and this contributed to the Bolsheviks' desire for a communist regime. Unfilled hopes for democracy fueled the Bolsheviks' revolutionary ideas and violence against the Tsarist regime.
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Conditions during WW1 influenced the Bolsheviks desire to overcome the Tsarist regime and establish a Bolshevik state.
• The Tsar decided to go to war in 1914 in order to restore the prestige Russia had lost in the Russo-Japanese war and to focus his peoples' mind on a common enemy (Germany) so that they would stop considering revolution. However it was a bad decision. Within a few weeks of entering the war the Russians had suffered horrible defeats at the battle of Tannenberg and Masurian Lake. They lost hundreds of thousands of men while their enemies lost hardly any.
• The Russian army was big but badly organised and poorly supplied. Soldiers did not have enough food, weapons or clothes. Soldiers would have to wait until their fellows had died before taking their guns to use. By 1915, morale was low and soldiers started deserting their posts in droves. They refused to fight even though the penalty for this was death. By 1917, 1.7 million Russian soldiers had been killed, 8 million wounded and 2.5 million taken prisoner.
• Conditions were no better at home. Women were having trouble feeding their families. Supplies for the home front were even more badly organised and food trains to the cities were given low priority. There were shortages of basic food supplies and fuel for heating and cooking. Women would often have to wait hours in the freezing cold to buy bread. In August 1915, Nicholas left Petrogrd and assumed supreme command of the army. This left his wife, the unpopular, inexperienced and German Alexandra in charge. Russia became more unstable under her control.
• The Tsar was blamed for all of these problems. He had little support left and, in 1917, was forced to abdicate. This left the way open for the Bolsheviks to pursue their objectives.
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A consequence of the Bolsheviks achieving their aim of a Bolshevik state was the treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
• Lenin had promised the people of Russia a just peace in regards to the war with no loss of territory. However it was one of the first promises he had to break.
• Communist Russia was standing alone in 1918 and were faced with an advancing German army and a German government. The Bolsheviks sought an armistice with the Germans, but the terms of peace were severe. However Lenin knew they had to accept and the treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on 3 March 1918.
• Under the terms of the treaty Russia lost Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Ukraine and parts of Caucasia. Russia lost 1/4 of its territory and it was some of Russia's richest land. They lost 1/3 of their agricultural land, 1/4 of its population, 3/4 of their coal and iron reserves and half their industry. They also had to pay 300 million gold roubles in war damages. As a result of all the loss of land, Lenin considered Petrograd too close to Russia's western border to be acceptable as a capital and moved the centre of government to Moscow instead.
• Many Russians blamed Lenin's government for this disastrous treaty. While the Bolsheviks had achieved their aim of leaving the war, it had left them even worse off. The treaty caused many Russians to resent the new Communist Party.
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A consequence of the Bolshevik aim for a Bolshevik state was War Communism.
• During the Civil War that lasted from mid-1918 to mid-1921, the Bolsheviks established an economic system called "War Communism". This was established to cope with the demands of the Civil War and to help propel the country into socialism (as defined by Marxists).
• Under War Communism the state came to control the whole economic life of Russia. Almost all businesses, railways, factories and mines were taken over by the government and the government decided how they were to be run. Private industry and trade were outlawed. A Food Commissariat was established to distribute food and manufactured goods. Food was rationed on the basis of social usefulness, with industrial workers getting more food than others. Inflation was out of control. By May 1922 railway fares were 1 million times higher than in June 1917. The ruble collapsed and the barter of goods largely replaced money. Strikes were made illegal and work was compulsory with all people working at the direction of the government.
• This resulted in collapse of the economy. By 1921 the output of industry had fallen to 1/5 of 1913 production. Coal production was down from 29 million to 9 million tonnes, sugar from 1.3 million tonnes to 50,000 tonnes and steel from 4.3 million tonnes to 200,000. Only about 1/3 of trains were working.
• War Communism resulted in a famine from 1921-22 - the worst in 100 years. 5 million people died from starvation and disease.
• The Bolsheviks had achieved their aim but did not know how to run a country, and War Communism proves this.
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A consequence of the Bolsheviks achieving their aim of a Bolshevik state was New Economic Policy.
• After the failure of War Communism Lenin realised something had to change. He introduced a New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921. Lenin himself said that "Only agreement with the peasantry can save the socialist revolution in Russia." The NEP gave peasants and workers more control over their own lives and their work.
• Peasants were allowed to farm their land in peace and to sell their produce for profit. Instead of grain seizures they had to pay tax to the government.
• Large businesses were still controlled by the government but small businesses were now allowed. Private trading was restored. However, as heavy industry produced 90% of Russia's industrial goods and employed 80% of its workers, a large and important part of the economy was left outside of the NEP.
• Money was reintroduced, workers were allowed to decide where they worked and they had shortened hours and were paid in cash.
• The NEP was Lenin's response to the urgent demands to restore the production of food and it was aimed at winning back the peasants' support. IN this regard it was a highly successful policy. By 1925 agricultural production in Russia returned to 1913 levels. Small-scale industries were revived. However large-scale industry remained stagnant, wages were still low and unemployment climbed to 2 million.
• With all the economic reforms, though, there was still not a lot of political reform. Opposition against the Bolsheviks was constantly being crushed and all of those who were not obedient to the party line were expelled from the party.
Conclusion
Communism had influenced the Bolsheviks to overcome the Tsarist regime, but in the end it didn't work out as perfectly as they had hoped. The things that influenced the Bolsheviks to overcome the Tsarist regime were political, social and economic conditions of Russia under the Tsar. Consequences of their efforts included the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, War Communism and the New Economic Policy. Lenin and his comrades were certain that the Communist Party was the best party to govern Russia. Lenin wanted to create his perfect, classless society as outlined by Marx, where wealth and power would be shared equally. However, in the end, Lenin and the Bolsheviks realised that once they were in government the need to stay in power often led them to override their own ideals.