Lenin’s Rise to Power

• Background:
  • Lenin’s early life, education, and revolutionary activities.

  • His leadership of the Bolshevik faction after the Social Democratic Party split in 1903.

  • His return to Russia in 1917, financed by the Germans, to lead the revolution and withdraw Russia from WWI.

• Bolshevik Consolidation of Power:
  • Use of the secret police (Cheka) to suppress opposition.

  • Promises of “peace, bread, and land” attracted support, especially from peasants.

  • The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) ended Russia’s involvement in WWI.

  • Land redistribution and food rationing were implemented.

The Russian Civil War (1918-1920)

• Combatants:
  • The Reds (Bolsheviks) vs. The Whites (Mensheviks, peasants, czarists, etc.), with foreign aid to the Whites from the Allied powers.

• Causes:
  • Opposition to communism, nationalization of industries, and the loss of land by the aristocracy.

  • Religious opposition to anti-religious policies.

  • Desire by the Whites and foreign powers to reinstate the pre-revolutionary system.

• Reasons for Bolshevik Victory:
  • Strong military leadership (Leon Trotsky) and more troops.

  • Support from peasants due to land reforms.

  • Weaknesses and divisions within the White forces.

  • Limited and eventually withdrawn foreign support.

Lenin’s Domestic Policies

• Social and Economic Changes:
  • Abolished class distinctions and private land ownership.

  • Nationalized land and industries.

  • Established strict censorship, including the elimination of opposition press.

  • Created the Cheka to deal with perceived enemies.

• War Communism:
  • A policy to support the Civil War by nationalizing industries, banning private trade, and requisitioning food from peasants.

  • The effects included poverty, starvation, inflation, and strikes due to government control over resources.

The New Economic Policy (NEP)

• Replaced War Communism with a more relaxed economic policy.

• Key Elements:
  • Peasants had to surrender only 10% of their food, rather than all of it.

  • Peasants were encouraged to work seriously.

  • Trade with the West was resumed.

  • The government controlled only large industries, while smaller ones (with fewer than 20 employees) were returned to former owners.

Benefits of the NEP

• Increased food production, reducing starvation in Russia.

• Helped reduce inflation and stabilized the economy through industrialization.

• Created a class of wealthier peasants known as the Kulaks.

Lenin’s Foreign Policies

• Lenin believed in “permanent revolution,” aiming to spread communism globally.

• The Comintern (Communist International Bureau) was created to promote communism worldwide.

• By 1920, it was clear that other European nations weren’t ready for communism, leading Russia to defend its revolution and improve relations with capitalist states.
  • 1921 trade agreements with Germany and Britain.

  • 1922 Rapallo Treaty with Germany: diplomatic recognition of the Soviet government and economic agreements.

  • 1924 Britain recognized the Soviet government.

The Death of Lenin and the Struggles for Leadership

• Lenin died on January 21, 1924, of a stroke and was buried in Moscow’s Red Square.

• After his death, a power struggle ensued within the Communist Party, with the “triumvirate” (Stalin, Kamenev, and Zinoviev) ruling in the early stages.

• The primary battle was between Stalin and Trotsky for leadership of the Soviet Union.

Leon Trotsky vs. Joseph Stalin

• Trotsky believed in spreading communism worldwide (Permanent Revolution).

• Stalin advocated for socialism in one country, focusing on building a strong Russia using its resources.