Gulags and the Purges

Read pages 14 - 17 in "Stalin & the Soviet Union - III," which is in your shared file folder. Answer the following seven questions and place them in your blog. These are due Wednesday prior to class.

The Gulag System

1. What type of construction projects were built using the Gulag system?

The Gulag system built projects like the canal between the White Sea and the Baltic Sea. This project was done entirely by hand; no machinery was used.

2. What were the conditions of the work camps?
The conditions of the work camps varied, but they were all bad. The prisoners who worked harder were given more food, and those who didn't work as had got less food. So the prisoners, who were hungry and tired, were not in the condition to be doing the work that was asked of them, and therefore they could not work efficiently enough to earn sufficient food. This, of course, only made them hungrier, and created a vicious circle from which they couldn't escape. Conditions were especially bad in the Kolyma region, where it sometimes got so cold that the mercury in thermometers would freeze.

3. Why do you think slave labor was used in the projects rather than paid laborers?

Slave labor was used in the projects because the state could not afford to pay such a massive amount of workers to do the tasks, so they took the class enemies and forced them to work for free.

Purges, Show Trails and Terror

4. What were the issues surrounding Kirov's murder? Why do you think he had been murdered?

The issues surrounding Kirov's murder were that Nikolayev, the murderer, was stopped a few days before near Kirov's office. He had on him a revolver and a plan of Kirov's movements, however the guards released him and returned his gun. Also, Kirov's bodyguard, Borisov, was not present at the time of the murder. He usually went with Kirov everywhere he went. Then, the next day, Bosirov died in a car crash, the only casualty in a car containing several passengers.

5. What was the Great Purge? What specific group did it target?
The Great Purge was the period of massive arrests and murders that Stalin used to purge the Communist Party of his opposers and those who were unreliable.

6. What was the purpose of the Show Trials?

The purpose of the Show Trials was just for show. The trials were not at all fair, but they were largely publicized, and the press was invited. The many confessions made were not genuine, as they were often forced with torture and promises of survival.

7. What was the Great Terror?

The Great Terror was the state of fear that the whole nation fell into. Nobody knew who it was safe to talk to, because anyone could turn anyone in with false accusations, and get them shot or thrown in the gulags.

In Class: Lenin Between the Revolutions

1. Using Documents C, D, and E (page 2 - all numbers referred to are the big hand written page numbers) explain how Lenin and Stalin worked to secure the supremacy of the party.

Documents C, D, and E show Lenin's efforts to secure the supremacy of his party largely by suppressing the other parties. In document C, he criticizes the other parties and states that they do more harm than good and they spark conflict. He then orders the "dispersal of all groups, without exception." He demands that any group or party that is not his own supporters must cease to exist, or else be expelled from the party, and become an outcast. Stalin, three years later, expresses his views on the Communist Party, and in doing so he not only glorifies the Communist Party, but also strikes down the other parties. He says that the Communist Party was successful in achieving equality because "it was able in good time to purge itself of the opportunistic pollution." It was successful because it managed to oppress its corrupt adversaries. Document E shows the corruption and evil of these opposing parties. The Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks are portrayed as small figures among a city engulfed in shadow, trying to prevent a much larger figure from leaving the dark city behind and moving on to the light revolution. It portrays the two parties as corrupt, and hindering Russia's progress. Stalin and Lenin's techniques in securing their party's supremacy largely includes suppressing the other parties.

October 1917 Revolution

~~How effective was the Provisional Government?~~

1. Decisions that faced the Provisional Government when it took over in March 1917:
-- What to do about the war
The Provisional Government promised Russia's allies that it would stand by them and stay in the war, and it tried to do so, but the war effort was failing miserable. Soldiers deserted frequently, morale was low, and order was lost. The Russian military was a complete disaster

-- What to do about land
The Provisional Government decided to make the peasants wait until elections were held to establish a government before they could start getting their land, but the peasants started taking it by force anyways, so the Provisional Government came back with force of their own to stop them.

-- What to do about food
Without support from the peasants, the Provisional Government could not bring food into the towns, and as a result, food prices skyrocketed. This, in turn, lost the Provisional Government even more support.

2. How the actions of its opponents harmed the Provisional Government:
-- Members of the soviets
Went against the Provisional Government and continued to hold more power over the people, and gained much more support than the Provisional Government, which wasn't giving the people anything that they wanted.

-- Bolsheviks
Promised the people exactly what they wanted: bread, peace, and land, when the Provisional Government was giving the opposite, therefore turning the support of most of Russia over to the Bolsheviks and the Soviets.

-- General Kornilov
He made an attempt at taking over the government. He prepared his revolt and set off against Kerensky, who had no chance and was forced to call on the Bolsheviks for help. The Bolsheviks obliged, crushed the revolt, and gained a lot of support.

3. Based on your answers to questions 1 & 2, how effective do you think the Provisional Government was? Your answer should be at least two paragraphs. Make sure you provide key details and analysis.
The Provisional Government was a total failure. It had a good idea, serving as a temporary government until elections were held to decide on a final government, but what it did when it held power was completely opposite of what the people wanted. Since the tsar had abdicated, and there was no government, someone had to take control in the meantime. So the Provisional Government, 12 members of the Duma, took power temporarily. Although such a thing was necessary at the time, it was a failure. The majority of the people, mainly the peasants, were not at all satisfied with this temporary government. It didn't give the people anything of what they wanted: peace, bread, and land. The other, unofficial government, the Petrograd Soviet, was the government that really had all the power.
The Petrograd Soviet was another reason why the Provisional Government was as unsuccessful as it was. It promised the peasants what they wanted, which was bread, peace, and land. The Provisional Government decided to remain in the war with Germany, and to make the peasants wait to get their land. The peasants were very dissatisfied and began to take the land by force anyways, to which the Provisional Government responded with "punishment expeditions," beating peasants and burning their homes and farms. This, of course, lost the Provisional Government more support, and without support, it could not get food to people. Amongst all of the Provisional Government's failures, the Petrograd Soviet was gaining more support. It had all the power because it promised the peasants their bread, peace, and land. The majority of the people supported them, therefore they had all the support while the Provisional Government had almost no support.

~~The Appeal of Lenin and Trotsky~~

1. Using Sources 42 - 44, and the Profile of Lenin, add extra details to the profile of Lenin:
-- Why Lenin appealed to people
He was a professional revolutionary, and he was ambitious and determined. Also, he did not give off a very good professional look, and he seemed to the people to be more like one of them, and not a superior gentleman. He was a good speaker and he rallied the people up into a determined struggle in favor of his cause.

-- His personal qualities
He was ruthless and used human beings as tools and materials to do as he pleased. He was short, sturdy, and bald. He looked like a small tradesman, and he appeared fairly unkempt and informal, which appealed to the peasants because he seemed more like them.

-- His strengths as a leader
He dealt with internal divisions within the Bolshevik party, and provided tight control and discipline and unity that other parties lacked.

2. Using Sources 45 - 47, and the Profile of Trotsky, add extra details to the profile of Trotsky:
-- Why Trotsky appealed to people

By far the strongest speaker in the leadership, which made him the best known Bolshevik leader. Made references in his speeches to the lives of his audience to create a sense of familiarity and make the people view him as "one of us."

-- His personal qualities
Talented orator and writer, which is what gave him his talent with speaking to crowds and gaining public support.

-- His strengths as a leader
By far the strongest speaker in the leadership, which made him the best known Bolshevik leader. He was source of public inspiration for the Bolsheviks. His genius seemed to even surpass Lenin.

3. Finally, write a short report on the contribution of each individual to the Bolsheviks' success in 1917.

Lenin's contribution the the Bolsheviks' success in 1917 was his order and discipline, while that of Trotsky was incredible speeches gaining public support. Lenin was more often behind the scenes, planning things out and calculating all the steps. He was the mastermind behind the Bolsheviks' success. He supplied all the order and discipline among the Bolsheviks to keep it in order, and made the plans. Meanwhile, Trotsky was using his genius to gain public support. He was an incredible speaker and he knew how to captivate the people and make them listen to him, and they liked what he said. As a result, the Bolsheviks gained support while developing an excellent, well organized party with a plan to take over the government.

Lenin and the Bolsheviks Take Power

1. Why was Lenin reluctant to compromise with the Mensheviks or Socialist Revolutionaries? 
Lenin was reluctant to compromise with the Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries because he thought their willingness to compromise would mess up his plans for revolution.

2. List two reasons why the Provisional Government under Kerensky could not govern. 
- Neither the socialists nor the liberal democrats trusted or respected him
- The order in Russia had fallen apart, and attempts to restore it failed

3. The Bolsheviks did not have a majority at the Congress of Soviets after the October Revolution. How did they manage to assume power?
The Mensheviks and SR's didn't participate. They were angry about the armed insurrection against the Provisional Government, so they stormed out of the Congress, and the Bolsheviks had assumed control.

4. What did the Bolsheviks have to give up in order to get out of World War I? What was the name of the Treaty?
The Bolsheviks signed the Brest-Litovsk treaty to get out of World War I, but it had to give up a large part of Russian land to Germany, including Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic States. It was a shameful peace for many people in Russia.

5. What was the Checka?
The Checka was the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission to Struggle against Counter-Revolution, Sabotage, and Speculation. It was like a ruthless police force that operated outside of law to eliminate Lenin's opposition.

6. What supporters joined the Red Army? White Army?
Supporters of the Bolsheviks joined the Red Army, and it's enemies and their supporters joined the White Army.

7. How many Russians died during the Civil War? How many emigrated to other countries?
Around 13 million Russians died during the Civil War, and about 2 million emigrated to another country.