Lenin in Power 2

1. Read Source 20. What aspects of War Communism are the sailors most angry about? Would you expect peasants in Russia to feel the same?
The soldiers were angry about the actions of the Cheka and their lack of freedom. The peasants probably felt the same, they were just too afraid to say so, because they would be arrested by the Cheka.
2. Does the evidence of Source 23 prove the NEP was a success? Explain your answer with reference to Sources 22, 24 and 25.
To a certain extent. Although production under the NEP was greater than with war communism, according to 25, conditions in factories did not improve much.
3. From all you have found about Lenin, do you agree with Source 26? Why or why not?
I agree that he really changed the 20th century, and I agree that he was great, but not good. I don't think he really had the workers in mind in his rule. I think he was just pursuing the idea of communism because he thought it was cool, not because he really wanted to improve the conditions of the common people.

How did the Bolsheviks consolidate their rule?
4. Write an explanation of how the Bolsheviks made their rule more secure. Mention the following:
The power of the Red Army P
Treatment of oppostion P
War Communism P
The New Economic Policy P
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk P
The victory in the Civil War P
The Promise of a new society P
Propaganda P
Is any one of the above factors more important than any of the others? Explain.

To consolidate their rule the Bolsheviks needed to get rid of the opposition, and get the people on their side. The Bolsheviks were able to get rid of the opposition (the Whites), because they had a very organized army. The Red Army was much more powerful and organized than the white armies. The Red Army supported itself through War Communism. The Army and Cheka were ruthless in arresting or hanging anyone who disagreed with them.
To be completely secure, the Bolsheviks also wanted to get the people on their side. FIrst, they had to end the war with Germany, which they did in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. In the resulting civil war, the Bolsheviks used propaganda and the promise of a new society. The Bolsheviks reminded the peasants of the terrible conditions they endured under the Tsar, and said the Tsar would return if the Whites won. However, the policy of war communism was creating a famine and also the Kronstadt rebellion. So Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy to increase production.