The Cheka And The Okhrana
How similar was the use of terror and its effectiveness under Tsar Nicholas II and Lenin?
Fundamentally, terror and associated organisations were used a form to gain and maintain control in both the Tsarist and Soviet regimes. These groups were crucial to ensuring that political and social unrest was kept to a minimum level. The formation of the tsarist Okhrana in 1880 was a vital component in continuing the Tsarist regime in the height of its decline in popularity from 1912. Similarly the Cheka used by Lenin, created in 1917, was also used to eliminate political opponents.
So as aforementioned, these oppressive measures of terror were put into place by the Tsar and Lenin to preserve their own leadership and their politics, whether it be autocracy or revolution. Serge described that “from now on the psychosis of absolute power was to captivate the great majority of power1” showing how the Cheka and the Red Terror were essential to “captivat[e]ing the great majority of power” to keep Lenin’s revolution stable and in his hands. Pipes also recognises this fact: “no Tsar, even at the height of radical terrorism…was as well protected as Lenin.”2 This furthers the idea of the Cheka being used as not only to “hunt out the political enemies of the state”3 which would ensure the continuation of the Bolshevik party and their power gains, but also as a direct protection of Lenin himself. Terror organisations before, such as the Okhrana, did have effects on internal political matters, but very rarely were directly given the task to guard the Tsar and his family. Shornikova was one of the many secret agents planted by the Okhrana into the Social Democratic Party and he stated: “…I knew all the secret meeting places and passwords of the revolutionary army cells throughout Russia… I was present at all the district meetings, propaganda rallies, and party conferences; I was always in the know. All the information I gathered was conscientiously reported to the Okhrana.4”
Fundamentally, terror and associated organisations were used a form to gain and maintain control in both the Tsarist and Soviet regimes. These groups were crucial to ensuring that political and social unrest was kept to a minimum level. The formation of the tsarist Okhrana in 1880 was a vital component in continuing the Tsarist regime in the height of its decline in popularity from 1912. Similarly the Cheka used by Lenin, created in 1917, was also used to eliminate political opponents.
So as aforementioned, these oppressive measures of terror were put into place by the Tsar and Lenin to preserve their own leadership and their politics, whether it be autocracy or revolution. Serge described that “from now on the psychosis of absolute power was to captivate the great majority of power1” showing how the Cheka and the Red Terror were essential to “captivat[e]ing the great majority of power” to keep Lenin’s revolution stable and in his hands. Pipes also recognises this fact: “no Tsar, even at the height of radical terrorism…was as well protected as Lenin.”2 This furthers the idea of the Cheka being used as not only to “hunt out the political enemies of the state”3 which would ensure the continuation of the Bolshevik party and their power gains, but also as a direct protection of Lenin himself. Terror organisations before, such as the Okhrana, did have effects on internal political matters, but very rarely were directly given the task to guard the Tsar and his family. Shornikova was one of the many secret agents planted by the Okhrana into the Social Democratic Party and he stated: “…I knew all the secret meeting places and passwords of the revolutionary army cells throughout Russia… I was present at all the district meetings, propaganda rallies, and party conferences; I was always in the know. All the information I gathered was conscientiously reported to the Okhrana.4”