How Far Do You Agree That the Brutality of the Bolsheviks Was the Main Reason Why They Remained in Power in the Years 1917-24? Essay Example
How far do you agree that the brutality of the Bolsheviks was the main reason why they remained in power in the years 1917–24?
This essay shall address the issue of how the far the brutality of Bolshevik Regime ensured the maintaining of it’s power between the years of 1917-24. This essay shall explore topics concerning the ‘Dictatorship Of The Proletariat’, The Cheka, War Communism, The Red Terror and other potential reasons for the Bolsheviks remaining in power. This essay shall also explore the various views put forth by various Historians such as Robert Conquest and Richard Pipes.
The Dictatorship of the Proletariat was an idea advocated by Lenin throughout the course of the initial years of the Bolshevik Regime. The idea stemmed from Marxism where the Proletariat (Industrial Workers) would rise up, overthrow the Bourgeoisie (Wealthy Land/Factory Owners) and take control; hence, ‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’. The idea led to the development of ‘Democratic Centralism’ whereby the Party (Bolsheviks) would hold all the power in the state, not the Government itself. This would mean that the regime itself and all of its actions would be justified by the ideology upon which the Party itself was built.
This ideological backing would drive and justify the brutality of the Party itself along with its claim to power after the October Revolution of 1917. The need to maintain the idea of Democratic Centralism would lead to the introduction of the Cheka and the inception of War Communism during the Civil War.
The Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet State Security organisations, it was established by Vladimir Lenin on December 20th 1917. The Cheka was responsible for the suppressing of ‘Counter-Revolutionaries’ as dubbed by Lenin and ‘Chekists’ themselves. The methods used by the Cheka to suppress this opposition included arrests, kidnapping, torture, murder and the sending of prisoners to labour camps (Gulags). When faced with a ‘counter-revolutionary’
This essay shall address the issue of how the far the brutality of Bolshevik Regime ensured the maintaining of it’s power between the years of 1917-24. This essay shall explore topics concerning the ‘Dictatorship Of The Proletariat’, The Cheka, War Communism, The Red Terror and other potential reasons for the Bolsheviks remaining in power. This essay shall also explore the various views put forth by various Historians such as Robert Conquest and Richard Pipes.
The Dictatorship of the Proletariat was an idea advocated by Lenin throughout the course of the initial years of the Bolshevik Regime. The idea stemmed from Marxism where the Proletariat (Industrial Workers) would rise up, overthrow the Bourgeoisie (Wealthy Land/Factory Owners) and take control; hence, ‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’. The idea led to the development of ‘Democratic Centralism’ whereby the Party (Bolsheviks) would hold all the power in the state, not the Government itself. This would mean that the regime itself and all of its actions would be justified by the ideology upon which the Party itself was built.
This ideological backing would drive and justify the brutality of the Party itself along with its claim to power after the October Revolution of 1917. The need to maintain the idea of Democratic Centralism would lead to the introduction of the Cheka and the inception of War Communism during the Civil War.
The Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet State Security organisations, it was established by Vladimir Lenin on December 20th 1917. The Cheka was responsible for the suppressing of ‘Counter-Revolutionaries’ as dubbed by Lenin and ‘Chekists’ themselves. The methods used by the Cheka to suppress this opposition included arrests, kidnapping, torture, murder and the sending of prisoners to labour camps (Gulags). When faced with a ‘counter-revolutionary’